Stated Main Idea II

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Stated Main Idea II

• Key points exist at the beginning, in the middle,
  and at the end of passages.

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How do we find the main idea?

• First identify the topic.
• Second, recognize the topic sentence in each
  paragraph.
• Then recognize the main point about the topic.

Can money be a god?
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Whats in a paragraph?

• Every academic paragraph contains four essential
  parts
• Topic
• Main idea
• Details
• Transitions

Do these guys have any main ideas?
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General or Specific Idea?

• General Idea
• A broad idea that applies to a large number of
  individual items.
• Ex Clothing
• Specific Idea
• Refers to an individual item.
• Ex Pants, suits, blouses, shirts, scarves, etc.

Whats this kids general idea?
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How do we identify the topic?

• The topic is the subject of the entire paragraph
  or passage.
• Every sentence in a paragraph discusses the topic
  in some way.
• The one or two words you would choose as a title
  of the paragraph are the topic.
• What is the one thing the author is discussing
  throughout the paragraph?

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What is the stated main idea?

• The topic sentence is the most important idea in
  the paragraph.
• It is the idea that the whole paragraph explains
  or supports in detail.
• A stated main idea cannot exist in an academic
  discussion without several supporting details.

Whats this moms general idea?
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Finding the Main Idea

• Locate the topic.
• Locate the most general sentence.
• Study the rest of the ideas to make sure they
  prove the main idea.

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Topic Sentence First

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

Topic Sentence Detail Sentence Detail
Sentence Detail Sentence
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Main Idea in the Beginning

• 1If you're searching real estate ads for a
  house, descriptions like "charming fixer-upper"
  might lead you to believe that you could be
  reading about your future dream home. 2However,
  there's often a very big difference between an ad
  description of a house and the actual property.
  3In a real estate ad, the phrase "lots of
  potential" means "lots of problems." 4Often,
  these problems require bulldozers, not just
  paint, to correct. 5The phrase "priced to sell"
  is used to make a house seem like a deal.
  6However, bargain prices are obvious, so these
  words are often used to make an overpriced house
  seem more affordable. 7The phrase "in an
  up-and-coming neighborhood" means "in a rough
  part of town." 8A "handyman's special" really
  means that you yourself had better be a trained
  carpenter, plumber, and electrician. 9If you're
  not, you're going to pay twice as much to repair
  the place as you paid to buy it.

Is the main idea the first or the second sentence?
Is there a difference between what people expect
and what they will get?
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Main Idea in the Beginning

• 1If you're searching real estate ads for a
  house, descriptions like "charming fixer-upper"
  might lead you to believe that you could be
  reading about your future dream home. 2However,
  there's often a very big difference between an ad
  description of a house and the actual property.
  3In a real estate ad, the phrase "lots of
  potential" means "lots of problems." 4Often,
  these problems require bulldozers, not just
  paint, to correct. 5The phrase "priced to sell"
  is used to make a house seem like a deal.
  6However, bargain prices are obvious, so these
  words are often used to make an overpriced house
  seem more affordable. 7The phrase "in an
  up-and-coming neighborhood" means "in a rough
  part of town." 8A "handyman's special" really
  means that you yourself had better be a trained
  carpenter, plumber, and electrician. 9If you're
  not, you're going to pay twice as much to repair
  the place as you paid to buy it.

Watch for main ideas after the key word however.
Academic writing often overturns common thought.
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Topic Sentence Last

• Many specific sentences on a topic are followed
  by a sentence that explains the meaning of the
  whole paragraph.

Detail Detail Detail Topic Sentence
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When the main idea is last.

• 1In Finland, people greet each other with a firm
  handshake. 2In France, people use a looser grip.
  3In Zambia, handshakes are given with the left
  hand supporting the right hand. 4In Japan, people
  bow to one another instead of shaking hands. 5In
  Thailand, people greet one another by pressing
  their own two hands together at chest level, as
  though praying. 6In parts of Latin America,
  people commonly embrace and kiss when they meet.
  7In most Arab countries, men greet one another by
  saying salaam alaykum, shaking hands, saying kaif
  halak, and then kissing each other on the cheek.
  8Clearly, different cultures have very different
  kinds of customary greetings.

