finding the main idea

 Finding The Main Idea

When Lesson 1 talked about establishing the facts—the who, what, when, where, and how, it omitted one very important question, “Why?”  Now you’re ready to tackle that all-important question. Just as there’s a motive behind every crime, there’s also a “motive” behind every piece of writing.

All writing is communication: A writer writes to convey his or her thoughts to an audience, the reader: you.  The reader might ask, “Why did the author write this? What idea is he or she trying to convey?”What you’re really asking is, “What is the writer’s main idea?”

The main idea of a paragraph is the point of the passage, minus all the details. It is the main point or concept that the author wants to communicate to the readers about the topic. Hence, in a paragraph, when the main idea is stated directly, it is expressed in what is called the topic sentence. It gives the overarching idea of what the paragraph is about and is supported by the details in the paragraph. In a multi-paragraph article, the main idea is expressed in the thesis statement. The main idea is the brief, but all-encompassing summary. It covers everything the paragraph talks about in a general way, but does not include the specifics.

Not all main ideas are stated directly. When an author does not state the main idea directly, it should still be implied, and is called an implied main idea. This requires that the reader look closely at the content - at specific words, sentences, images that are used and repeated - to deduce what the author is communicating. This may take a little more effort on the part of the reader. Finding the main idea is critical to understanding what you are reading. It helps the details make sense and have relevance, and provides a framework for remembering the content.

 

How to Find Stated Main Idea

· Identify the Topic

· Read the passage through completely, then try to identify the topic. Who or what is the  paragraph about?

· Summarize the Passage

After reading the passage through thoroughly, summarize it in your own words in one sentence that includes the gist of every idea from the paragraph. A good way to do this is

to pretend you have just ten words to tell someone what the passage is about. 

· Look at the First and Last Sentences of the Passage

Authors often put the main idea in or near either the first or last sentence of the paragraph or article. Determine whether either of these sentences capture the main idea. Sometimes, however, the author will use what is called a reversal transition in the second sentence – words like but, however,  in contrast, nevertheless, etc. - that indicate that the second sentence is the main idea. If you see one of these words that negate or qualify the first sentence, that is a clue that the second sentence is the main idea.

· Look for Repetition of Ideas

If you read through a paragraph and you have no idea how to summarize it because there is so much information, start looking for repeated words, phrases, ideas or similar ideas.

Stated Main Idea Example (1 paragraph):

Counterfeiting is the act of making phony money that looks official. It is a very old crime but recent advances in printing have made it possible for even amateurs to produce decent counterfeits. Fortunately, there are some ways that you can detect counterfeits. The first and most telling inspection is to pay attention to how the money feels. It is difficult to reproduce the texture of real money. If the money feels suspicious, look carefully at the micro printing on the bill. Many features along the portrait and border of a genuine bill contain writing that is too small to reproduce in most printers. If you are still suspicious, hold the bill up to the light and look for the strip that says the value of the bill. With a little diligence, you can keep yourself from becoming a victim of this rising trend.

The main idea: How to detect a counterfeit bill.

 

How to Find Implied Main Idea

· Read the passage of text

· Ask this question to yourself: "What do each of the details of the passage have in common?"

· In your own words, find the common bond among all the details of the passage and the author's point about this bond.

· Compose a short sentence stating the bond and what the author says about the bond.

Implied Main Idea Example (1 paragraph):

As troops fought their way throughout the desert during the war in Iraq, the narrative from the mainstream media was nearly synonymous with that of the anti-war left. The military mission was continuously undermined by media reports claiming that American troops were killers and that the war on terror was all but lost. Frustrated with the lies and exaggerations perpetuated by the media, Melanie Morgan decided to fight back. So Morgan joined forces with political strategists Sal Russo and Howard Kaloogian to create a pro-troop nonprofit organization that hosts Troopathon, a yearly web telethon fundraiser that raises money to send care packages to troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay. Since the first Troopathon was held three years ago, the organization has raised over $2 million.

The implied ideas: Melanie Morgan created the Troopathon to counteract the negative personification of troops displayed by the media.

Practice 1

Read the text and answer the questions.

Advanced governments around the world often practice intelligence gathering with espionage. Espionage is the practice of spying or using spies typically by governments to obtain political and military information. Countries like the United States of America, Russia and Great Britain secretly conduct espionage to learn about important issues going on in other countries that may not want these secrets to be public for national security, military plans or civil relations. Sometimes this involved kidnapping or assassinating enemy agents or politicians. With the aid of  espionage the Russians were able to copy the work of the U.S. and create the A-bomb in just four years, greatly reducing the timeline for them based on their resources and lack of leading scientific knowledge.

The reading paragraph is taken from www.scribd.com/document/339452683/steam-project-espionage

1. What is the topic?

2. What is the main idea? (write your answer in a sentence)

3. Is the main idea stated or implied?

Practice 2

Read the text and answer the questions.

At one time or another, most adults have been in a romantic relationship. A guy walks up to a girl at a bar, gets her number, and the beginning of a relationship is formed. A guy and a girl meet in Physics class, get paired as study partners, and the rest is history. Two high school sweethearts rekindle an old flame on Facebook after years apart. These types of simple encounters may lead to relationships, and even though that first meeting is easy, the entire relationship is not. A lot of work goes into making a true bonded relationship, and when that work is bypassed, the relationship may not last. 

1. What is the topic?

2. What is the main idea? (write your answer in a sentence)

3. Is the main idea stated or implied?