English 72 – Mrs. Buchanan

THE MAIN IDEA &TOPIC

WHAT IS GOING ON IN THIS PICTURE?

WHAT ABOUT NOW?

ARE THEY DATING YET?

THE NEXT STAGE?

WHAT IS GOING ON?

AND FINALLY?

WHAT IS THE MAIN IDEA?

• In looking at the various slides of pictures, we discovered that the main idea is…

• The steps that lead to marriage.• Recognizing the main idea, or point, is the

most important key to good comprehension. • To find the main idea, or point, in a reading

selection, what should you ask yourself: • “What is the main point the author is trying

to make?”

THE MAIN IDEA

What is the main idea of this cartoon?“I’ve got problems.” (The first sentence)The main idea in this cartoon—that the man on the couch has problems—is well supported by the statements about his job, wife, friends, and dog.

THE MAIN IDEA

“I’ve got problems. I lost my job. My wife left me. My friends don’t return my phone calls. Even my

dog won’t go for a walk with me.”

• A good way to think of the main idea is to think of it as an umbrella.

• An umbrella is a covering.

• The main idea “covers” the reading.

• It may also be called: the point, central idea, or the gist.

THE UMBRELLA

• To recognize the main idea of a passage, you must think as you read.

HOW DO YOU RECOGNIZE THE MAIN IDEA?

Three strategies that will help you find the main idea:

1 Look for general versus specific ideas. 2 Use the topic to lead you to the main

idea.3 Use key words to lead you to the main

idea.

• In looking for the topic, you will ask yourself, “Who or what is this about?”

• The topic will only be a word or short phrase.

• The topic is not a complete sentence.

WHAT IS THE TOPIC

• 1) Being a clown isn’t all fun and games. 2) Rodeo clowns expose themselves to great danger every time they perform. 3) When cowboys dismount or are bucked off of bulls at riding competitions, rodeo clowns jump in front of the bulls and motion wildly to get their attention. 4) In this way rodeo clowns provide an alternate target, and in doing so protect the rider.

• You will not always find the main idea in the first sentence of a paragraph.

WHAT IS THE MAIN IDEA?

1) What’s that humming sound? 2)Could it be hummingbird, the only bird capable of backward flight? 3) Hummingbirds have many unique flight habits that distinguish them from other birds. 4) Most birds flap their wings up and down to fly, but the hummingbird moves its wings forward and backward very rapidly in a figure eight pattern. 5)This allows the hummingbird to hover in position, fly upside down, and move about very rapidly. 6) And while other birds have to push off with their feet to begin flying, and work their ways up to their top speeds, the hummingbird can both start flying at maximum speed and stop flying instantaneously.Which sentence contains the main idea of the above paragraph?

WHAT IS THE MAIN IDEA?

The Effective ReaderPages 104-107

Practice 1

LET’S PRACTICE

Authors give verbal clues that are easy to recognize.1. List words tell you that a list of

items is to follow.2. Addition words are used right

before a supporting detail (we’ll learn more about supporting details in chapter 3).

KEY WORDS TO LEAD YOU TO THE MAIN IDEA

List words:Several kinds (or ways ) ofThree advantages ofVarious reasons forSome factors of (more on p. 69)

Addition words:OneFirst (of all)SecondlyTo being withFor one thingAlso(more on p. 70)(Let’s practice – page 69)

KEY WORDS TO LEAD YOU TO THE MAIN IDEA

•Often appears at the beginning of a paragraph (even in the first sentence)•But it may appear anywhere within a paragraph.

•Let’s practice – ER: P. 113-114. Read the passage “Tattoos” and answer the questions that follow.

WHERE IS THE MAIN IDEA?

How do you know that you have found the main idea?the sentence contains the topic

the sentence states the single most important point about the topic

the sentence is general enough to cover all the information in the paragraph

the other sentences explain or tell more about the main idea sentence

the sentence makes complete sense by itself

you can understand the selection without reading the rest of the selection

LET’S REVIEW TOPIC AND MAIN IDEA