ELC 501: WEEK 4

�Stated Main Idea

�Implied Main Idea
�Major and Minor Supporting Details
�Types of Support
Students will be able to:

� identify the stated main ideas and, major or minor

supporting details in texts

� construct the implied main ideas of texts

� recognise and evaluate types of supporting details

(examples, illustrations, definitions, facts, opinions,
statistics, reasons, testimonies, research findings,
observations, descriptions, explanations, steps or
procedures, comparison or contrast, narratives and personal
experiences)

� distinguish facts from opinions

Stated Main Idea :
� A sentence found in the reading passage which states
the topic and the main point or points being made
about that topic.

� Also referred to as the TOPIC SENTENCE

� General enough to summarise the details in the text

� Does NOT contain the specific details and does

NOT provide examples.
LOCATING THE TOPIC SENTENCE OF
PARAGRAPHS

I. At the beginning of the paragraph

II. The second sentence of a paragraph
III. In the middle of the paragraph
IV. At the end of the paragraph
 Implied Main Ideas :
� Express the particular point the author is trying to make about a
subject

� Indirectly state information in the paragraph

� Require the reader to consider the information given and draw

conclusion as to what the main idea might be.

� https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IilfIagSko
 PRACTICE

� https://bconline.broward.edu/shared/CollegeReadiness/R
eading/U03_MainIdea/U03_MainIdea3.html

� https://prezi.com/nf2cdgkx35h9/implied-and-stated-main
-idea/

� https://www.slideshare.net/hbcarroll/implied-main-idea?n
ext_slideshow=1

� http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0073123587/stude
nt_view0/chapter8/topic_and_stated_main_idea_multiple
-choice_exercise.html

� https://bconline.broward.edu/shared/CollegeReadiness/R
eading/U03_MainIdea/U03_MainIdea12.html

� http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0073123587/stude
nt_view0/chapter9/supporting_details__exercise_1.html
MAJOR & MINOR SUPPORTING DETAILS

�When the Stated Main Idea sentence has

been identified, the other sentences in the
text are the supporting ideas.
�These major and minor roles are determined
by the depth of the elaboration of the topic.
�If the elaboration directly supports the Stated
Main Idea, then it is a major supporting detail
�If the elaboration contains a specific
information e.g. an example, then it is a minor
supporting detail
MAJOR & MINOR SUPPORTING DETAILS

�The number of supporting

details may vary depending on
the needs of the topic discussed
�The supporting details can be
further classified as major and
minor ideas
� The Main Idea is highest in terms of importance
followed by the Major Idea.
� The Minor Idea is the least important idea in a text.

MAIN
IDEA

MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR

IDEA IDEA IDEA

Minor Minor Minor Minor Minor Minor

Idea Idea Idea Idea Idea Idea
 COMPARISON OF MAJOR AND MINOR
IDEAS
Major Ideas
• Have direct link to the main
idea sentence.
• Provide essential information.
• Explain the main idea.
• Tend to be independent of
other sentences in the text.
Minor Ideas
• Have indirect link to the main
idea sentence.
• Provide non-essential
information.
• Illustrate the major ideas.
• Tend to depend on other
sentences in the text.
EXAMPLES :
Sentences
The need for bilingual customer
assistance workers in the United
States can vary depending on what
area of the country a company serves.
In general, Spanish is the most
frequently requested language due to
the fact that there are more than 40
million Latinos and the population is
still growing.
However, there is an increasing need
for Chinese and Vietnamese on the
West Coast
At the managerial level, if a company
requests that a candidate needs to
have foreign language skills, Western
European languages, such as French
and German, remain desirable.
Japanese is requested at times
Level Explanation
Main Sums up the ideas in the
text
Major Has direct link to topic
sentences by considering
the country in general : all
area(s) of the country
Major Has direct link to topic
sentences by providing
another specific ‘area of
the country’
Minor Digresses from focus: text
is not about language for
different levels of work
Minor Is dependent on previous
sentences
 TYPES OF SUPPORT: FACTS
VS. OPINION
� Up to this point, we have acquired the skills of:-

* figuring out the topic

* identifying the topic sentence

* identifying major and minor supporting details

* constructing implied main idea

� In order to classify the supporting details of a text, we have to be able to

differentiate fact-based supporting details from opinion-based supporting details.
 FACT VS. OPINION
FACT OPINION

Any information that can be Any information that

verified by represents

• Research
• Observation • Someone’s view
• Experimentation • Belief
• Experience • Judgement

(any information that can be

proven) (any information that cannot
be proven)
 Tips in Differentiating between a
Fact and Opinion
Notes : Facts may be presented through expert testimonies
and research findings, while opinion may be in the form of
theories, predictions and recommendation.

