Lesson 7

Lesson 7:
Thesis Statement, Topic Sentence

SUPPORTING DETAILS
rt
INTRODUC
TION
Hi dear learners!
In writing paragraph or an essay, imagine you’re watching a cheerleading competition. Thesis
statement should be the star. It will be supported by your topic sentence; your topic sentence will
be carried by your supporting details. In the previous lesson, you have learned about the
OBJECTIVE
principles of effective writing skill and how to apply those principles. Here, you will discover
S
the importance of thesis statement, topic sentence and supporting details.
.
By the end of the lesson, you will have been able to;
 Differentiate thesis statement, topic sentence and supporting details
 Write a thesis statement, topic sentence and supporting details effectively
PRELIMINARY
ACTIVITY
Compose a 5-sentence paragraph expressing your opinion whether you agree or

disagree to the statement below.
“Violent video/computer/mobile games should be banned.”
Note: You may research for studies, reports and articles as support to your
argument.
DISCUSS
ION
Upon writing, formulating a thesis statement is needed. Thesis statement is the
claim or stand that you will develop in your paper. It is the controlling idea of your
essay that summarizes the main point and states why the essay is important and
worth reading. An essay that lacks a strong thesis will be inadequate and often
lacking in focus that would confuse the readers.
Generating a thesis statement can be done through various methods. The most
common is by asking questions.
Here is an exercise to help create a thesis statement in 3

simple steps:
Step #1 – Think of a broad subject and then narrow that
subject into a more specific topic.
1.) I want to write about the subject of what skills a college student learns in
college, and I want to focus on the skill of writing (topic).
2.) Jogging
Step #2 – Once the topic has been established, create a specific question that
relates to the topic:
1.) Why is it important that college students learn how to write well?
2.) Why Jogging is beneficial?
Step #3 – Now, create an answer to the question above, the answer you have
formulated is your thesis statement.
1.) Because writing is a skill that is required in most classes, college students
need to learn how to write well in order to succeed academically.
2.) Jogging is beneficial because it positively affects physical well-being and
mental fitness.
These answers become a potential working thesis statement for an essay. This
exercise can be used to help create a thesis statement for any type of essay with
any topic.
How to write an effective thesis statement?
The following are guidelines you may follow when writing a thesis statement.
Make sure to follow writing conventions alongside these guidelines. Writing
conventions such as spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar help
make a student's essay clear and understandable.
 It should be written in complete sentence with clearly stated subject.
 It should not be too narrow nor too broad and contain at least two details.
 Avoid awkward statements which starts with “I will tell you.. or I will talk
about” …
 Enumerated details should have the same level of significance.
 It should have a point.
Every paragraph should include a topic sentence that identifies the main idea of the
paragraph.
A topic sentence states the point the writer wishes to make about that subject.
Generally, the topic sentence appears at the beginning of the paragraph. It is often
the paragraph’s very first sentence.
A paragraph’s topic sentence must be general enough to express the paragraph’s
overall subject. But it should be specific enough that the reader can understand the
paragraph’s main subject and point.
The topic sentence and the thesis statement are very much related to one another.
Basically, the topic sentence develops the details in the thesis statement. If the
thesis statement contains three details, then the paper will have three topic
sentences. Take a look at the example below.
Topic: Tagaytay City
Question: Why is Tagaytay City considered as an enthralling city of the South?
Thesis Statement: Tagaytay City is an enthralling city of the South because of its
beautiful landscape, delicious food and amazing people.
Topic Sentence 1: Tagaytay City attracts tourists with its beautiful landscape.
Topic Sentence 2: People go back to Tagaytay for its delicious foods.
Topic Sentence 3: The warmth of the city’s amazing people is also another reason
why Tagaytay is alluring.
Tips in Writing an Effective Topic Sentence

1. It should follow the basics already discussed in the thesis statement.
a. It must be written in a complete sentence and with a clear subject.
b. It should not be phrased awkwardly and it should not state obvious. An
awkward statement starts with “I will tell you….”
2. It should contain one detail which is related to one of the details in the thesis
statement.
3. It should vary in structure across paragraphs. If the topic sentences are uniform
throughout your essay, they might seem monotonous to read.
4. If the composition is one paragraph, the topic sentence should be direct to the
point.
Supporting Details provide information to

clarify, prove, or explain the main idea. These
details demonstrate the validity of the main idea.
They often list parts, aspects, steps, or examples of the main idea. Or sometimes
they may list the causes of it, effects from it, or ways in which it shows itself to be
true. There are two types of supporting details: major and minor
 Major Details
o explain the main idea.
o are more specific than the main idea.
o provide the examples, reasons, statistics and studies that help make
the main idea clear and convincing.
o answer readers’ questions about the main idea.
 Minor Details
o explain a major detail.
o are even more specific than major details.
o repeat key points and add colorful detail.
o may or may not be important enough to include in reading notes.
Example: I really like apples. They are Main Idea: I like apples (for the
sweet, crisp, and juicy and just filling following reasons).
enough to take the edge off my Major Detail: They are crisp, juicy,
appetite. When I eat apples, I also think and filling.
of the vitamins and minerals they Major Detail: They provide healthy
contain, and the fiber they supply to vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
keep me healthy.
ACTIVI
TY
I. Directions: Apply the 3 steps in generating a thesis statement. Write a question
for each topic. Make sure that the question you formulate will require three
details in the answer. Then, answer each question to come up with a thesis
statement. From the thesis statement you have formulated, write three topic
sentences.
1. Facebook
Question:
Thesis Statement:
Topic Sentence 1:
Topic Sentence 2:
Topic Sentence 3:
2. Absenteeism:
Question:
Thesis Statement:
Topic Sentence 1:
Topic Sentence 2:
Topic Sentence 3:
3. Online Game Addiction:

Question:
Thesis Statement:
Topic Sentence 1:
Topic Sentence 2:
Topic Sentence 3:
4. Alcohol Drinking
Question:
Thesis Statement:
Topic Sentence 1:
Topic Sentence 2:
Topic Sentence 3:
5. Drug Abuse:
Question:
Thesis Statement:
Topic Sentence 1:
Topic Sentence 2:
Topic Sentence 3:
6. Philippine Elections:
Question:
Thesis Statement:
Topic Sentence 1:
Topic Sentence 2:
Topic Sentence 3:
Great job! Just keep practicing. Always

remember that knowing how to write a proper

Lesson 7

Uploaded by

Lesson 7

Uploaded by

Lesson 7:

Thesis Statement, Topic Sentence

Compose a 5-sentence paragraph expressing your opinion whether you agree or

“Violent video/computer/mobile games should be banned.”

Here is an exercise to help create a thesis statement in 3

Tips in Writing an Effective Topic Sentence

Supporting Details provide information to

3. Online Game Addiction:

Great job! Just keep practicing. Always

You might also like