1. Chapter 5: Locating Main Ideas
Essential Reading Skills
Third Edition Kathleen McWhorter
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2. © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
What is a Main Idea?
Topic = the one general subject a whole paragraph is about
Main Idea = the most important point a whole paragraph makes
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3. © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
General vs. Specific
General:
Pies
Specific:
Cherry
Apple
Chocolate
General:
Countries
Specific:
Britain
Finland Brazil
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4. © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.
Identify the Topic
Ask yourself:
What is the one idea the author is discussing throughout the paragraph?
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5. Tips for Finding the Main Idea
Identify the topic.
Locate the most general sentence (the topic sentence).
Study the rest of the paragraph.
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6. Tips for Locating the Topic Sentence
Topic Sentence First
Topic Sentence Last
Topic Sentence in the Middle
Topic Sentence First and Last
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7. Topic Sentence First
The author states his or her main point and then explains it.
Topic Sentence
Detail
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8. Topic Sentence Last
The author leads up to the main point and then states it in the end.
Detail
Topic Sentence
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9. Topic Sentence in the Middle
The sentences before the topic sentence lead up to or introduce the main idea.
The sentences following the main idea explain or describe it.
Detail
Topic Sentence
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10. Topic Sentence: First and Last
Writers put the main idea at the beginning of a paragraph and again at the end to emphasize the main point or to clarify it.
Topic Sentence
Detail
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11. Learning More About Paragraphs
Details are sentences that explain the main idea.
Writers use transitions (first, however, finally) to connect sentences.
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12. Test-Taking Tip #5: Questions on the Topic and Main Idea
Tests asking you to identify the topic of a paragraph may say:
This paragraph is primarily about….
This paragraph concerns….
This paragraph focuses on…
The best title for the paragraph would be….
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13. Test-Taking Tip #5: Questions on the Topic and Main Idea
Tests asking you to identify the main idea of a paragraph may use words like:
Thesis
Central point
Central idea
Controlling idea
Most important idea
Primary idea
Example: Which of the following statements expresses the central point of the paragraph?
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14. Visit the Companion Website
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