Is the topic sentence number 7 or 8?
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When the main idea is last.

• 1In Finland, people greet each other with a firm
  handshake. 2In France, people use a looser grip.
  3In Zambia, handshakes are given with the left
  hand supporting the right hand. 4In Japan, people
  bow to one another instead of shaking hands. 5In
  Thailand, people greet one another by pressing
  their own two hands together at chest level, as
  though praying. 6In parts of Latin America,
  people commonly embrace and kiss when they meet.
  7In most Arab countries, men greet one another by
  saying salaam alaykum, shaking hands, saying kaif
  halak, and then kissing each other on the cheek.
  8Clearly, different cultures have very different
  kinds of customary greetings.

The topic sentence is 8.
The clue word is clearly, meaning obviously.
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Topic Sentence in the Middle

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

Detail Detail Topic Sentence Detail Detail
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Main Idea in the Middle

• 1 Many moms are now home with the kids instead
  of at the office. 2Some praise them for putting
  kids before pay. 3However, others say women who
  decide to become stay-at-home moms may
  underestimate the sense of pride and meaning they
  got from work. 4Nevertheless, more and more women
  with degrees are deciding to leave work to become
  stay-at-home moms. 5Even if the family can handle
  the mother's loss of income, sometimes it cannot
  handle her loss of identity. 6Others claim that
  stay-at-home moms put themselves at risk when
  they lose all of those years in the workforce.
  7If they get a divorce later, they will lack the
  experience they might need to revive their
  careers and earn a living. 8When stay-at-home
  moms decide to return to the workplaceusually
  when the kids are old enough to go to schoolthey
  may find that younger, talented women have taken
  their places. 9Clearly, choosing to stay home
  with the kids has some risks.

Is the topic sentence 4 or 5?
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Main Idea in the Middle

• 1 Many moms are now home with the kids instead
  of at the office. 2Some praise them for putting
  kids before pay. 3However, others say women who
  decide to become stay-at-home moms may
  underestimate the sense of pride and meaning they
  got from work. 4Nevertheless, more and more women
  with degrees are deciding to leave work to become
  stay-at-home moms. 5Even if the family can handle
  the mother's loss of income, sometimes it cannot
  handle her loss of identity. 6Others claim that
  stay-at-home moms put themselves at risk when
  they lose all of those years in the workforce.
  7If they get a divorce later, they will lack the
  experience they might need to revive their
  careers and earn a living. 8When stay-at-home
  moms decide to return to the workplaceusually
  when the kids are old enough to go to schoolthey
  may find that younger, talented women have taken
  their places. 9Clearly, choosing to stay home
  with the kids has some risks.

The topic sentence is 4.
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Topic Sentence Can Be Both First and Last.

• The main idea appears at the beginning of a
  paragraph and again at the end.
• To emphasize the important idea.
• To explain an idea that needs clarification.

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Main Idea First and Last

• 1The dramatic increase in the rate of C-section
  births is due to many factors. 2First of all,
  many parents want to avoid the trauma and serious
  risks of natural childbirth. 3During difficult
  deliveries, the baby can suffocate or suffer
  brain damage in the birth canal, and mothers can
  experience severe tearing that can cause medical
  problems and require a long, painful recovery.
  4Secondly, modern mothers with careers or other
  obligations like the convenience of being able to
  plan the baby's birth to accommodate a busy
  schedule. 5Third, soaring medical malpractice
  premiums have made doctors far less willing to
  take even the slightest risk with natural
  childbirth. 6They would rather deliver the baby
  via C-section than face a possible lawsuit when
  complications cause injuries to the mother or the
  infant. 7Commercial managed care corporations,
  too, have contributed to the growing rate of
  C-sections. 8For all of these reasons, C-sections
  are becoming more common today than ever before.

Writers may repeat the main idea at the end of
the paragraph to enforce their basic meaning.