Research
Can be findings, Strong
FACTS
verified Statistics, Support
Testimonies
Information Strong
and supporting Expert Opinion
Support
details
Cannot be Non-expert
OPINION Opinion,
verified Weak
Author’s
Support
personal
opinion
We can further classify facts and opinions into the
following specific types.

Specific types of fact Specific types of opinion

Geographical facts Judgements

Historical data Possibilities

Scientific fact Predictions

Legislations Recommendations

Measurements Theories
The following contextual clues can help us determine whether a statement
is an opinion:

� Adjectives (judgement word), e.g. beautiful, significant

� Adverbs (judgement word), e.g. loudly, slowly

� Future tense, e.g. will, is going to, shall

� Possibilities, e.g. may, could, probably, might

� Recommendations, e.g. should, it is recommended that

� Opinion signposts, e.g. in my opinion, it appears to me that,

seems, looks like

 Determine whether the statement is a fact or
an opinion
Statement Fact or Reason/Clue
Opinion

The most immediate and significant

threat to ocean is overfishing.

Despite the alterations to the way

fisheries are managed, there is little
ground for optimism.

About 77% of all fish stocks are now

either fully or over-exploited.

Fishermen are bringing home smaller

and smaller catches despite
technological advances.
 OTHER TYPES OF SUPPORT
Passage Type of support
Nobel Laureate Dr. Otto Warburg revealed that most disease is caused •Expert testimony
by insufficient level of oxygen in the body. His studies showed that if •Research findings
you deprive a cell 35% of its required level of oxygen for 48 hours, the statistics
cell is likely to become cancerous.
•Scientific fact
Lack of oxygen is not only the underlying cause of cancer but is also
the cause of most diseases. According to the pathologist Dr. Rudolf •Expert opinion
(judgement word
Virchow, viruses, microbes, germs and harmful bacteria do not cause
‘often’)
disease but are often mistaken as the cause of a disease because their
•Scientific fact
presence coincides with the presence of that disease. The natural
habitat of pathogens is diseased tissue which is brought about by
oxygen deficiency.
•Personal opinion
As the primary physical cause of all diseases is linked in one way or
another to oxygen deficiency, practising breathing techniques that -judgement word
‘abundant’
supply the body with abundant amounts of oxygen can prevent cancer
-possibility word ‘can’
and other diseases.
 Fill in the blanks with the following:
Definition, Example, Explanation, Opinion,
Facts
No Supporting Details Types of Supporting
Details
a) Rather than focusing on illness or specific parts of the body, this ancient
 
approach to health considers the whole person and how he or she
interacts with his or her environment. It emphasizes the connection of _______________
mind, body, and spirit (Paragraph I).
 
For example, when an individual is anxious about a history exam or a job
 
b) interview, his or her nervousness may result in a physical reaction such as
a headache or a stomach ache (Paragraph II). _______________
 
The line represents all possible degrees of health. The far left end of the
 
c) line represents premature death. On the far right end is the highest
possible level of wellness or maximum well-being. The centre point of the _______________
line represents a lack of apparent disease (Paragraph III).
 

No matter what their current status of health, people can improve their
_______________
d) level of well-being (Paragraph IV).
 
Harmful substances or lack of needed building blocks in the body can
 
e) result in imperfect cells, unable to do what is required to keep that person
healthy (Paragraph V) _______________
 
The U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention report that the key
 
f) factors influencing an individual's state of health have not changed
significantly over the past 20 years. Quality of medical care is only 10%.  
Heredity accounts for 18% and environment is 19%. Everyday lifestyle
_______________
choices are 53% (Paragraph IV).
 
FURTHER PRACTICE AND EXERCISES

� https://www.palmbeachstate.edu/slc/Documents/supporting%20detai
ls%20hints.pdf

� http://study.com/academy/lesson/implied-main-idea-definition-exam
ples.html

� https://www.reference.com/education/major-minor-supporting-detail
s-805e50516fad418e

� http://content.nroc.org/DevelopmentalEnglish/unit03/Foundations/m
ajor-and-minor-supporting-details.html