Chapter 6: Understanding Implied Main Ideas

1. Chapter 6: Understanding Implied Main Ideas Essential Reading Skills, 2/eKathleen McWhorter © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.

2. What is an Implied Main Idea? When an idea is implied, it is suggested, but not stated outright. Example: I wouldn’t feed that dessert to a dog. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.

3. General vs. Specific Ideas A general idea applies to many items or ideas, whereas a specific idea refers to a particular item. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.

4. General: Colors Specific: purple yellow red General: Shoes Specific: running shoes high heels sandals Examples of General vs. Specific © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.

5. Specific Details Support the Main Idea • The wind was blowing at 35 mph. • The wind chill was 5 degrees below zero. • Snow was falling at the rate of 3 inches per hour. A storm or blizzard is occurring. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.

6. How to Find Implied Main Ideas in Paragraphs • Find the topic. • Figure out what is the most important idea the writer wants you to know about that topic. • Express this main idea in your own words. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.

7. Finding Implied Main Ideas Topic: Commercials Details: (1) Star power; (2) Everyone’s buying it; (3)Visual appeal Implied Main Idea: Commercials use a variety of persuasive devices to appeal to consumers. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.

8. Self-Monitoring for Implied Main Ideas • Is it broad enough? • Does every sentence in the paragraph support the the idea you have chosen as the main idea? • Does each sentence explain or give more information about the main idea? © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.

9. Is Your Idea Broad Enough to Be the Main Idea? Details: • 1920  divorce rate is one in seven marriages • 1970  divorce rate is one in three marriages • 2000  divorce rate is highest of any major industrialized nation The divorce rate has increased dramatically since 1920. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.

10. Implied Ideas from Details Details: • Immigration has increased the U.S. mortality rate. • Immigrants have helped create a new middle class. • Immigration has contributed to population growth. Immigration has affected the U.S. in a number of important ways. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.

11. Working with Paragraphs • Paragraphs always have a topic and a main idea. • In some paragraphs the main idea is stated directly in a topic sentence. • In other paragraphs, the main idea is implied or suggested. • In all paragraphs, the main idea is backed up by details. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.

12. Test-Taking Tip #6: Answering Questions About Implied Main Ideas • Concentrate on the details: “What do all these details mean when taken together?” • Main ideas are broad ideas, so choose a broad idea rather than a specific one. • Once you have chosen a statement as the implied main idea, reread each sentence. Check to see that each sentence supports or explains the implied main idea. © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.

13. Visit the Companion Website http://www.ablongman.com/mcwhorter © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers.