What Is This Module About?

Sometimes we are asked to speak or to write on a specific topic. Many of us find

difficulty even in starting it because we do not know where and how to begin. We
cannot decide which ideas to discuss first or how to proceed with our discussion.
Would you like to overcome this problem?
In this module, you will learn how to organize and present your ideas in an
outline. An outline will help you organize your ideas.
This module is made up of two lessons:
Lesson 1 – Classifying Concepts/Relationships and Picking Out Key Ideas
Lesson 2 – Identifying Supporting Details

What Will You Learn From This Module?

This module will teach you how to prepare an outline. An outline is a plan you
follow when you write. It can be developed through careful planning and gathering of
facts and ideas. It can also help you avoid saying too much or too little about a given
topic.
After studying this module, you should be able to:
♦ organize your thoughts carefully; and
♦ express your ideas and feelings clearly both when speaking and writing.

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 Let’s See What You Already Know

Before you start studying this module, take this simple test first to find out what
you already know about the topic.
A. Match the definition in Column A with the word that is referred to in
Column B. Write the letter only.
A B
_____ 1. A list of ideas arranged a. outlining
systematically to show the
b. outline
relationship of ideas in a
composition c. classification
_____ 2. The process of classifying d. key words
information or data
_____ 3. The arrangement and
division of things and people
into classes

B. Write a heading for each group of words.

1. ______________________
lettuce
eggplant
string beans
cabbage
2. ______________________
tissue paper
toothpaste
soap
shampoo
3. ______________________
horizontal
diagonal
curved
vertical

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 4. ______________________
stars
moons
sun
planets
5. ______________________
cellphone
pager
fax-machine
telephone

C. Given are some general statements. Supply 2–3 supporting details or

statements under each.
1. My family is the best gift I have.
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
2. My family and I spend vacation wisely.
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

3. The Philippines has many beautiful places to be proud of.

____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

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 Well, how was it? Do you think you fared well? Compare your answers with those
in the Answer Key on page 21 to find out.
If all your answers are correct, very good! This shows that you already know
much about the topic. However, you may still study the module to review what you
already know. Who knows, you might learn a few more new things as well.
If you got a low score, don’t feel bad. This means that this module is for you. It
will help you understand some important concepts that you can apply in your daily
life. If you study this module carefully, you will learn the answers to all the items in
the test and a lot more! Are you ready?
You may go now to the next page to begin with Lesson 1.

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 LESSON 1

Classifying Concepts/Relationships and

Picking Out Key Ideas

There are two basic types of outlines. The first is an outline of what one has read
and the other is an outline that helps you express your ideas in writing. I want you to
discover first how ideas are expressed and organized in some writings. Later, I hope
you will have an idea on how to do this on your own.
In this lesson, you will learn to identify how a given set of words and ideas are
related. Then you will learn how to classify them according to their similarities.

Let’s Try This

The first step in outlining is, of course, deciding what topic you are going to
write about. Say for example, you decided to write about animals. But you don’t know
exactly what you will write about them. You then list down all the animals that come to
your mind.
Study the sample list below.
dog cat horse
worm monkey orangutan
milkfish fish oyster
chimpanzee centipede hen

Can you find similarities among them? Group them according to their common
features. Then, give general description for each group. If you see more divisions
under each group, divide it further into subclasses or smaller groups.

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 Try doing this with the sample list. Compare your answers with mine.
♦ four-legged animals
– dog
– cat
– horse
♦ animals without legs
– worm
– oyster
– milkfish
– fish
♦ two-legged animals
– hen
– monkey
♦ chimpanzee
♦ orangutan
♦ crawling animals
– worm
– centipede

How are the animals grouped?

Answer: The animals are grouped according to the number of their legs.
Did you get the same answer? If you did, that’s good. But that is not the only
answer. There are some others. You should remember that key ideas are used when
creating headings.
Under the word monkey are two other words: orangutan and chimpanzee. How
are they related to the word monkey? They are types or subclasses of monkeys.
There may be other types but there are only two in your list.

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 Let’s Try This

Now, practice choosing the heading in each set of words by underlining the key
word. The first number has already been done for you.

