Main Ideas in Paragraphs

(Getting the Big Ideas)

Click on the button

below to start the
lesson.
 WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?
Do you know how to find the “big
ideas” in
paragraphs?
 These are the essential parts in
paragraphs.

✓Topics

✓Main Ideas

✓Supporting Details

Next slide
 3 Tips for Finding the Topic

1. Look for the subject of the first sentence.

Subjects are nouns (persons, places, things, or ideas).

2. Look for a word or phrase that is frequently

repeated or referred to.

3. Finally, ask: What do ALL the sentences in

the paragraph deal with?
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slide
 Practice with Finding a Topic
Read to find the topic in this paragraph:
Does watching violence on TV make people more
prone
to violence themselves? Obviously, TV violence has
some
negative effects. One study found that heavy TV
watchers
are more fearful of others. They try to protect
themselves
with guns, alarm systems, and security locks on doors.
In the
same study it was found that heavy TV watchers are
less Click the forward button to pick a topic.
 Click on the best topic for the
previous paragraph.

A. kids

B. TV watching

C. TV violence

D. real-life violence

Return if you need to reread paragraph.

No, kids are only mentioned in the final
sentence. “Kids” is not the topic of the
entire paragraph.
The paragraph does mention TV
watching, but that is too broad a
subject, since TV watchers can see
both good and bad or violent
programs.
Click on the back arrow and try
again.
Right! The topic, TV violence, is mentione
in the first sentence and repeated through
the paragraph.

Click the forward arrow to see where the t

appears.
No, the entire paragraph is not dealing with
“real-life violence”; it is only mentioned in o
sentence.

Click the back arrow and try again.

 Finding a Topic
Does watching violence on TV make people more prone to
violence themselves? Obviously, TV violence has some negative
effects. One study found that heavy TV watchers are more fearful o
others. They attempt to protect themselves with guns, alarm
systems, and security locks on doors.
In the same study it was found that heavy TV watchers are less
upset about real-life violence than are non-TV watchers. All of the
violence they see on
TV makes them less sensitive to the real thing. A recent study also
found
that TV violence increases aggressive behavior in kids and makes
them more that the subject of the 1st sentence is
Notice
likely to select toy guns rather than other kinds of toys.
repeated
throughout the paragraph, and ALL sentences
in the paragraph deal with “TV violence.”
 Difficulties in Identifying Topics
■ Sometimes the topic is not the subject
of the first sentence.
■ Sometimes the topic is not repeated.
■ So, if the first 2 strategies don’t help,
here are steps to take:
Look at the nouns within the paragraph.
Ask: What general term includes all or most of
them?
The general noun is probably the
topic.
 Practice—Read this paragraph.
■ 1Police officers complain that they arrest
perpetrators who are soon let out on the street.
2Judges argue that they are bound by laws that force
them to free defendants, some of whom may be guilty
as charged, on technicalities. 3Government officials
worry that they don’t have the funds or space to
construct new prisons. 4In addition, many citizens claim
that either the police, the judges, or the government—or
all of the above—are not doing their jobs. 5Clearly, the
way the huge problem of crime is being handled angers
and frustrates many segments of our society.

What noun suggests the general idea in the

paragraph?
Click the forward button to find out!!!
Now look at the paragraph again!
■ 1Police officers complain that they arrest
perpetrators who are soon let out on the street.
2Judges argue that they are bound by laws that force
them to free defendants, some of whom may be guilty
as charged, on technicalities. 3Government officials
worry that they don’t have the funds or space to
construct new prisons. 4In addition, many citizens claim
that either the police, the judges, or the government—or
all of the above—are not doing their jobs. 5Clearly, the
way the huge problem of crime is being handled angers
and frustrates many segments of our society.

All of these nouns, plus other words like “arrest”

and CRIME
“guilty” suggest that is the overall topic.
 To Remember the Strategies--Use
FiRST
This mnemonic (memory trick) will help you recall the
strategies for identifying topics of paragraphs.

F is for subject of the First sentence.

R is for a Repeated word or phrase.
ST means that all sentences deal with the Same
Thing.
 Check your memory!

See if you can write from memory the 3 strategies for

identifying the topic of a paragraph. Write them on y
own paper. Then click on the return button to see if y
were correct.

