LOCATING MAIN

IDEAS
PREPARED BY: TINTIN ARCALAS
ACTIVITY: ½ CROSSWISE

Scoring Guide:
Organization - 4 pts.
Neatness - 4 pts
Content - 7 pts.

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ACTIVITY: ½ CROSSWISE

For 5-7 minutes, write a paragraph about

your idea of LOVE.

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ACTIVITY: ½ CROSSWISE

Exchange with your seatmate. Underline the

sentence which outlines (wrap up) your
seatmate’s idea of love. (This will do in 2-5
minutes)

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MAIN IDEA
▪ It is what a text is mostly about.
▪ The main idea of a story tells you what the entire story is
about. You should be able to sum the main idea in one
sentence.
▪ You can also think of the main idea as the reason a story was
written.
▪ This can be your main point.

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MAIN IDEA
▪ All information in the paragraph should be connected to the
main idea.
▪ Some information is not important.
▪ Good readers identify key ideas.
▪ Sometimes the main idea is in the first and last sentence.
▪ Look for clue words repeated over and over.

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Main Idea and Supporting Details:
▪ MAIN IDEA is what the
paragraph, section or
selection is mostly about.
▪ SUPPORTINGS DETAILS give
information about the main
idea.

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How to identify Main Ideas?
The Main Idea is not always clearly stated when reading.
Identifying the main idea of a passage can improve
comprehension of all related topics.

1. Read fine whole text.

2. Ask, “What is the author doing here?”
3. Pay extra attention to the first and last sentences.

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How to locate Main Ideas?
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first men to
walk on the surface of the moon, but they were not the last.
That was Gene Cernan, the last man to step off the lunar
surface. In total there have twelve men who have walked on
the moon, all of whom had done so between 1969 and
1972, which is the most recent non-Michael Jackson moon
walking.
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How to locate Main Ideas?
You must comprehend the text. And focus on the BIGGEST idea.

The paragraph is about the moon walkers

Armstrong & Aldrin Cernan was the last Man

First men on the moon on the Moon

12 Mean Have Walk On

The Moon

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 Main Ideas & Details Practice:
Read the 4 statements below. Which statement is the main idea?
Which statements are details?

▪ If you need a guard dog, dachshunds are great at barking at

suspicious sounds.
▪ Dachshunds have many great qualities that make them the
ideal pet
▪ Most dachshunds are lovable, loyal and playful.
▪ Dachshunds don’t shed very much, so they are easy to clean
up after.
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 Main Ideas & Details Practice:
Dachshunds have many great qualities that make them the ideal pet.

If you need a guard dog, dachshunds are great

at barking at suspicious sounds.

If you need a guard dog, dachshunds are great

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at barking at suspicious sounds.

If you need a guard dog, dachshunds are great

at barking at suspicious sounds.
 THESIS
STATEMENT
PREPARED BY: TINTIN ARCALAS
What is a “Thesis Statement”?
After you have brainstormed and have some main ideas of what
you would like write in essay, you can begin thinking about writing
a “thesis statement.
■ A thesis statement is one of the most important elements of any
successful essay.
■ It controls the subject matter of the essay and states something

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significant to the reader.
■ It is the one statement that summarizes the main point of the
essay and states why the essay is important and worth reading.
The importance of a “Thesis Statement”
■ In an academic text, the THESIS STATEMENT is usually
presented in the abstract or executive summary or found at the
last part of the introduction.
■ An essay that lacks a strong thesis will be inadequate and often
lacking in focus.
■ The thesis sentence presents the central idea of the paper
■ It must always be a complete, grammatical sentence, specific
and brief, which expresses the point of view you are taking
towards the subject. TINTIN ARCALAS
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A Successful “Thesis Statement”:
■ is narrow and specific enough to be fully supported.
■ may also preview the main ideas of the paper and set the
tone
■ A clear Thesis Statement is vital to a good paper. It lets
the reader know what he is going to read.

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Strategies in locating the Thesis Statement:
■ Read the title of the text and identify its purpose.
■ If the text has no abstract or executive summary, read the
first few paragraphs as the THESIS STATEMENT is usually
located there; and
■ In other cases, you may also check the conclusion where
authors sum up and review their main points.

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 When I was young, I always knew that I wanted to become a
teacher someday. When I played, I would often gather my dolls together
and pretend to teach them how to do math problems or how to read a
book. As I grew older, my desire to become an ESL teacher became
clearer as I did some volunteer teaching overseas and in the United
States. As I look back on my reasons for becoming a teacher, there are
three reasons that stand out. They are: my love for the English
language, my innate interest in how people learn, and my desire to help
other people.

The Thesis Statement contains Subpoints in the thesis or nearby

the main idea that controls the help the reader know how the
content of the essay. essay will be organized.
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 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was written by Mark
WEAK
Twain in 1876.

Some people think that The Adventures of Tom

WEAK
Sawyer is Mark Twain’s best novel.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is Mark Twain’s best

novel.

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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is Mark Twain’s best
STRONGER novel because of its use of satire, imagery, and
symbolism.
 PURPOSE
STATEMENT
PREPARED BY: TINTIN ARCALAS
What is a “Purpose Statement”?
■ It is introduced by SIGNAL PHRASES that announce the purpose,
scope of direction as well as its focus.
■ SIGNAL PHRASES are short phrases that introduce a quote,
paraphrase, or summary; they signal to readers that an outside
source is being used.
■ In academic text, Thesis Statement located last part of the
INTRODUCTION can be replaced with a PURPOSE STATEMENT
What is a “Purpose Statement”?
■ Examples: “This study examined…”, “This paper examines…”,
“The aim of this essay is to…”, “This paper begins with…”, “In
this paper, I hope to…”, “The primary objective of this paper is
to…”, “The purpose of this essay is to…”
■ It is typically included in the introduction to give the reader an

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accurate, concrete understanding what the document will cover
and what he/she can gain from reading it.
To be effective, a Purpose Statement
should be:
■ Specific and Precise – not general, broad or obscure
■ Concise – one or two sentences
■ Clear – not vague, ambiguous or confusing
■ Goal-oriented – stated in terms of desired outcomes

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TOPIC SENTENCES

PREPARED BY: TINTIN ARCALAS

What is a “Topic Sentence”?
■ It is a statement that tells what your paragraph will be about. It
is usually the first sentence of each of your 3 body paragraph.
■ Presents or describes the point of the paragraph; in other words,
it is the main idea of a paragraph.
■ Sometimes, it is referred to as a “focus sentence”.
■ It essentially tells the readers what the rest of the paragraph is

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about. All sentences after it have to give more information about
that sentence, prove it by offering facts about it, or describe it in
more detail.
Good “Topic Sentence” does 2 important
things:
1. Helps you stay focused on the main idea of
your paragraph.

2. Helps readers to know what your paragraph

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will be about.
 My hometown is known for several
TOPIC SENTENCE
amazing and natural features.

First, Fort Lauderdale is noted for its

beautiful beaches. Just west of town is the
SUPPORTING
Florida Everglades, a unique national park.
DETAILS The third stunning feature is the natural coral
reef located just off the coast.
 Just a Quick Review!
TOPIC, MAIN IDEA, SUPPORTING DETAILS
■ TOPIC. Tells you what the selection is mostly about
■ MAIN IDEA. Gives you the most important information about the
topic.
■ SUPPORTING DETAILS. It is a specific information (details) that
tells more about the main idea.
ASSIGMENT ☺ Write all the details on a ½
sheet of paper (crosswise).

■ Please conduct a research about: REACTION PAPER, REVIEW

and CRITIQUE.
■ What are the steps in writing a REACTION PAPER?