Lesson 8: Main Idea PDF

13 61 L E S LESSON S O N 8...

13 61 L E S LESSON S O N 8 wariw MAIN IDEA main idea and supporting ↳ details Sentence = Topic Beware of the man who won’t be bothered with details. WILLIAM FEATHER (1908–1976) AMERICAN PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR In this lesson, you’ll discover that an author communicates one big idea and gives details about it. THE MAIN IDEA is what a selection’s mostly about—the most important thing the author wants readers to know. Other facts in the selection are details that support, or tell more about, the main idea. Sometimes the main idea is stated directly. THE MAIN IDEA is what a selection’s mostly about—the most important thing the author wants readers to know. Other facts in the selection are details that Example support, or tell more about, the main idea. Sometimes the main idea is stated Grass is one of Earth’s most useful plants. Most people directly. think of it as the stuff that grows in the yard and needs to Examplebe mowed, but there are thousands of different kinds. Grass is one of Earth’s most useful plants. Most people think of it as the Wheat, rice, and other grains are grasses that help people stuff that grows in the yard and needs to be mowed, but there are thousandsandof different animals exist!kinds. Wheat, rice, and other grains are grasses that Thehelp mainpeople and animals idea is stated: Grass is aexist! useful plant. But sometimes you have to find the main idea yourself. To do that, use information from the text to figure it out. The main idea is stated: Grass is a useful plant. But sometimes you have to find the main idea yourself. To do that, use information from the text to figure it out. Example In 1483, Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci sketched a flying machine. He was also a scientist and fascinated by movement. His sketch showed a screw-like wing made of stiff linen. He never got it off the ground, but a real helicopter like it flew almost 500 years later!  62 MAIN IDEAS A paragraph focuses on just one topic and contains just one main idea. The main idea of the paragraph may be stated by the author or implied from the details. A main idea / A topic sentence 1. Stated The author stated the main idea directly in the main idea paragraph. The stated main idea can be at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of the paragraph. 2. Implied The author not clearly stated or implied the main main idea idea from the details in the paragraph. Main Idea 1. Main Idea at the…........................................................... Detail Detail Detail Detail Detail Detail 2. Main Idea in the............................................................... Main Idea Detail Detail Detail Detail 3. Main Idea at the................................................................ Detail Detail Main Idea Partial Main Idea 4. Main Idea at the............................................................... Detail Detail Complete Main Idea ********* Topic / Title = What / Who is the paragraph about? Main Idea = What is the author saying about that topic?  63 Let’s take a look at sample paragraphs. What is the main idea of each paragraph? 1. A baby elephant is the biggest of all land babies. A newborn baby weighs more than two hundred pounds. It is about three feet high. The new baby is strong, too. Almost as soon as it is born, it can walk about. 1. The main idea of this paragraph is……………………………………………………………………………… 2. Keep your tree outdoors until the day before Christmas. Never use lighted candles. There are also other suggestions for avoiding a Christmas tree fire. Turn off the lights before you leave the house and throw away the tree by New Year's Day. 2. The main idea of this paragraph is……………………………………………………………………………… 3. Most people are free to enjoy themselves in the evenings and on weekends. Some spend their time watching television, listening to the radio, or going to movies; others participate in sports. It depends on their interests. There are various ways to spend one's free time. 3. The main idea of this paragraph is……………………………………………………………………………… 4. The word “hack” may refer to a taxi or at other times to a writer who turns out mediocre articles just for the money. A person may have hacking cough or may be found hacking away at the piece of wood. 4. The main idea of this paragraph is………………………………………………………………………………  64 Exercise 5 : Read each passage carefully and find the main idea or the topic sentence. paragraph -at the beginning of the 1. Benjamin Franklin loved to write. When he was twenty-two, he set up his own printing shop and started a newspaper. He also printed a book called ‘Poor Richard’s Almanac’. It had funny stories, information about the weather, and wise sayings. 1. What is the topic sentence of the paragraph? Oa. Benjamin Franklin loved to write. b. Benjamin Franklin set up his own printing shop and started a newspaper. c. Benjamin Franklin’s book had funny stories, information about the weather, and wise sayings. ↓ at the beginning of the paragraph 2. Billy loves to play games. His favorite game is chess because it - requires a great deal of thought. Billy also prefers monopoly because it requires luck and skill. If he is alone, he likes to play action video games. 2. What is the main idea of the paragraph? O a. Billy loves to play games. b. His favorite game is chess because it requires a great deal of thought. c. If he is alone, he likes to play action video games.  65 3. Bicycles are very popular today in many countries. Many people use - bicycles for exercise. But exercise is not only one of the reasons why bicycle are popular. Another reason is money. Bicycles are not expensive to buy. They do not need gas to make them go. They also are easy and cheap to fix. In cities, many people like bicycles better than cars. With a bicycle, they never have to wait in traffic. They also do not have to find a place to park. And finally, bicycles do not cause any pollution! 3. Which of the following statements expresses the main idea? a. Bicycles are better than cars. b. Bicycles do not cause the pollution. O c. Bicycles are popular today for many people. 4. Water can take many forms. We see water every day. We see it at the beach. - The Gulf of Mexico is liquid water! Water can be hard as a rock. When it is frozen, water is ice. You may have seen ice in a cup of soda. Frozen water, or ice cubes, keep other liquids cool. When ice cubes melt, they become liquid water again. If the pool of melted water is not wiped up, it will disappear after some time. Do you know where it goes? It becomes something else. It becomes water vapor, or a gas, and disappears into the air. There is water vapor in clouds. Water can be liquid, solid, or a gas. 4. Which of the following statements expresses the main idea? a. Ice cubes are a solid form of water. b. Water can take many forms. O c. Water is a liquid.