1. The fastest way to fail a course is to…
Skip homework
Don’t do lab work
Miss more than 3 classes
Waste time in class.
Get on the instructor’s nerves
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2. Chapter 2: Thesis, Main Ideas, Supporting Details, & Transitions
Good leaders accept no excuses, but demonstrate that we all have the power to fix what is broken.
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3. In this chapter you will learn how to:
Identify the thesis of a reading assignment.
Distinguish main ideas and supporting details.
Recognize transitions that writers use to link ideas together.
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Identifying theTopic
The topic is what the entire reading selection is about; it is the subject of the reading selection.
It is the word or phrase most often referred to in the paragraph.
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Topics
Video gaming
19th c. poets
Edgar Allen Poe
Presidents of the U.S.
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Main Ideas
A paragraph is a group of related sentences that express a single idea about a single topic—the main idea.
Main Idea
Detail
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Main Idea
A main idea is the author’s most important point. It is
A broad, general statement
A complete sentence
Stated or implied
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8. The topic sentence is the one sentence that expresses the main idea.
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9. How to Find the Main Idea
Preview, then read.
Ask who or what is this about to find the TOPIC (subject)
Ask: What was the author’s point about this topic? Summarize it in your own words.
Look for a sentence that states this idea. (Or perhaps, two sentences.)
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10. The Topic Sentence First
The author first states his or her main point and then explains it.
Main Point
Detail
Most common
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Topic Sentence Last
The author leads up to the main point and then directly states it at the end.
Detail
Main Point
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12. Topic Sentence in the Middle
Some details lead up to or introduce the main idea while others follow the main idea to further explain or describe it.
Detail
Main Point
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13. Topic Sentence First & Last
Writers may emphasize an important idea at the beginning and then again at the end. Or, the first and last sentence together express the paragraph’s main point.
Main Point
Detail
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Check your Answer
Ask: Do all of the sentences in the paragraph tell me more about the topic sentence?
If yes- You’ve got the right one.
If no- Go back and find another sentence
Main ideas: Broad enough to cover all the supporting details in the paragraph.
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15. © 2005 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers
U-Review
1. What is a topic?
2. What is a main idea?
3. What is a topic sentence?
4. What is the first step in finding the main idea?
5. How do you “check” your answer?
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16. Recognizing Supporting Details
Supporting details are those facts and ideas that prove or explain the main idea of a paragraph.
Identify the main idea.
List supporting points for the main idea.
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17. Major and Minor details
Main ideas
Major Details (explain or prove the main idea)
Minor details (explain or prove the major details)
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Practice
Par pp
Circle topic
Identify the main idea (….. )
Underline major details
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Transitions
Transitions are words or phrases that help the reader see relationships between ideas.
Transitions often signal the major supporting details.
They also introduce minor details, such as examples.
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Common Transitions
Time-Sequence—first, later, next
Example— for instance, such as
Enumeration (Listing)— first, second, third, next, finally
Continuation(Addition)— also, in addition
Contrast— however, in contrast
Comparison— similarly, like
Cause-Effect— because, therefore
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U-Review
1. What is the job of supporting details?
2. What are major details?
3. What are minor details?
4. What are transitions, and how do they help readers?
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22. Concept Mapping MAIN IDEA MAJOR DETAIL 1 MAJOR DETAIL 2 MINOR DETAIL 1

23. Relationships…(finish main idea)
First major detail
Second
Major detail
Third
Minor detail
Minor detail
Minor detail
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24. Finding the Implied Main Idea
Identify the topic.
Look at the major supporting details. What are they implying about the topic?
Express this idea in your own words.
Look for an answer choice.
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25. Making an Implied Main Idea
Say: “The major details are telling me that (topic)…..”
Ex: Severe punishment may have negative effects on children.
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Match the Terms
main idea
Thesis
Major details
Minor details
Topic
Topic sentence
Explain the main idea
Subject
The most general & important idea of the paragraph
States the main idea
Main idea of a long selection
Explain the major details
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Thank you.
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