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Locating
Main Ideas
Central The most
important
thought point

Main
Idea
General
concept Theme
Why do you think locating the
main idea of the text is a
helpful skill that you need to
develop?
Understanding and
Locating the Thesis
Statement
Thesis Statement
 It presents or describes the point of an essay.
 Presented in the abstract or executive
summary or found at the last part of the
introduction.
 It is written in a declarative sentence.
Sample Abstract:
Previous studies revealed that meaning-focused instruction (MFI) and form-focused instruction (FFI)
are two of the most effective approaches in developing the overall language skills of second language
learners, separately. However, no experimental studies have been conducted to prove their
effectiveness when integrated. This study, therefore, aims to fill in this gap by investigating the effects
of combining MFI and FFI in developing the speaking, writing, and grammar skills of selected
secondary ESL students in public schools in the Philippines. The participants involved in this study
are 480 third year high school students. These students were divided into four groups: Group A
(n=120) received both the MFI and FFI, Group B (n=120) received MFI only, Group C (n=120)
received FFI only, and Group D (n=120) received the standard English programme for secondary ESL
students. Findings revealed that students from Group A, B, and C significantly improved in their
speaking, writing, and grammar skills but not Group D. Based on ANOVA, findings further showed
that students from Group A have outperformed students from Groups B, C, D. From these findings, it
is concluded that combining MFI and FFI is an effective way in significantly improving the language
skills of students. Future directions and implications for teaching are also discussed.
Sample Introduction:
Filipinos are frequent moviegoers. Perhaps because of the comic relief that comedy
films promise, or the fairytale ending we all want to have that the romantic comedy
provides, we indulge in the cinematography of moving pictures. In the 1984 Guinnes
Book of World Records, the Philippines was listed as the nation with the world’s
most avid film-going public, averaging 19 trips to the cinema per year, per person
(Yeatter, 2007). In a more recent statistics, the country has also been known to have
the highest level of theater admission in South-East Asia, with 63 million moviegoers
in 2004 (“Phil indie films”, n.d.). More often than not, movie theaters all over the
Metro are filled with people who want to break out from their usual working routine
to catch a two-hour movie with friends. Oddly enough, however, we as constant
consumers of these motion pictures tend to patronize those that are particularly
international.
 The thesis statement can be replaced
with a purpose statement.
 Purpose statement is introduced by
signal phrases that announce the
purpose, scope, or direction of the text
as well as its focus.
Signal Phrases
“This study examined…”
“This paper examines…”
“The aim of this essay is to…”
“This paper begins with…”
“The primary objective of this paper is to…”
“The purpose of this essay is to…”
Example:
There is a challenge posted to higher education. That is to attune its present educational goals,
objectives, and mission-vision to the demands of a globalized world. Consequently, institutions,
especially in the developing countries, have started to reconstruct their global dynamics of
knowledge production through establishing linkages among institutions across nations.
Generally, the common set of internationalization of higher education highlights the importance
of promoting cultural diversity and fostering intercultural understanding, respect, and tolerance
among people (Turner and Robinson, 2007). These reiterations of what internationalization of
higher education should emphasize are actually based on the profound belief that the cultural
heritage of people is universal and humankind shares the bond of humanity and global
citizenship in the process of advancement of knowledge (Wing, 2010)… Exploratory in nature,
this paper aims to examine the key concepts on IHE. Specifically, this paper reviews articles
which will shed light on the significant ideas, and proposes a preliminary framework for IHE in
the Philippines.
Strategies to Locate
the Thesis
Statement
The following strategies are also useful in helping you locate
the thesis statement of a text.

 Read the title of the text and make inferences on its

purpose.
 If the text has no abstract or executive summary,
read the first few paragraphs as the thesis statement
is usually located there.
 In other cases, you may also check the conclusion
where authors sum up and review their main points.
Understanding and
Locating Topic
Sentence
Topic Sentence
 It presents or describes the point of the
paragraph; in other words, it is the main
idea of a paragraph.
 It can be located in the beginning,
middle, or last part of the paragraph.
Example:
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
is the agency responsible for human development concerns such as
the provision of social services such as those provided in day care
centers. For instance, DSWD is implementing the Supplementary
Feeding Program (SFP) nationwide. This in addition to the regular
meals served to Day Care Center children as part of DSWD’s
program to ensure that day care children are well-nourished as they
attend classes.
Example:
Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) plays a crucial
role in ensuring that children are taught the skills and knowledge
essential in building a learner’s interest to acquire education in life.
Recognizing the benefits of ECCD to a person’s well-being and the
country, RA No. 8980 or the ECCD Act was legislated to institutionalize
a national ECCD system. Through the ECCD Act, a comprehensive,
integrative, and sustainable ECCD framework of the country was
developed. This ECCD Act promotes multisectoral and inter-agency
collaboration under the coordination of a national ECCD Council.
Strategies to Locate
the Topic Sentence
The following strategies are also useful in helping you locate
the topic sentence of a text.

 Most authors state their topic sentence in the beginning of

the paragraph.
 The sentence that best describes the topic
 The sentence that defines the concept or the idea of the
paragraph
 The sentence that presents the purpose of the text
 Observe the writing style of the author.
Thank you for
participating!