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MAIN IDEA

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Central point of a text

MAIN IDEA

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What is being discussed? or What is the author saying?

Look for the general statement that expresses the message of the author

What do the details emphasize?

Getting the main idea(Plata, et.al. 2006)

4

Look at the specific ideas presented in the sentences

Pretend that the sentence ideas in a selection have been reduced to a short list of keywords

Decide on a general topic or subject under which you can group these ideas

Getting the main idea

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satin wool

fabric silk

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AlgebraGeometryCalculusStatistics

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Civil

Electronics and Communications

Computer

Electrical

Industrial

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Turn on the ignition

Step on the Accelerator

Insert the key

Start the car

Identify the general idea from specific idea

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Paying fees

Buying books

Starting college

Going to class

Identify the general idea from specific idea

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General Idea: General Idea:

(1) separate the white and dark clothes

add one cup of detergent

insert coins into the machine

(2) dribble the ball pass the ball down

court shoot a basket

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General Idea: General Idea:

(3) switch on power select a program open a file

(4) boil water in a large pot

add salt and oil pour noodles into water

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Stated

Implied

MAIN IDEA

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1Reading to a child is an effective way of

developing a child’s interest in reading. 2Another

effective way is by providing a variety of materials

that he or she can choose from. 3A child’s reading

habit can also be developed by having him or her

participate in story-telling and reading clubs. 4It is

equally important for a child to see his or her

parents and teachers reading books in order to

have a model in developing this habit.

Paragraph A

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1You can prepare effectively for midterm exams by remembering

these study tips. 2 (a) Fix your review schedule. 3 (b) Decide on a

place you can study. 4Choose a place where there are few

distractions. 5(c) check if your notes and reading materials are

complete. 6(d) Keep to your schedule. 7Avoid changing time and

venue for review unless necessary. 8Changes can result to delays

which in turn affect your motivation to study. 9(e) Use a systematic

way in reviewing for your exams. 10Refer to the review pointers

provided by your teachers, study guides, and class notes. 11(f) Eat

and sleep at a regular time. 12You need to be both mentally and

physically fit to take exams. 13(g) Avoid cramming for your tests.

14You do not want to find yourself overwhelmed with still

unfinished materials on the

eve of the exam.

Paragraph B

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1. To provide a favorable climate for growing grapes, the winter temperatureshould not go below 15° F, and the summers should be long.

2. During the growing season, rainfall should be light.

3. A gentle movement of air is required to dry the vines after rains, dispel fog, and protect the vines from fungus disease.

a) Protecting Grapes from Disease

b) Appropriate Temperatures for Growing Grapes

c) Appropriate Climate for Growing Grapes

Choose the phrase that best describes the topic or subject for each group of sentences on the left side.

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1. Simply drinking water is the best way to prevent dehydration from sweating.

2. Taking salt tablets before drinking water can dehydrate the body even more by extracting water from body tissue.

3. Plain water is better than beverages containing sugar or electrolytes becauseit is absorbed faster.

a) Salt Tablets versus Water

b) Value in Plain Waterc) Preventing

Dehydration

Choose the phrase that best describes the topic or subject for each group of sentences on the left side.

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1. Salsa, the popular blend of Latin American music, is also the word for sauce.

2. According to stories, the expression was contributed to the music world by aCuban orchestra conductor.

3. While practicing a mambo that needed more life, the orchestra leader toldhis musicians to “echale salsita” or “throw in the sauce.”

a) Latin American Salsa Music

b) The Naming of Salsa Music

c) Contribution of Salsa

Choose the phrase that best describes the topic or subject for each group of sentences on the left side.

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(E) Choose the main idea of the given sentences. Circle the sentence that stands as the topic sentence.

1. African American and Hispanic teens are not as likely to use tobacco asCaucasian adolescents.

2. Each day approximately three thousand teens start smoking, and eventuallyone third of them will die from smoking.

3. Despite the proven danger, in the past decade tobacco usage among teenshas increased.

a. Tobacco Usage Among Teens

b. Dangers Face Teens

c. Harms of Smoking

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1. By 2000 the world’s population had moved past 6 billion people, and by 2050it is expected to reach 9 billion.

2. The global statistics on population growth and the availability of food arealarming.

3. Biotechnologists estimate that the land available for raising crops willdecrease by half in the next fifty years.

a. Biotechnology and Agriculture

b. Feeding the Poor

c. Population Growth and Food Production

(F) Choose the main idea of the given sentences. Circle the sentence that stands as the topic sentence.

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Paragraph A1Most experts agree that swimming is the healthiest form of

rigorous exercise. 2Because water offers so little resistance,

swimmers are unlikely to experience the muscle strain associated

with land sports such as jogging or tennis. 3Yet strengthen many

areas of the body—arms, legs, torso, and neck. 4Most importantly

it is strenuous enough to condition the heart and lungs. 5See your

doctor before starting up any new exercise program, but do not be

surprised if he or she tells you to jump into a lake! `

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Paragraph B1Death Valley is one of the most arid and desolate areas in the

United States. 2Surrounded by high mountains on both east and

west, this valley in South Eastern California is far below sea level.

3There was a lake in this area 20, 000 years ago but today, Death

Valley is the driest part in the country. 4Fierce winds whip across

the valley. 5Animal and plant life are scarce. 6Less than two inches

of rain, which comes in sudden cloudbursts, falls every year.

7Summers are so hot that travellers cross the valley before noon.