Return
 Recognizing a Main Idea
✓Also called controlling idea, central thought,
or gist
✓Called a thesis when referring to a passage
or long selection
✓May be stated or unstated (implied)
✓When stated in a sentence (s) by the author,
the main idea is expressed in the topic
sentence(s).
 Stated Main Ideas—Tips for
Finding Topic Sentences
✓The most common place to find the stated main idea
(topic
sentence) in non-fiction material is in the first
sentence
✓The second most common place for a stated main
of a
idea is paragraph.
in
✓Athe lastsentence
topic sentenceisofa ageneral
non-fiction paragraph.
or summary
statement.
✓ A brief statement that ends in a plural noun may be
used as
a topic sentence.
 Keep these suggestions in mind.
✓The topic sentence must include the topic within it.

✓A topic sentence must NOT include details; it is a

general
✓Asentence.
topic sentence must NOT contain transitions (terms
like
“for instance,” “second,” “in addition”) which suggest
✓A topic sentence may end in a plural noun or contain a
examples.
plural
✓Anoun that isthat
sentence a general termby
is followed fora the supporting
statement withdetails.
a
contrast
term is NOT the topic sentence.
 Which of the following could be good
topic sentences?

A. Students go to college for many reasons.

B. Twenty-five students reported having their
books stolen last semester.
C. For smokers and their families, smoking has
many
negative health effects.
D. You can protect your home from burglary by
taking
several precautions.
E. The second way to improve your grades is to
take
extensive lecture notes.
Be sure you find all 4 correct answers before
F. There are several steps you
clicking the
should take before
forward arrow for the
A.Students go to college for many reasons.
Yes, this sentence is general and suggests
that specific reasons will be given as
supporting details.
It ends in the plural noun “reasons.”
Twenty-five students reported having their books stole
last semester.

No, this statement is too specific. It mentions a specif

number of students. It seems to be a detail.
C. For smokers and their families, smoking has many
negative health effects.
Yes, this sentence is general and suggests that specif
effects of smoking will be given as details to support i

The sentence ends with a plural noun, “effects.”

D.You can protect your home from burglary by takin
several precautions.

Correct! The statement indicates that some specific

precautions against burglars will be listed and discu
as supporting details.

It ends with the plural word “precautions.”

E.The second way to improve your grades is to
take
extensive lecture notes.
No, this sentence appears to be a specific
detail. The word “second” suggests that a first
detail has already been given and a third will
likely follow it.
You should be careful. The sentence ends in
the plural word “notes,” but that is not always
proof the sentence is a general one.
 F. There are several steps you should take
before putting your home on the market.
Yes, this statement mentions “steps” and
indicates that the paragraph that includes
it will provide specific steps for the home
seller to take.
Return to
This time the plural word “steps” is not at
question.
the end of the sentence, but it does point
to specific details to follow.
 A Topic Sentence May Be Thought
of as an “Umbrella” Statement

Main Idea

supporting details

The other sentences are covered or included under

the
heading of the main idea. Supporting details
explain,
 Sample Paragraph
Topic Sentence is Highlighted

1The high cost of college causes many problems

for
students today. 2For one thing, it keeps some
students from
attending college in the first place. 3Also, high
tuitions affect
the amount of time available for study. 4Because
loans and
scholarships are not easy to get, many students have
toRead
put the paragraph carefully. Note the topic.
inThen ask: hours at work in order to afford an
numerous
How do you know the first sentence is the topic
education.
 How can you recognize a topic
sentence in this paragraph?
1The high cost of college causes many problems for students
today. 2For one thing, it keeps some students from attending
college in the first place. 3Also, high tuitions affect the amount
of time available for study. 4Because loans and scholarships are
not easy to get, many students have to put in numerous hours
at work in order to afford an education. 5Finally, those who do
manage to get loans know they must begin their careers with
large
❖The debts.
first sentence includes the topic, “the high cost of
college.”
❖The first sentence is general; it is an “umbrella
statement.”
❖The first sentence contains a plural noun, “problems,”
then the
other sentences name specific problems.
❖ Other sentences in the paragraph use transitions,
such as
“also” and “finally,” which point to details. They
 Practice with Finding a Stated Main
Idea (Topic Sentence)
Select the topic sentence in this paragraph; click on your choice
below.
1Cocaine is considered today to be both a major social and

