unit-2-finding-the-main-idea

Period2FindingthemainideaThemainideaofaparagraphoressay:thecentralthoughtormessagethefocusofthetextItgivestheparagraphoressaypurposeanddirection.Mainideatopicdefinitionthecentralthoughtofmessageofaparagraphoressaythegeneralsubjectofaparagraphoressayquestionwhatistheauthor’smainpointaboutthetopicWhoorwhatistheparagraphoressayabout?expressionusuallystatedinafullsentenceusuallystatedinasingleword,orafewwordsfeaturegeneralmoregeneralexampleChildrentodayfacespecialchallengesingrowingup.ChildrenTodayHowtoidentifythemainideaofaparagraph•Twosteps:•First,identifythetopic.•Second,findthemainpointthattheauthorismakingaboutthetopic.StatedmainideaTopicsentenceatthebeginninginthemiddleattheend•mainideainmorethanonesentence•topicsentencethatcoversmorethanoneparagraphUnstated/ImpliedmainideanotopicsentenceToidentifytheimpliedmainidea:Whoorwhatisthisparagraphabout?(Toidentifytotopic)Whatistheauthor’smainpointaboutthetopic?Orwhatdoestheauthorreallywantyoutounderstandaboutthetopic?(Toidentifythemainidea)