GETTING THE MAIN IDEA

By :

Group 2

Members :

1. Ari Fakhri
2. Bimantoro Aldiyanto
3. Muhammad Chrissandy Fahzy
4. Muhammad Ihsan Kamil

Mechanical Engineering B
Sriwijaya University
Palembang
2017-2018

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 GETTING THE MAIN IDEA

DEFINITION OF A PARAGRAPH

A group or specially and intentionally related sentences; a thought unit;

sentences that revolve around a single idea and is a writers attempt to develop an
idea or part of an idea.

Organization of a Paragraph

1. Statement of the main idea.

2. Elaboration of the main idea and supporting details.
3. Restatement of the main idea-summary of main ideas or conclusions.

TOPIC

The topic is the subject that the selection is about. The main idea can usually be
located if you can determine what the topic is. To find the topic of a selection,
ask the simple question, Who or what is the selection about?

EXAMPLE:
Consumers concerned about the hazards or noise can reduce noise pollution in
many ways. They can purchase noisy products such as garbage disposals and
lawn mowers with reduced noise levels. They can also use sound-absorbing
materials in their home. Carpeting can be installed instead of hard flooring, and
cork and fabric can be used in rooms that tend to be noisy. Also, people can
become less noisy themselves. They can learn to avoid shouting, to close doors
without slamming them, and to play radios, TV sets, and stereos at moderate
levels.

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TOPIC OF THIS PARAGRAPH: noise pollution or noise
pollution in the home.

MAIN IDEA

What is a main idea?

The main idea is the central point or thought the author wants to communicate to
readers. The main idea answers the question, What does the author want me to
know about the topic? or What is the author teaching me? Often the author
states the main idea in a single sentence. In paragraphs, a stated main ideais called
the topic sentence. In an article, the stated main idea is called the thesis statement.
When the author does not state the main idea directly, it is called an implied main
idea. An implied main idea requires you to look at the specific statements in the
paragraph and consider what idea they suggest.

Why is identifying the main idea important?

Finding the main idea is a key to understanding what you read. The main idea ties
all of the sentences in the paragraph or article together. Once you identify the
main idea, everything else in the reading should click into place. The rest of the
reading is the evidence provided to support that main idea.

Find the topic first. You have to know the topic before you can determine the
main idea. Preview your text and ask yourself, What or who is the article
about? or What is the author teaching me about? (For further help, see
Identifying the Topic skill sheet.)
Ask yourself. What does the author want me to know about the topic?
or What is the author teaching me about the topic? You can answer this
by finding the idea that is common to most of the text or what opinion all the
parts support.
Use these cluesto help find the main idea:

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1. Read the first and last sentences of the paragraph (or the first and last
paragraphs of the article). Authors often state the main idea near the
beginning or end of a paragraph.
2. Pay attention to any idea that is repeated in different ways. If an author
returns to the same thought in several different sentences (or paragraphs),
that idea is the main or central thought under discussion.
3. Look for a sentence that states the main idea. This is the stated main idea
or topic sentence.
4. Look for reversal transitions at the beginning of sentences. These signal
that the author is going to modify the previous idea. When a reversal
transition opens the second sentence of a paragraph, theres a good chance
that the second sentence is the topic sentence and a stated main idea. Some
samples of reversal transitions:

But Nevertheless Still

Conversely Nonetheless Unfortunately
Even so On the contrary When in fact
However On the other hand Yet
In contrast Regardless

5. At times the main idea will not be stated directly. This is called an
implied main idea.
Read all of the specific statements, not just the ones that open the
paragraphs.
Think of a general statement that could sum up the specifics as
effectively as any stated topic sentence. As there will not be a topic
sentence, you will have to write one. The main idea you write must be a
complete sentence that contains a subject and a verb and expresses a
complete thought.
6. Once you feel sure that you have found the main idea, test it. Ask
yourself if the sentence could act as a summary of the other sentences in

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 the paragraph. Do the examples, reasons, and facts included in the
reading explain or give evidence supporting the main idea you have in
mind? If they do, then you are right on target. If they dont, you may
want to revise your main idea.

Chief point an author is making about a topic. It sums up the authors primary
message.