medical problem. 2Just a century ago, however, cocaine was

treated as a harmless stimulant and cure-all. 3Scientists, such as
Sigmund Freud, freely used cocaine. 4Coca Cola’s original formula
actually included three parts coca leaves (the source of cocaine) to
one part cola nut. 5Coca Cola was originally advertised as a
delicious drink as well as a medicine to “cure all nervous
afflictions.” 6It was often prescribed for headaches, depression,
What is the number of the topic sentence ?
and many other ills.
A. Sentence 1
B. Sentence 2
C. Sentence 4
D. Sentence 5
 Incorrect. The topic is “cocaine,” but the first senten
is concerned with how cocaine is viewed today.
There are no details to support that cocaine is a majo
problem today.

Click on the back arrow and try again.

Return to question.
 That’s right. The second sentence contrasts
with the first, so it does not support the first.
All the sentences after sentence 2 give
details to prove that cocaine was considered
harmless over a century ago. Click the back
arrow to reread the paragraph or the forward
arrow to continue.
Remember this: If the second sentence of a
paragraph
uses a contrast term, the first sentence is NOT the
topic
sentence. In other words, the second sentence is
showing the author is changing direction.
 Incorrect. Sentence 4 is a detail giving the
original formula for Coca Cola. It is not the
overall idea of the paragraph.

Click the back arrow and try again.

Return to question.
 Incorrect. The fifth sentence is giving a specific detail.
helps to prove that cocaine was considered to be a cure-
all
for many health problems.

Click on the back arrow and try again.

Return to
question.
 Steps for Recognizing
an Implied Main Idea
➢Read the entire paragraph.
➢Decide what the topic is.
➢Ask: What is the general idea that all the
sentences seem
to support?
➢Mentally compose a sentence that seems to
summarize all
that the paragraph has to say about the topic.
➢ThenThechoose
mainthe best
idea youparaphrase of that sentence.
choose should
1) be a complete sentence,
2) include the topic of the
paragraph, and
3) avoid specific details.
 Practicing Implied Main Ideas
Read to discover the implied main idea in this paragraph:
1College students must attend classes for several hours each

day. 2When in class, they must listen carefully to their professors

and take careful notes. 3In addition, students must spend many
hours reading difficult textbooks that deal with many varied
subjects. 4Furthermore, college
students must take a few hours daily to complete homework
assignments
and to prepare for regular exams. 5Besides all this, they must
frequently
Click
do on the
research forward
papers button
and write to select the best
essays.
statement of
the implied main idea for this paragraph.
 The best statement of the implied main idea for the
previous paragraph is:

1. Taking notes is a difficult task for many students.

2. College students have to do a lot of homework.
3. Tests and research are very important requiremen
for college students.
4. College students must spend much time doing
everything that is required of them.
Return to reread paragraph, if necessary
“Taking notes is a difficult task for many students.”

Incorrect!
Taking notes is only one of many tasks that are
mentioned. It is not a general statement. Also,
since the topic, “college students,” is not named
in
the sentence, it cannot be a main idea
statement.

Click the return arrow to reread the paragraph.

“College students have to do a lot of homework.”

Incorrect. This statement does not summarize the

paragraph because some of the details included in
the paragraph, such as taking notes in classes, is not
a part
of homework. Click the return arrow to reread the
paragraph.
“Tests and research are very important requirements
college students.”

Incorrect. “Tests” and “research” are specific

details about what is expected of college
students. It is not a general statement of the
main idea.

Click on the back arrow to reread the paragraph.

“College students must spend much time doing
everything
that is required of them.”
Good! This is the best main idea statement. Many
time-
consuming tasks are mentioned as being
requirements for
college students: attending classes, taking notes,
reading
textbooks, doing homework, studying for exams,
writing
essays, and doing research.
 REVIEW QUIZ
Click on True or False for each statement
below:
1) True False All sentences in a paragraph
must have
something
2) True False toAnother
do withname
the topic.
for a main idea is
the controlling idea.
3) True False Every paragraph must have a
topic sentence.
4) True False A contrast word in the second
sentence
may False
5) True help theThe
reader
maininidea
selecting the topic
of a longer
sentence.
passage is often called a thesis.