... stated main idea. If you recall from Lesson 2, a main idea is defined as an assertion about the subject that controls or holds together all the ideas in the passage. There-fore, the mainidea must ... time, an inference about the mainidea or point ofthe passage.LESSONFinding the Implied Main Idea LESSON SUMMARYThis lesson shows you how to determine the mainidea of a passagein which the ... You should have a clear idea of the main idea before you write your paragraph and make sure your sentences use language that will help your read-ers understand your main idea. For example, think...
... sup-ports. Main ideas are often stated in topic sentences. Inlonger texts, each paragraph has a mainidea (though itmay not be explicitly stated), and each mainidea worksto support the overall main ... examples. 8THGRADE READING COMPREHENSION SUCCESS– LearningExpress Skill Builders ã LESSON 215DISTINGUISHING MAIN IDEAS FROMSUPPORTING IDEASIf you’re not sure whether something is a mainidea ... the def-inition of main idea: Main idea: The overall fact, feeling, or thought a writerwants to convey about his or her subject.We call this the mainidea because it is the idea thatthe passage...
... READING FOR 8TH GRADERS–286 8th_ GRD_267_292.qxd:Layout 1 8/11/09 3:34 PM Page 286 8th_ GRD_225_266.qxd:Layout 1 8/11/09 3:33 PM Page 250 285APPENDIX:SUGGESTED READING FOR 8TH GRADERSThis ... letter’s main idea, and the next two paragraphsdescribe in detail the exciting things thathave happened to Maya. One paragraph isabout the zoo (choice a), but that’s not broadenough to be the main ... andread all about your favorite teams, players, and sportsevents!– SUGGESTED READING FOR 8TH GRADERS–287 8th_ GRD_267_292.qxd:Layout 1 8/11/09 3:34 PM Page 287 Exercise 2You should have used...
... need to establish a clear mainidea and make sure that everything in your piece of writing relates to that topic. 8th_ GRD_225_266.qxd:Layout 1 8/11/09 3:33 PM Page 243 8th_ GRD_225_266.qxd:Layout ... d), butthese choices are too narrow and do notreflect the mainidea of the paragraph. Youcan eliminate choice a because it’s the main idea of the first paragraph.10. a. Biologists hoped that ... most in-teresting ideas? Can you expand on any of the ideaswith more details? Are any of the ideas boring or pre-dictable? Use a highlighter or marker to highlight theideas that seem the...
... measures. Look at these examples:– GRAPHS–200 6th graders 7th graders 8th graders Picnic table upgrades Swimming pool upgrades Camping site upgrades cPicnic Swim CampNot every ... exploration.Underline the mainidea in each paragraph.Then use these main ideas to develop anoutline of the author’s argument.If you only read the first sentence, you won’t know tounderline the main ideas. ... questions:1. Which grade did the most students earn?2. How many students passed the quiz with a grade of C or better?3. How many students took the quiz?The bar for a B grade is the tallest,...
... you the main idea. You have tosomehow figure out what idea the author is trying toconvey. But finding the mainidea or theme in litera-ture isn’t so different from finding the mainidea inother ... an issue. 8th_ GRD_143_180.qxd:Layout 1 8/11/09 3:28 PM Page 154 How to Find an Implied Main Idea When the mainidea is implied, there’s no topic sen-tence, so finding the mainidea requires ... formality■ tone 8th_ GRD_103_142.qxd:Layout 1 8/11/09 3:27 PM Page 120 If you remember that a mainidea must be generalenough to hold the whole passage together and that a main idea must also...
... people had previously attempted thiscrossing but failed.The mainidea of the article is Kipper’s record. Thearticle supports this mainidea with details about histraining, his equipment, and other ... What is the mainidea of paragraph 4?__________________________________________________________________________Multiple StrategiesOrganizational patterns are a bit like main ideas.While ... overall organizing princi-ple (as there is one overall main idea) , there can beother organizing principles in each paragraph (likethe main ideas that hold each paragraph together).There can even...
... the mainidea of the entire passage. Thus, there isan overall mainidea (often called a theme or thesis)for the text. The mainidea of each paragraph shouldwork to support the overall mainidea ... thedefinition of main idea: Main idea: The overall fact, feeling, or thought awriter wants to convey about his or hersubject.We call this the mainidea because it is the idea that the passage ... inspirationalperson.– FINDING THE MAINIDEA 27 Main Idea (general assertion about the subject)Supporting Idea (specific fact or detail)Supporting Idea (specific fact or detail)Supporting Idea (specific fact...
... terrible boss. I really don’t like him. He justcan’t get along with people. And he has stupid ideasabout politics.Why is the first paragraph so much better?Because it’s not just opinion. ... rate.”How Much Context Do You Need?In the previous example, you would still be able tounderstand the main message of the passage even if youdidn’t know—or couldn’t figure out—the meaning ofobscure...
... and how.■Lesson 2: Find the main idea. You learned abouttopic sentences and how they express an assertionabout the subject of the paragraph. You saw howthe mainidea must be general enough ... paragraph; it is thethought that controls the paragraph, and the othersentences work to support that main idea. ■Lesson 3: Determine the meaning of words fromcontext. You practiced looking for clues ... AllTogetherLESSON SUMMARYThis lesson reviews what you learned in Lessons 1–4: getting thefacts, finding the main idea, determining what words mean in context,and distinguishing between fact and opinion. In...
... meansa. permanent, impossible to remove.b. fleeting, brief.c. troubling, disturbing.12. The mainidea of this paragraph is best expressedin which sentence in the paragraph?13. Indicate whether ... general and factual enough to encompassthe whole paragraph.5. True. This sentence expresses the main idea. 6. True. This sentence is an opinion. It is debatable.Someone else might think that altering ... isa. reject.b. copy.c. ignore.d. disregard.4. Which of the following best summarizes the main idea of the passage?a. Teenagers love to eat fast food more than any-thing else.b. School...
... last.Second, you can tell by the use of transitional words andphrases, which signal a shift from one idea to the next.Here is the same paragraph with the transitional wordsunderlined:This year’s ... damaged in a fire six months ago. An ener-getic committee of eight community members came up with the idea of theInternational Dinner to raise funds to repair the damages. The plan was to cel-ebrate ... was damaged in a fire sixmonths ago.■A committee of eight community members cameup with the idea of the International Dinner toraise funds for repairs.■The plan was to serve foods that...