1. guitar violin musical instruments drums

2. officials mayor governor senator
3. Tuesday Wednesday days Monday
4. medicine education law courses
5. reading materials newspaper book magazine
6. truck train car vehicles
7. hammer tools pliers saw
8. furniture table chair dresser
9. doll top toys marbles
10. telephone computer television electrical
equipment

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 22. How did you
find this activity? Did you get a perfect score? If you miss more than three items, go
over the list once more.

Let’s Learn

How would the words look when placed on a list? Take number one, for example:
Musical instruments
– guitar
– violin
– drums
What do you notice?
The classification of musical instruments serves as the heading and the others:
guitar, violin and drums are items in your list. Is this your answer? If yes, very good!
Itemizing the words under a heading is actually a sample of a very simple outline.

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 Let’s Try This

Refer to the items in the box on page 7. Do the same thing we did in the example.
Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on pages 22 and 23.

Let’s Remember

♦ To prepare an outline, first ask yourself how you can

group together or classify the key ideas (headings or
main topics) that come to your mind.
♦ Then expand them by giving more specific details about
them (subtopics).
♦ The key ideas pool together all related data or
information.

Let’s Try This

Imagine that you have to welcome a group of visitors in school. You are asked by
your teacher to brainstorm on the things you want to tell them about your school. You
came up with the following ideas. Classify them accordingly. Think of your own
headings. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.
– physical description of the – known for having quality
school teachers and students
– location – produces smart graduates
– previous accomplishments – passed the Level II
accreditation
– present status
– earned the title “Center for
– three-time winner in the
Excellence in the National
Cleanest School Contest
Capital Region”
– consistent top-notcher in the
NEAT and NSAT

Refer to the possible answers in the Answer Key on page 23.

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 Let’s Study and Analyze

Study the following groups of words:

1. fruits
– atis
– melon
– banana
2. vegetables
– pechay
– sitaw
– eggplant
3. four-legged animals
– dog
– cat
– horse
4. two-legged animals
– hen
– monkey
– bird

What do you notice about them? What kind of word grouping do the words in the
list belong? Are they phrases? clauses? sentences?
The words in the list take the form of phrases.
If your answer is similar to this, then you got it right!
Look at the next set of words. Read them carefully. Notice how they are formed.
Our country is known for its rich natural resources and beautiful
places.
♦ It has clean and beautiful beaches.
♦ It is rich with pearls and other minerals.
♦ It has beautiful forests.
Our country is also known for its rich cultural heritage.
♦ It has rich folktales, legends and myths that equal those of other countries.
♦ It has many traditions and rituals known for their uniqueness.

What do you notice? This list is made up of sentences unlike the first which was
only made up of phrases.
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 Let’s Try This

Pick out the key ideas in the following paragraphs and make an outline for each.
Your outline may be made up of either phrases or sentences. The first one has already
been done for you.
1. There are many kinds of people in the world: those with white skin, black
skin, brown skin and others.

Different kinds of people in the world

– People with black skin

– People with white skin
– People with brown skin

2. There are many kinds of geometrical figures. Some have four sides such as
squares, rhombuses, rectangles, and trapezoids. The triangle, a figure with
three sides can be right, isosceles or equilateral.

3. Have you seen the religion, mythology and philosophy books I placed on the
study table? I have other references on the shelf like an atlas, a dictionary
and an almanac. The other reading materials on the floor are newspapers and
magazines.

4. Mother bought us a lot of pasalubong. She brought native delicacies such as

puto, suman, palitaw, and sapin-sapin. She also brought us drinks, like
sago’t gulaman and iced tea.

5. Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao are the three big island groups that make up the
Philipine archipelago.

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on pages 24 and 25. If you
got all the answers right, you are ready to move on with the rest of the lesson. If not,
go over the parts that were unclear to you and figure out why you made mistakes.

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 Let’s Think About This

Everyday, we sort out things according to different criteria. When we wash our
clothes, for example, we separate the white ones from the colored ones. We protect
the whites from getting stains.
Our local officials have also mandated us to separate our household wastes into
biodegradable (things that can rot or decay) and nonbiodegradable (those that do not
easily decay like plastic) materials.
When we go to the supermarket we can easily see the goods we want to buy
because they are grouped together and kept according to kind.
These daily life situations are very similar to what we have learned about
outlining so far. They make our tasks easier the way outlining does to our writing.