8Winters are usually cold and snowy. 9Its easy to understand why

gold seekers in 1849 name the area “Death Valley”. 10Ghost towns

and tombstones are evidence that people have found it almost

impossible to live there.

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Paragraph C

1Nearly everyone thinks of the word subtract as the act of taking

away in order to find out what is left. 2 But that is just one of the

many meanings of the word. 3If we think about it for a moment,

we remember that there is another meaning. 4Subtraction also

means finding the difference between two unequal amounts to

see by how much one is larger or smaller than the other. 5There is

a third meaning too that most people rarely think about. 6If you

begin with a small amount that you wish to increase in order to

match some larger amount, you really have to add to it, not

subtract. 7Yet in order to find the rights amount you need, you

must use the process of subtraction. 8Itis interesting to realize

that subtraction actually has three meanings and three uses, not

just one.

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Paragraph D

1Fish is a cold-blooded creature while whale is a warm-

blooded animal. 2Fish has gills so it can breathe in the water;

whale has lungs and must come up frequently to fill them

with air. 3Fish lay eggs in the water and from these eggs little

fish develop, but whales grow their babies within their bodies,

as land animals do. 4Baby fish swim about in the water the

movement they develop from eggs, but infant whales do not

know how to swim. 5They must come to the surface

immediately, otherwise, they will be drowned. 6All of this goes

to prove that whales, like most warm-blooded animals, are

really mammals, not cold blooded creatures like fish.

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Paragraph E

1Matter is frequently classified according to its electrical conductivity:

conductor, non-conductor or semiconductor. 2Conductors have many

electrons that are free to move and that are useful in carrying or

conducting electric current. 3All metals, particularly silver, copper, gold

and aluminium are good conductors. 4Substances with few electrons are

called non conductors or insulators. 5They do not carry electric charge

can prevent electricity from flowing where it is not wanted. 6Air, wood,

glass and plastic are insulators. 7Few substances do not fall under

either these categories like carbon, silicon, and germanium. 8They are

classified as semi-conductors and are used in electronic devices like

transistor radios.

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Study carefully the given passages from a text. Get the main idea of each passage, and then identify the topic sentence and the supporting details. If there is no topic sentence, formulate an appropriate one.

Main Idea Seatwork

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1Mobile communications is "moving to a new level" according to a

new World Bank report released Tuesday, July 17, with more than

3/4 of the world's population having access to a mobile phone and

a fast-expanding range of uses for the technology. 2There are

currently over 6 billion mobile subscriptions globally, up from just

below 1 billion back in 2000. 3Out of these subscriptions (both

postpaid and prepaid), 5 billion come from developing countries,

the WB report said. 4"Mobile telephony has been one of the most

quickly adopted technologies of all time," the report said. 5"Even

more astounding, mobile networks have roughly doubled in size

every two years since 2002. 6In early 2012 the number of mobile

cellular subscriptions worldwide passed 6 billion."

Paragraph 1

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1While e-learning addresses a specific intent to

learn something, mobile learning is much more

informal, unstructured, opportunistic and

situational. 2Consequently, it's no surprise that

instructors look for ways to integrate mobile

learning into their teaching to make course

content more portable. 3They also want to embed

instruction into more situational and problem-

based learning activities, tasks such as field

experiments.

Paragraph 2

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1Integrate the app with existing classroom technologies to

aid adoption of the devices into routine teaching and

learning. 2The beauty in using many of these mobile

devices is their ability to seamlessly integrate with many

traditional classroom technologies. 3Using a web-based

television, the instructional-design team can easily mirror

mobile applications onto projection screens, flat screens

and other types of display systems in classrooms.

4Instructors can also use interactive whiteboards in tandem

with the mobile device, allowing for overlay capabilities.

5Soon enough, mobile devices will be mainstream devices

as common in the

classroom as any other technology.

Paragraph 3

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1Make sure an app is intended for the

correct audience and age level. 2Today's

undergraduates may be more adept at

using a mobile app than graduate

students or returning midcareer

professionals. 3Be sure the app targets the

correct age level. 4Most educational apps

normally include a target age that is

most appropriate.

Paragraph 4

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1Finally, a word about the Internet. 2The Web appears to offer a wealth

of opportunity for self-study. 3Certainly reference resources make

project work easier and more enjoyable, but cutting and pasting can

also be seen as an easy option, requiring little originality or

understanding. 3Conferring over homework tasks by email can be

positive or negative, though chatting with an English-speaking friend

is to be encouraged, as is searching for visual materials. 4Both

teachers and learners are guilty of trawling the Net for practice

exercises, some of which are untried, untested and dubious in terms

of quality. 5Learners need guidance, and a starting point is to provide

a short list of reliable sites such as British Council ‘LearnEnglish’ and

BBC ‘Learning English’ which provide a huge variety of exercises and

activities as well as links to other reliable

sources.

Paragraph 5

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Darn, S. (2007). Homework. Retrieved from http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/homework?utm_source=facebook-teachingenglish&utm_mediu%C2%ADm=wallpost&utm_campaign=bc-teachingenglish-facebook

Gibson, R. (2012, August 1). 7 Tips for Designing Mobile Apps for Education. Ed Tech Magazine. retrieved from http://www.edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2012/08/7-tips-designing-mobile-apps-education

Plata, Sterling M., Ph. D. et.al. (2006). Keys to Critical Reading and Writing 1. 2nd Ed. Biñan, Laguna: Trailblazer Publications.

Plata, S. and Yu, P. (2008). Keys to Confidences in English1: Reading and Study Skills and Grammar Workbook. Laguna: Trailblazer Publications.

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