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

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

© 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Longman Publishers. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.

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