ELC501 Stated & Implied Main Ideas

Below are definitions of a Main idea EXCEPT

• Stated in a compete sentence

• Sometimes can be stated as a question

• A combination of a topic and controlling idea of the paragraph

• Placed anywhere in the paragraph

Not all relationships last a lifetime. Sometimes they just wind down, as the two people involved slowly lose interest in maintaining their partnership. At other times, they break apart, as disagreements build and there is not a strong enough bond to hold the two parties together. Or there may be an abrupt rupture if some event occurs that destroys one partner's feeling of trust.

The stated main idea sentence in this paragraph is ...

• Not all relationships last a lifetime.

• Sometimes they just wind down, as the two people involved

  slowly lose interest in maintaining their partnership.

• At other times, they break apart, as disagreements build and there

  is not a strong enough bond to hold the two parties together.

• Or there may be an abrupt rupture if some event occurs that destroys one partner's feeling of trust.

lneffective messages don't get results. A reader who has to guess what the writer means may be wrong. A reader who finds a letter or memo unconvincing or insulting simply won't do what the message asks. Another story of ineffective communication is told by yvonne Alexander, a writing consultant. Yvonne says an HMO once lost a claim in court because the judge found its policy to be written so badly that no one could understand it.

The stated main idea sentence in this paragraph is ...

• A reader who has to guess what the writer means may be wrong.

• A reader who finds a letter or memo unconvincing or insulting simply won't do what the message asks.

• Ineffective messages don't get results.

• Another story of ineffective communication is told by

  Yvonne Alexander, a writing consultant.

Below are types of supporting details EXCEPT

• Statistics

• Expert Opinions

• Main Ideas

• Quotations

Below are ways to formulate main idea sentences EXCEPT

• Write a one sentence summary of the paragraph.

• Combine two sentences (each contains the main idea) into one.

• Combine all the examples given in the paragraph.

• Add essential piece of information that is missing to a sentence that is almost stating the main idea.

You may want to break the caffeine habit because it generates dependence. You may want to break it because you don't like the headache you get when you can't find a vending machine or when nobody at the office made coffee. Perhaps you want to set a good example for your children to avoid caffeine. Or you simply may want to live as drug-free as possible.

The implied main idea sentence for this paragraph is ....

• You may want to break the caffeine habit because it generates

  dependence.

• There are several reasons you may want to break the caffeine habit.

• Caffeine is a dangerous drug.

• Caffeine generates dependence and causes headaches.

lmagine trying to find a book in the Library of Congress without the aid of a card catalog. lt would be next to impossible. That's the problem people faced in their initial efforts to find information on the World Wide Web. And that's what created the demand for another software program: the search engine. ln rapid succession, a number of programs with catchy names such as Yahoo!, Excite, and lnfoSeek emerged to act as search engines for the cyberspace traveler. The user could simply type in a name, a word, or a phrase, and the search engine would scour the Net for relevant information and website addresses.

The implied main idea sentence for this paragraph is ....

• A search engine is a necessity for anyone who wishes to use

  the Library of Congress.

• It is a software program that allows a user to type in a name,

  a word, or a phrase, and the search engine would scour the Net for relevant information and website addresses.

• Yahoo!, Excite, and InfoSeek are three programs that benefit the cyberspace traveler.

• A search engine is a software program that allows a World Wide

  Web user to type in a name, a word, or a phrase, and it then scours the Net for relevant information and website addresses.

Experiencing failure is not easy. lf we take a course and fail it, it hurts, though we may pretend for a moment that it doesn't. But even if you feel tempted to shrug it off publicly, don't make that mistake privately. lt's important to take responsibility for and accept failure.

The implied main idea sentence for this paragraph is ....

• If we take a course and fail it, it's important to take responsibility

  for and accept failure.

• Experiencing failure is not easy, but it's important to take responsibility for and accept failure.

• Everyone experiences failure, and it is important not

  to let failure get you down.

• If you experience failure, you should pretend it doesn't hurt

  and shrug it off publicly.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

Written memos and reports document what was said and done and the rea- son for decisions. Carefully written memos and reports enable a company to use its earlier expertise without having to reinvent the wheel every time a new set of people tackles a recurring problem. Written documents also allow individuals and companies to protect themselves. lf there is no written record, chaos and expensive lawsuits may result.

The implied main idea sentence for this paragraph is ...

• Written records can help companies prevent lawsuits.

• Written documents also allow individuals ard cornpanies to

  protect thernselves.

• Written memos and documents benefit companies and individuals in several ways.

• It is important for employees to learn how to write clear documents and memos.

Arson has always been viewed as a more violent crime than burglary. ln comparison with burglary, however, arson is a fairly infrequent offense. A total of 76,760 arson offinses was reported in 2001. A national survey of fire departments, however, indicates that the actual number of arson incidents is likely to be far higher than the reported figure.

The implied main idea sentence for this paragraph is ...

• Arson has always been viewed as a more violent crime than burglary, and although the actual number of arson incidents is unknown, it occurs much less often than burglary.

• A national survey of fire departments indicates that the actual number of arson incidents is likely to be far higher

  than the figure reported in 2001.

• Arson is viewed as a more violent crime than burglary because more people are more likely to die in fires set by arsonists.

• The country has no accurate way of determining how many arson offenses are committed each year.