Let’s See What You Have Learned

Look at the following lists of phrases. The first group lists down the main topics
while the second lists down the different subtopics under the given topics. Group the
subtopics according to the given main topics. Remember what you have learned so far
about outlining. You may also consult a math book if you are not familiar with the
topics. (Hint: There are two subtopics for every given main topic.) Write your answers
on a separate sheet of paper.
Main topics
Numeration Systems and Whole Numbers
Introduction to Integers
Factors and Primes
Rational Numbers
Ratio and Proportion
Measurements
Graphs
Geometry
Introduction to Algebra

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 Subtopics
Numbers and Numerals
The Number Line
Divisibility
The Need for Another Number System
Concept of Ratio
Measurements
Interpreting a Pictograph
Points and Lines
Symbols We Use in Algebra
Expanded Form of the Decimal Numeral
Ordering of the Set of Integers
Prime Factorization
Different Names for the Same Number
Proportion
Measures of Areas
Making a Bar Graph
Space
Polynomials

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 25. Did you get all
the answers right? If you did, that’s very good! If you did not, that’s alright, too. Just
review the parts you did not understand very well. Afterwards, you may proceed to the
next lesson.

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 LESSON 2

Identifying Supporting Details

In this lesson, you will identify the key ideas and their supporting details from a
given set of phrases or sentences.

It is important to learn to identify the supporting details in a paragraph because

they help in explaining, describing, expanding and clarifying the main idea of a given
passage or paragraph.

Let’s Try This

Read the given paragraph carefully. Identify its main idea. The main idea is the
sentence that gives the overall theme of a paragraph. Then, list down the sentences that
support that main idea.

(1) Cynthia is an avid fan of Marinella Cruz. (2) She cuts

every picture or news article about her favorite movie star.
(3) She never fails to watch all her movies. (4) She also buys
every poster or calendar that shows Marinella’s lovely face.

Which sentence tells us the main idea of the paragraph?

In this case, the sentence Cynthia is an avid fan of Marinella Cruz is the topic
sentence or the main idea of the paragraph.

The following sentences (Sentences 2 to 4) just support what has been mentioned
in the first sentence. They are collectively called supporting details.

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 Let’s Learn

A paragraph usually starts with a general statement and continues with specific
sentences.

Let us practice some more in identifying the main ideas and their supporting
details of the following paragraph.

1. (1) Jaime wakes up very early in the morning to go to the farm. (2) After
taking a bath, he immediately goes out of the house without eating breakfast
to start working. (3) He works hard to protect his plants from pests by
putting ample amounts of pesticides. (4) He waters them regularly. (5) He
also puts small amount of fertilizers to these plants so they will grow
healthy. (6) Jaime is a good farmer.

2. (1) The early monks kept records about Greek and Roman civilizations in the
monasteries. (2) The monasteries are the first schools. (3) Inside the
monasteries, the monks cared for the sick and taught the children not only to
prepare them for priesthood but also for ordinary life. (4) They wrote,
copied, and preserved books. (5) They accepted anyone who came to them
for help. (6) They did their work without complaints.

What is the main idea of the first paragraph?

The sentence that tells us what the paragraph is about is not the first one but the
last one. This tells us that the topic sentence does not always appear at the beginning
of a paragraph. It can actually appear anywhere in the paragraph.

Let us now examine the second paragraph. Which of the sentences gives its main
idea?

After careful examination, you will see that none of the sentences directly state
the paragraph’s main idea. They are all just supporting details to the implied main idea
which is “The monks were very important people during the olden days.”

We can therefore say that the main idea in a paragraph can also be not directly
stated, just implied. This usually happens when the said paragraph is just an
explanation or a continuation of ideas already mentioned in preceding paragraphs
especially in longer compositions.

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 Le’s Try This

Arrange the jumbled sentences in each set to form a meaningful paragraph.

Identify the topic sentence. If it is implied, write what you think it is.
Set 1
a. Many psychologists believe that children should not be spanked when they
commit mistakes.
b. They perceive that spanking is not the best way to instill discipline in
children.
c. Studies have shown that abused children usually become child abuser
themselves.
Topic Sentence ________________________________________________

Set 2
a. Some say that only poor people eat it.
b. Not many people know that the sweet potato despite being inexpensive is
very nutritious.
d. It is rich in vitamins that are good for our body.
Topic Sentence ________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 26.

