6 Questions
What is the purpose of a thesis statement in academic texts?
To present or describe the point of an essay
Where is a thesis statement usually found in academic texts?
In the abstract, executive summary, or at the end of the introduction
How can you identify the main idea of a paragraph?
Look for the concept or idea being tackled
The ___________ is the sentence that best describes the topic of a paragraph.
topic sentence
Authors usually state their topic sentence in the middle of a paragraph.
False
Match the following with their descriptions:
Thesis Statement = Presents or describes the point of an essay Topic Sentence = Main idea of the paragraph
Study Notes
Locating Main Ideas
- Finding the main idea or thesis statement of the text and the topic sentence of the paragraphs can help increase reading speed.
Thesis Statement
- Presents or describes the point of an essay
- Usually presented in the abstract or executive summary or found at the last part of the introduction in Academic texts
- Written in a declarative sentence
- Examples of signal phrases that announce the purpose, scope, or direction of the text:
- "This study examined…"
- "This paper examines…"
- "The aim of this essay is to…"
- "This paper begins with"
- "In this paper, I hope to…"
- "The primary objective of this paper is to…"
- "The purpose of this essay is to…"
Strategies in Locating the Thesis Statement
- 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
- Check the conclusion where authors sum up and review their main points
Topic Sentence
- Presents or describes the main idea of the paragraph
- Can be located in the beginning, middle, or last part of a paragraph
Strategies in Locating the Topic Sentence
- Read the first sentence of the paragraph very carefully as most authors state their topic sentence in the beginning of the paragraph
- Browse the sentences in the paragraph to identify what they describe
- Find the concept or idea being tackled, which is the “big word” in the paragraph
- Identify the purpose of the paragraph
- Observe the writing style of the author and focus on where he/she usually places his/her topic sentence
Learn how to increase your reading speed by identifying the main idea or thesis statement of a text and topic sentences of paragraphs in academic texts.
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