This Chapter in a Nutshell Main ideas may

This Chapter in a Nutshell • Main ideas may be clearly suggested, or implied, rather than stated directly. • In such cases, look closely at the supporting details. Then decide what general idea includes or summarizes those details. • A general idea must “fit” the details; it must not be either too narrow or too broad for those details. Copyright © 2011 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.

CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas What Are Implied Main Ideas? Main ideas are not always stated directly. Sometimes you must infer them from the evidence presented. Copyright © 2011 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.

CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas What Are Implied Main Ideas? Which statement is the implied main idea of this cartoon? 1. The speaker will not be happy anywhere. 2. The speaker wants to live somewhere else. 3. The speaker does not get along with the other two penguins. Copyright © 2011 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.

CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Finding Implied Main Ideas in Reading In reading as well as in visual materials, the main idea is often not directly stated, but clearly implied. Copyright © 2011 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.

CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Finding Implied Main Ideas in Reading Read the passage below. Then choose the statement that best summarizes all the supporting details. I was in an alley dressed in light summer clothing. Coming out of the darkness at the end of the alley were hundreds of large gray rats. Their razorsharp teeth glistened with saliva, and their eyes glowed red with a cold fury. I turned to run away, but attacking in the other direction were a dozen angry dogs—pit bulls! And these particular pit bulls were foaming at the mouth; they all had rabies. “Just my luck, ” I muttered and did my best to wake up as quickly as possible. A. The writer is losing his mind. B. Gray rats and pit bulls are scary animals. C. Everyone has nightmares. D. The writer had a really bad dream. Copyright © 2011 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.

CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Finding Implied Main Ideas in Reading Following is a four-step process that will develop your skill at finding implied main ideas. Copyright © 2011 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.

CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Finding Implied Main Ideas in Reading Step 1: Recognizing Implied General Ideas Read the following list of specific items, and then choose the general idea that best covers them. Specific ideas: baseball cap, football helmet, Easter bonnet The general idea is A. sports hats. B. clothing. C. hats. Copyright © 2011 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.

CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Finding Implied Main Ideas in Reading / Step 1: Recognizing Implied General Ideas When you are looking for the general idea, remember these points: 1 The general idea must cover all of the specific ideas. (Hats covers baseball cap, football helmet, and Easter bonnet. ) 2 The general idea must not be so narrow that it excludes any of the specific ideas. (Sports hats is too narrow—it does not cover Easter bonnet. ) 3 A general idea that covers many kinds of specific ideas in addition to the ones in the list is too broad. (Clothing is too broad—it covers specific ideas in addition to hats, such as shoes and pajamas. ) Copyright © 2011 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.

CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Finding Implied Main Ideas in Reading / Step 1: Recognizing Implied General Ideas Read the following list of specific items, and then choose the general idea. Specific ideas: • “I couldn’t take the final because my grandmother died. ” • “I couldn’t come to work because I had a migraine headache. ” • “I couldn’t study because I forgot to bring my book home. ” The general idea is: A. common remarks. B. common excuses. C. common student excuses. Copyright © 2011 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.

Complete, Practice 1

CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Finding Implied Main Ideas in Reading Step 2: Putting Implied General Ideas into Your Own Words Consider the four specific ideas, and then decide on a general idea that is neither too broad nor too narrow. Specific ideas: orange juice water milk blood What is the general idea? Copyright © 2011 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.

Complete Practice 2

CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Finding Implied Main Ideas in Reading Step 3: Recognizing Implied Main Ideas I When figuring out an unstated main idea in a paragraph, your choice must not be too broad or too narrow. You must select a general statement that includes all or most of the specific ideas in a paragraph. Copyright © 2011 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.

CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Finding Implied Main Ideas in Reading / Step 3: Recognizing Implied Main Ideas I Read the supporting statements below. Then choose the idea that you think is the unstated point. Support: • Men accuse women of not trusting them. • Men complain that women have little interest in sports. • Men say that women change the subject when they’re losing an argument. What is the unstated main idea? A. Men think women don’t trust them. B. Men accuse women of talking too much. C. Men have various complaints about women. D. Men have strong positive and negative views about women. Copyright © 2011 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.

Complete Practice 3

CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Finding Implied Main Ideas in Reading Step 3: Recognizing Implied Main Ideas II The final step is to work at finding implied main ideas in paragraphs. Copyright © 2011 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.

CHAPTER 9 Implied Main Ideas Finding Implied Main Ideas in Reading / Step 3: Recognizing Implied Main Ideas II Read the paragraph below. Then choose the statement that best expresses its main idea. If people stop to think about the plots in children’s stories, they may be surprised. Hansel and Gretel, for example, were abandoned by their father and stepmother and left to wander in a dark forest. In another well-known story, Cinderella was treated like a slave by her stepmother and stepsisters. Then there is the case of Little Red Riding Hood, who was eaten by a wild animal. Finally, consider the example of the three blind mice. As if being blind were not bad enough, they also had to deal with the horror of having their tails cut off by the farmer’s wife. The unstated main idea is: A. Children’s stories are about stepfamilies. B. Cinderella was treated like a slave. C. Animals and children are important characters in children’s stories. D. Children’s stories often deal with evil and violence. Copyright © 2011 Townsend Press. All rights reserved.

Complete Practice 4 Complete Review Activities