[PDF] [PDF] Finding Main Ideas - Palm Beach State College

[PDF] Finding the Main Idea Main Idea = Topic + Authors Point about the

What is the overall message or argument being made by the author about the topic of this paragraph? How to Find Supporting Details Turn the main idea into a 

[PDF] asking questions to find the main idea

Finding the main idea of a paragraph, whether explicitly stated or implied, is a challenge for many students, particularly when reading substantive complex texts

[PDF] Close Reading Finding the Main Idea Summarising

They understand the main ideas of a text and can determine what is important • They are able to synthesise their reading and produce their own ideas and create  

[PDF] Finding Main Ideas

textbooks can seem so fact-filled that every idea looks like a main idea This is one The following sections on finding paragraph ideas, finding section ideas,

[PDF] Main Ideas & Supporting Details

Reading Skills Main Ideas and Supporting Details passage about?” ▫ To find the main idea of a passage, ask yourself “What is the author saying about the 

[PDF] Finding Main Ideas - Palm Beach State College

It is usually supported by a list of details If you can tell what the supporting details have in common, you can discover the main idea Example 1:

[PDF] How to Find the Main Idea:

Main Idea vs Supporting Detail After you identify the topic of a selection, you then are on your way to finding the main idea As you read through a reading 

[PDF] how to find the median

[PDF] how to format a paragraph

[PDF] how to get certificate of origin in mumbai

[PDF] how to get citations in latex

[PDF] how to get fm certification

[PDF] how to get foreign letters on mac keyboard

[PDF] how to get text message records from c spire

[PDF] how to get to atlas bar singapore

[PDF] how to get windows 10 for free

[PDF] how to hack instagram to get 1000 followers

[PDF] how to import ssl certificate in fortiweb

[PDF] how to improve english speaking skills free pdf download

[PDF] how to improve performance of java application

[PDF] how to improve presentation skills pdf

[PDF] how to insert data in specific column in sql

The Stated Main Idea - Tutor Hints

What is the main idea?

A general statement about the paragraph (or reading selection). The main idea is a sentence that provides the subject for discussion; it is the topic sentence. It is usually supported by a list of details. If you can tell what the supporting details have in common, you can discover the main idea.

Example 1: 1

There are many kinds of unusual plants.

2

Cactuses, for instance, can survive in the

great heat of the desert sun at noon and in the bitter cold of the desert at night. 3 Instead of regular leaves, they have needles that serve as a defense against hungry animals. 4 Their stems are full of hollow cells that store enough water to last for months. 5 These features make the cactus a remarkable plant, able to live in one of nature's harshest environments.

What is the main idea of this passage?

Helpful hints:

A reading selection is likely to have three kinds of sentences: a main idea, supporting details , and sometimes a general or catchy introduction. The main idea can be found anywhere among these. Read the paragraph out loud to yourself, if possible, and think...what or who the paragraph is about. The main idea is usually general - though only general enough to encompass the list of details. It will rarely contain specific information such as dates, numbers, and examples. The main idea will sometimes contain clue words that give a name to the list of supporting details: o "There are several kinds of..." o "Use the following steps to..." o "For these reasons..." o "There are several ways to..." Contrasting transition words like "However", "But", and "Yet" often begin the main idea, as in the following example.

Example 2:

1

You may think golf is difficult.

2

However, there are several easy ways to improve

your golf score. 3

First, try holding the club with your...

Sentence 1 is a general introduction; it is not the main idea because the author does not give details about golf being "difficult." Sentence 2 is the main idea because a list of details supports it. The word however is the contrasting transition that shifts the reader's focus from the introduction to the main idea.

Answer Key

Example 1: Sentence 5 is the main idea: "These features make the cactus a remarkable plant, able to live in one of nature's harshest environments."quotesdbs_dbs3.pdfusesText_6