Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing by Longman

Guide to College Reading, 8/e

Kathleen T. McWhorter

Chapter 6Understanding Paragraphs:

Topics and Main IdeasPowerPoint by Gretchen Starks-Martin

St. Cloud State University, MN

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THIS CHAPTER WILL SHOW YOU HOW TO:

1. Identify topics

2. Identify main ideas in paragraphs

3. Recognize topic sentences

4. Understand implied main ideas

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing by Longman

Paragraphs

A Paragraph has four essential parts:Topic: The one subject the whole paragraph is about.

Main idea: The point that the whole paragraph makes.

Details: The sentences that explain the main idea.

Transitions: Words and phrases to connect the ideas.

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General & Specific Ideas

General Idea: A broad idea that

applies to a large number of individual items. Ex: Pies

Specific Idea: Refers to an individual

item. Ex: apple, cherry,

pumpkin, chocolate cream, etc.

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Identifying the Topic

The topic is the subject of the entire paragraph.

Every sentence in a paragraph discusses the topic.

The one or two words you would choose as a title of the paragraph are the topic.

Ask yourself: What is the one thing the author is discussing throughout the paragraph?

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Locate the Topic

The Topic sentence is the most important idea: it is the idea that the whole paragraph explains or

supports.

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Finding the Stated Main Idea

Locate the topic.Locate the most general sentence.Study the rest of the paragraph.

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Topic Sentence First

Most often the topic sentence is placed first in the paragraph.

Topic Sentence

DetailDetailDetail

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Topic Sentence Last

A writer leads up to the main point and then directly states it at the end.

Topic Sentence

DetailDetailDetail

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Topic Sentence in the Middle

The sentences before the topic sentence lead up to or introduce the main idea. Those that follow the main idea explain or describe it.

DetailDetail

Topic Sentence

DetailDetail

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Topic Sentence First and Last

The main idea will appear at the beginning of a paragraph and again at the end.

To emphasize an important idea. To explain an idea that needs clarification.

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Learning Style Tips to Find Topic Sentences

Creative Learner: Look away from the

paragraph and state its main point in your own words. Find a sentence that matches your statement.

Pragmatic Learner: Read through the

paragraph, sentence-by-sentence, evaluate each sentence.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing by Longman

Implied Main Ideas

Imply - means to suggest an idea but not state it directly. Ex: “If that blue plaid shirt is back in my closet

by noon, I’ll forget that it was missing.”

Infer - means to reason out something based on what has been said. Ex: I wouldn’t even feed that cake to my dog.

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Figuring Out Implied Main Ideas

What larger idea do these details point to? The wind was blowing at 35 mph. The wind chill was 5 degrees below zero. Snow was falling at the rate of 3 inches per

hour.

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Figuring Out Implied Main Ideas

Wind 35 mph

Snow 3” per hour

Blizzard- 5 degree wind chill

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Figuring Out Implied Main Ideas

The child refused to speak.

The child then threwhimself to the floor.

What is the impliedgeneral idea?The child crossed his arms

and turned his back.

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Figuring Out Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs

Writers sometimes leave their main idea unstated.

Stated Unstated

Detail

Detail

Detail

Detail

DetailMAIN IDEA

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Steps to Find Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs

1. Find the topic.2. Decide what the writer wants you

to know about that topic.3. Express this idea in your own

words.

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What is the Implied Main Idea?

Yellow is a bright, cheery color; it is often associated with spring and hopefulness. Green, since it is a

color that appears frequently in nature (trees, grass, plants), has come to suggest growth and rebirth. Blue, the color of the sky, may suggest

eternity, or endless beauty. Red, the color of both blood and fire, is often connected with strong

feelings such as courage, lust, and rage.

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What is the Implied Main Idea?

Topic: Colors

Details: General Idea:

Yellow - Spring

Green – GrowthRebirth

Blue - Eternity

Red – Strong Feelings

DIFFERENT COLORS HAVE DIFFERENT MEANINGS

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How to Know if You Have Made a Reasonable Inference

The idea should be broad enough so that every sentence explains the idea.

Work through the paragraph, sentence by sentence.

Check to see that each sentence explains the idea.

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SELF-TEST SUMMARY

Name and describe the four essential parts of a paragraph.

What sentence states the main idea of a paragraph?

Where is the topic sentence located? What are implied main ideas? How can one figure out implied main ideas?

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Visit the Companion Website

For additional readings, exercises, and Internet activities, visit this book’s

Companion Website at:http://www.ablongman.com/mcwhorter

If you need a user name and password, see your instructor.

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My Reading Lab

For more practice on main ideas, visit MyReadingLab, click on the Reading Skills

tab, and then click on Active Reading Strategies---Maine Woods.

http://www.ablongman.com/myreadinglab

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing by Longman

TEST-TAKING TIPS Words used to identify MAIN IDEA:

Thesis Central point Central idea Most important idea Primary idea

Phrases used to identify TOPIC: This paragraph is primarily about… This paragraph concerns… This paragraph focuses on… The best title for the paragraph would be…