In previous videos, we saw that a paragraph always has a main idea,
but the main idea is not always stated in a sentence.
But then... if the sentence is not there, how can we figure out
what the main idea is?
Stick around, and let's take a look at a reading strategy for that.
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Hi. Welcome back to Snap Language.
I'm Marc Franco.
If you're a subscriber, you've been watching my videos about reading, language,
linguistics...
If you haven't subscribed yet... well...
See... I didn't say you should subscribe, did I?
But you used the clues I gave you, and you understood the message
even though it was implied.
So, let's look at a paragraph with an implied main idea.
Keep in mind that a well written paragraph is built around a topic,
and the main idea of that paragraph is what the writer says about that topic.
"John sings so beautifully that many people think he should be
a professional singer.
He also won a dance contest last year.
Have you ever seen John's paintings? They are exceptional!
In addition, he learned how to program a computer by himself,
created an application, and made millions of dollars selling it.
Sports? John is good at any sport that he has ever played."
Way to go, John... making us mere mortals look bad.
Anyhow, everything in this paragraph is about John...
... so the topic of the paragraph is John. What does the writer say about John?
(That's the same as asking, "What is the main idea of the paragraph?")
Well, look at pattern in the details. John can sing... That's a talent.
John can also dance very well... That's another talent.
He can paint exceptionally well... Yet another talent!
Computer programming, sports... Wow!
So, you see the pattern of information, right?
John (the topic) is a man of many talents.
Or John is talented in many ways.
Then you'd say "in what ways is he talented?" Well, that's what the details are about.
This sentence was not in the paragraph, but the idea is in the paragraph.
It's just implied...
This main idea was so clear that you could understand it from the details
because the details support the idea that John is very talented in many ways.
In fact, instead of implying this idea, the writer could have stated it in a sentence
somewhere in the paragraph... like... here
Now the paragraph has a stated main idea.
So, this is what we know about main ideas now:
The main idea can be stated anywhere in the paragraph.
But writers often leave that sentence out when the main idea is so clear
that it can be implied.
To understand the main idea (in a sentence or implied),
you must look for patterns in the details as you read.
If you find a sentence that you think might be the main idea,
keep reading and see if the details confirm it.
If the details do not support that sentence as the main idea,
then it isn't, and you must keep reading carefully, looking for patterns.
Let's look at this paragraph now.
Remember: first identify the topic;
then determine what the writer wants you to know about the topic.
Pause the video now so you can read and think about it.
Well?...
When you read this, "Sushi has become very popular in the United States,"
you probably thought the writer was going to talk about how popular
sushi has become.
But... as you continue reading, you can tell that the paragraph
actually explains how to eat sushi the traditional way.
That's the topic.
The writer gives you a step...
another step…
and a final step.
So, essentially, the main idea is
"To eat sushi the traditional way, you should follow three steps."
or "Eating sushi the traditional way takes three simple steps."
Or something like that...
If you came up with a sentence that's not exactly like these, but it's essentially
a general statement about the topic, you're on the right track.
So that's it.
Identify the topic of the paragraph.
Identify what the writer wants you to know or learn about it.
If that idea is not stated in a sentence, it's likely implied.
Now you need to practice.
Apply this strategy consciously each time you read until it becomes
second nature to you.
Read a lot... practice.
If you found this helpful, give it a "like" and share it with other people.
And until the next time,
thanks for stopping by and watching this video.
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