Let’s Try This

Below are some general statements. Write three supporting statements for each
on a separate sheet to expand them.
A. The food in the cafeteria looks bland.
B. There are several things I failed to do this past semester.
C. My mother is my best friend.

Compare your answers with those in Answer Key on page 26.

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 Let’s See What You Have Learned

Follow the given instructions. As much as possible, answer the questions in

complete sentences. Follow the given format.
Set 1
1. Cite 3 reasons why you decided to continue your studies.
2. Arrange your reasons according to their order of importance.
Title: _____________________________________________
Beginning sentence: There are several reasons why I decided to continue my
studies.
A. First reason: ______________________________________
B. Second reason: ____________________________________
C. Third reason: ______________________________________
Ending sentence: My studies are very important to me.

Set 2
1. List down one way of
recycling waste materials.
2. Give three steps in doing this.

Title: _______________________________________________
Beginning sentence: A pencil holder can be made out of an empty can of
sardines.
A. First step: ________________________________________
B. Second step: ______________________________________
C. Third step: ________________________________________
Ending sentence: We can save money by recycling wastes.

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 Set 3
1. Cite one similarity between you and your mother/father.
2. Cite also one difference between the two of you.
Title: _______________________________________________
Beginning sentence: My mom/dad and I have many similarities and differences.
A. We are alike in many ways.
1. First similarity: ________________________________
2. Second similarity: ______________________________
3. Third similarity: _______________________________
B. We are also different in many ways.
1. First difference: _______________________________
2. Second difference: _____________________________
3. Third difference: _______________________________
Ending sentence: We are still different individuals despite our similarities but
we love each other despite our differences.

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 27.

Let’s Remember

♦ Every paragraph is made up of a topic sentence and statements that support

it.
♦ The topic sentence may be found at the beginning, at the end or anywhere in
a paragraph. At times though, it may be implied or not directly stated, this
sentence gives the overall theme of the paragraph.

Well, this is the end of the module! Congratulations for finishing it. Did you like
it? Did you learn anything useful from it? A summary of its main points is given on the
next page to help you remember them better.

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 Let’s Sum Up

This module tells us that:

♦ An outline is a plan that you follow when you write.
♦ To prepare an outline, first ask yourself how you can group together or
classify key ideas (heading or topics) that come to your mind. Then expand
them by giving more specific details about them (subtopics).
♦ The key ideas in an outline pool together all related data or information.
♦ Every paragraph is made up of a topic sentence and statements that support
it.
♦ The topic sentence may be found at the beginning, at the end or anywhere in
a paragraph. At times though, it may just be implied or not directly stated,
this sentence gives an overall theme of the paragraph.

What Have You Learned?

A. Answer the following questions briefly.

1. What is the process of putting together information or data according to
their similarities?
2. How do we group data or information?
3. Why should we learn to group our ideas be it in speaking or writing?

B. Put a heading for each group of words below.

1. ____________________
Ferdinand Marcos
Corazon Aquino
Fidel Ramos
Manuel Quezon
2. ____________________
Manila
Makati
Cavite
Zamboanga

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 3. ____________________
Philippines
Thailand
Singapore
Malaysia
4. ___________________
epic
psalm
ballad
ode
5. ___________________
Jose Rizal
Andres Bonifacio
Emilio Aguinaldo
Gabriela Silang

C. Identify the topic sentence in each paragraph below.

Paragraph 1
The word dictionary comes from an old Latin word dictionarium
which means “collection of words.” The dictionary is a book containing
words of a languange arranged alphabetically with their meanings, and
sometimes also their pronunciation, grammatical labels, inflections,
etymologies, etc. The words in a dictionary come from a variety of sources.
Every so often new words are added to those already listed in a dictionary.
Some of these words are invented. Some are borrowed from other
languages/dialects.

Paragraph 2
The United States Environmental Protection Agency cites evidence that
depletion of the ozone layer could reduce crop yield and seriously disturb
the balance of the ecosystems of the oceans. The destroyers of the ozone
layer are products of man’s ingenuity: chloroflourocarbons or CFCs—
chemicals used in air-conditioning, refrigeration, plastic foam, fire
extinguishers, aerosol sprays and as solvents.

Source: Vitug, Marites Dañguilan. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Sepatember 10, 1990.

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