Topic Sentence; Statement of the main idea. It is the statement under which all
other material in the paragraph examples, reasons, facts, details and other
evidence can fit.

EXAMPLE: (refer to above example)

Notice that all information is after the first sentence is about ways to reduce noise
pollution. The first sentence is the most general it states that there are ways to
reduce noise pollution. It summarizes the other statements in the paragraph.
Location of the Topic Sentence

Topic sentences are usually in the first sentence of the paragraph, but not always.
They may also be located within the paragraph or at the end of the paragraph.
They may even appear twice at the beginning and at the end.

EXAMPLE: WITHIN A PARAGRAPH Preceded by one or more

introductory sentence that may relate the main idea to the previous paragraph,
arouse the readers interest or give background for the main reason.

The physical complaints of neurotics people who are overly anxious,

pessimistic, hostile, or tense were once largely ignored by physician. Many
doctors believed that the frequent complaint of neurotic were exaggerations.
However, new research shows that neurotics are, fact, more likely to have
physical problems. Specifically, researchers found neurotics stand a grater chance

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of having five particular ailments: arthritis, asthma, ulcers, headaches, and heart
disease. In addition, there is evidence that people who are pessimistic in their
teens and twenties are more likely to become ill or die in their forties.

Main idea: Third sentences. The two sentences before the topic sentence
introduce the question of the physical health of neurotics. The topic sentence
gives the writers main ideas on the topic. The last two sentences develop the
main idea by giving specific details of the relevant research.

EXAMPLE: END OF THE PARAGRAPH-Previous sentences build up to the

main idea.

A study at one prison show that owning a pet can change a hardened prison
inmate into a more caring person. Another study discovered that senior citizens,
both those living alone and those in nursing homes, became more interested in life
when they were given pets to care for. Even emotionally disturbed children have
been observed to smile and react with interest if there is a cuddly kitten or puppy
to hold. Animals, then, can be a means of therapy for many kinds of individuals.

EXAMPLE: BEGINNING AND END OF THE PARAGRAPH

We are on our way to becoming a cashless, checkless society, a trend that began
with the credit card. Now some banks are offering debit cards instead of the
credit cards. That costs of purchases made with these cards are deducted from the
holders bank account instead of being added the a monthly bill. And checking
accounts, which are mainly used for paying bills, are going electronic. Now some
people can make computer transactions over their pushbutton phones to pay bills
by transferring money from their account to the account of whomever they owe.
Soon we may be able to conduct most of our business without signing a check or
actually seeing the money we earn and spend.

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Topic Sentences That Cover More Than One Paragraph

Sometimes, you find a topic sentence that provides a main idea for more that one
paragraph. This occurs when the author feels that the development of the main
idea may be too lengthy for one paragraph.

MAIN IDEAS THAT ARE INFERRED

Sometimes a selection lacks a topic sentence but that does not mean that it
lacks a main idea. The author simply lets the details of the selection
suggest the main idea. You must figure out the implied idea by deciding
the points of all the details.

EXAMPLE:
In ancient times, irrational behavior was considered the result of demons and evil
spirits taking possession of a person. Later, Greeks looked upon irrational
behavioras a physical problem caused by an imbalance of body fluids called
humors or by displacement of an organ. In the highly superstitious Middle
Ages, the theory of possession by demons was revived. It reached a high point
again in the witch-hunts of eighteenth-century Europe and America. Only in the
last one hundred years did true medical explanations gain wide acceptance and
were categories of illnesses changed.

No sentence is a good topic sentence that covers all other sentences. We must ask
ourselves, What is the main point the author is trying to make up with these
details? Does all or most of the material support this idea? In this case, the
details show that people have explained mental illness in man different ways
over the years. Although this is not stated, it is a broad enough summary to
include all other material in the paragraph-it is the main idea.

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 REFERENCES

Langen, John. 2010. Tens Steps to Advancing College Reading Skills. (Online).
http://manoa.hawaii.edu/undergrad/learning/wp-
content/uploads/2014/03/MAIN-IDEAS-AND-SUPPORTING.pdf.
(Accessed September 18th, 2017).

Anonymous. Finding The Main Idea. (Online).

http://www.mpc.edu/home/showdocument?id=12790. (Accessed September
18th, 2017).

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