1. The Skilled Reader (Updated Edition) by D. J. Henry
Chapter 5:
Locating Stated Main Ideas
PowerPoint Presentation
by Gretchen Starks-Martin
St. Cloud State University, MN
© 2005 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers

2. Placement of Topic Sentences
Topic Sentence at the Beginning
Topic Sentence Within the Paragraph
Topic Sentence at the End of a Paragraph
Topic Sentence at the Beginning and the End of a Paragraph
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3. Topic Sentence at the Beginning
Main idea: Topic sentence
Supporting detail
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Example
Binge eating may be a result of high stress. Long work days, important deadlines, and family demands take their toll. Feelings of anxiety settle in the stomach. That feeling of unease may be mistaken for hunger, and the eating begins. Ice cream, cookies, and bread —for some reason—give comfort. A full stomach slows the body down and may even cause sleepiness. As the demands of a hectic lifestyle build, so does the need to eat in search of comfort.
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5. Topic Sentence Within the Paragraph
The topic sentence can be near the beginning or end of the paragraph.
Often there is an introductory sentence before the topic sentence.
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6. Topic Sentence Within the Paragraph
Introductory sentence
Main idea: Topic sentence
Supporting detail
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Example
Today, some people may think of wrestling as more of a staged circus act than a real sport. However, this view of wrestling is fairly recent. Wrestling has a long and proud history. Early man may have wrestled with animals for survival. Because it requires strength and flexibility, wrestling became part of the first Olympic games held in Greece 3,000 years ago.
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8. Topic Sentence in the Middle
Sometimes a few attention-grabbing details will begin a paragraph.
Supporting detail
Main idea: Topic sentence
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Example
1A dozen bats made of black construction paper hung from the ceiling of the front porch. 2Four pumpkins with fierce faces of triangle eyes and jagged teeth glowed by the front door. 3Spidery cobwebs covered the bushes. 4Spooky music filled the air. 5A tall witch with green hair held out a piece of candy. 6But the children were too afraid to take the candy. 7One little girl dressed as a princess stood on the sidewalk and refused to go anywhere near the witch. 8A little boy dressed as Luke Skywalker screamed as his big brother dragged him up the steps. 9Two sisters, twin ballerinas, held hands as they started and stopped three times before they finally ran away.
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10. Topic Sentence at the End
The details build up to the main idea.
Supporting detail
Main idea: Topic sentence
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Example
Lou is driving to work in his Mustang with the top down. It is a beautiful morning. Suddenly, he is stricken with an intense sense of terror. His heart races and he has trouble breathing. He pulls over to the side of the road to try to calm down. Even though nothing around him has changed, the feelings of anxiety only increase. Lou is like millions of others who have experienced a panic attack. A panic attack is an overwhelming fear that occurs without warning or reason.
© 2005 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers

12. Topic Sentence at Beginning and End
The main idea is presented at the beginning and then at the end of the paragraph, only with different words.
Main idea: Topic sentence
Supporting detail
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Example
Between September 11, 2001, and October 29 of the same year, one billion dollars was raised for the victims of the World Trade Center tragedy. The Red Cross had received $452 million. The September 11th Fund had raised $171 million. The Salvation Army had taken in $10 million. This total is the largest amount of money ever given to help others in the history of the world. Americans are a big-hearted people.
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14. The Central Idea and the Thesis Statement
The central idea is the main idea of a passage made up of two or more paragraphs.
The thesis statement is a sentence that states a longer passage’s central idea.
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Chapter Review
A topic sentence can be placed at the beginning of a paragraph, within a paragraph, or at the end of a paragraph.
One of the first things a skilled reader looks for is the location of the topic sentence in a paragraph.
A topic sentence that begins a paragraph signals a move from general ideas to specific ideas.
The topic sentences states the main idea of a paragraph.
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16. © 2005 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers
Chapter Review
A paragraph may begin with a sentence or two that give a general overview of the topic. These sentences are called introductory sentences.
At times, an author will begin a paragraph with a few attention-grabbing details. These details are placed first to stir the reader’s interest in the topic.
Ending the paragraph with the main idea can be very effective.
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17. © 2005 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers
Chapter Review
A paragraph may start and end by stating one main idea in two different sentences.
The central idea is the main idea of a passage made up of two or more paragraphs.
The thesis statement is a sentence that states a longer passage’s central idea.
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18. © 2005 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers
Complete the Applications, Review Tests, and Mastery Tests for Chapter 5.
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