Today’s Objectives
• Review identifying main ideas in a paragraph.
• Review vocabulary: imply – infer
• Academic activity: implied main idea
• Develop strategies that will aid in determining the
implied main idea of the paragraph.
• Practice identifying the implied main idea in a
paragraph as a whole class.
• Practice writing the implied main idea in groups.
• Independent: go to the website and do the activity.
Paragraphs have a Main Idea
Topic Sentences state the Main Idea
TOPIC SENTENCE: 2 parts
Topic
Baseball
+
Controlling idea
History of baseball
Famous players
Played in Japan
Baseball is a healthy activity for children.
Topic?
Controlling idea?
Their Implied Ideas
Your Inferred Meaning
What does this
cartoon imply about
the newly married
couple whose car has
broken down?
What did you infer
about the couple’s
marriage?
Her Implied Idea
His Inferred Meaning
What does this woman
imply about the status
of their relationship?
What does she need to
come right out and say?
What does this man
fail to infer from what
the woman says?
Vocabulary
• Imply and infer are opposites, like a throw
and a catch.
• To imply is to hint at something, but to
infer is to make an educated guess.
• The speaker/writer does the implying, and
the listener/reader does the inferring.
Inferences in Daily Life
• If someone makes a joke, we often
supply the background information for the
punch line:
• “My grandfather drove a bus for 40 years.
I want to die just like him -- peacefully in
my sleep -- not terrified and screaming,
like his passengers.”
Inferences in Paragraphs
• In daily life, we make inferences without
even realizing it.
• In academic life, as readers we infer main
ideas that are not stated directly in a
topic sentence.
What Are Inferences?
• conclusions we draw about the unknown based
upon the known
• educated guesses about something that’s been
implied, or suggested, but never said directly
• central to understanding an author’s or
speaker’s meaning.
• the result of combining the meanings from
specific sentences to infer a more general main
idea.
Implied Main Ideas
• An implied main idea is only suggested;
it is not clearly stated in one sentence.
• To figure out an implied main idea, we must
look at the supporting details.
Strategies: Find Implied Main Ideas
Addition:
To
not directly stated,
onefind the main
to idea
begin when
with it isalso
furtherwe must
ask
same questions
we’ve already
find main ideas:
first the
(of all)
for one thing
in additionused to furthermore
second(ly)
moreover
final(ly)
• Who or another
what is the paragraph
about?
Find the topic.
Compare/Contrast:
• What iscompared
the main
the authorunlike
is trying
likewise
with point
however
similar(ly)
in contrast
otherwise
to makelikeabout that topic?
comparatively
in comparison
on the other hand
Find the controlling idea. What clues do
the transitions provide?
TEST: When we think we know the main point, ask:
•
Does all or most of the material in the
paragraph support this idea?
Find Implied Main Idea
Read the paragraph below. Then answer the question.
Researchers who study the “science” of shopping note that men always move faster than
women through a store’s aisle. Men spend less time looking, too. They usually don’t like
asking where things are, or any other questions. When a man takes clothing into a dressing
room, the only thing that stops him from buying it is if it doesn’t fit. Women, on the other
hand, try things on as only part of the consideration process, and garments that fit just fine
may still be rejected on other grounds. Here’s another contrast: 86 percent of women look at
price tags when they shop. Only 72 percent of men do. For a man, ignoring the price tag is
almost a measure of his masculinity. As a result, men are far more easily encouraged to buy
more expensive versions of the same product than are women shoppers. They are also far
more suggestible than women—men seem so anxious to get out of the store that they’ll say
yes to almost anything.
What is the topic? Circle repeated ideas. men and women shoppers
What main point is the author trying to make about this topic? Transitions?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Men always move faster than women when shopping.
Women look at price tags more than men.
Men and women behave differently when shopping.
Men make more expensive choices when shopping.
TEST: Does all or
most of the
material in the
paragraph support
this idea?
Implied Main Idea
C is the correct answer.
• All of the details in the paragraph support the point
that men and women behave differently when
shopping.
• Choices A, B, and D are all supporting details for this
main idea.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Men always move faster than women when shopping.
Women look at price tags more than men.
Men and women behave differently when shopping.
Men make more expensive choices when shopping.
Implied Main Idea
Read the paragraph below. Then answer the question.
Fifty years ago, Americans were sleeping an average of eight to twelve hours a night,
Strategies
for identifying the topic and main idea:
but by 1990 they were down to only seven hours a night. Now many Americans average
only about six hours of sleep a night. Extensive research shows that losing an hour or two of
1. Find Topic: Look for repeated words.
sleep every night, week after week, month after month, makes it more difficult for people to
pay attention (especially to monotonous tasks) and to remember things. Reaction time slows
2. Infer Controlling/Main Idea: Mark major
down, behavior becomes unpredictable, logical reasoning is impaired, and accidents and
errors in
judgment increase,details.
while productivity
and the
ability toare
makeoften
decisions decline.
supporting
Major
details
Students fall asleep in class and fail to learn all that they should. Marriages become more
signaled
by transition
words.
stressful
as sleep-exhausted
parents try to cope
with their children and each other. Truck and
auto drivers fall asleep at the wheel, and experts estimate that accidents result in over 1,500
deaths in this country a year. Workers perform less efficiently, and those in high-risk
positions can endanger us all. For example, sleep deprivation led to the accident at the
nuclear power plant at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania.
What is the topic of the paragraph?
A. Sleep
B. Loss of sleep in America
C. Sleep loss for students and parents
D. Sleep loss for drivers and workers
Implied Main Idea
Fifty years ago, Americans were sleeping an average of eight to twelve hours a night,
but by 1990 they were down to only seven hours a night. Now many Americans average
only about six hours of sleep a night. Extensive research shows that losing an hour or two of
sleep every night, week after week, month after month, makes it more difficult for people to
pay attention (especially to monotonous tasks) and to remember things. Reaction time slows
down, behavior becomes unpredictable, logical reasoning is impaired, and accidents and
errors in judgment increase, while productivity and the ability to make decisions decline.
Students fall asleep in class and fail to learn all that they should. Marriages become more
stressful as sleep-exhausted parents try to cope with their children and each other. Truck and
auto drivers fall asleep at the wheel, and experts estimate that accidents result in over 1,500
deaths in this country a year. Workers perform less efficiently, and those in high-risk
positions can endanger us all. For example, sleep deprivation led to the accident at the
nuclear power plant at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania.
What is the topic of the paragraph?
A. Sleep
B. Loss of sleep in America
C. Sleep loss for students and parents
D. Sleep loss for drivers and workers
Explanation
The topic is
referred to directly
or indirectly in
several sentences.
Implied Main Idea
Which statement best expresses the main idea of the paragraph?
Fifty years ago, Americans were sleeping an average of eight to twelve hours a night,
Strategies
for identifying the topic and main idea:
but by 1990 they were down to only seven hours a night. Now many Americans average
only about six hours of sleep a night. Extensive research shows that losing an hour or two of
1. Find Topic: Look for repeated words.
sleep every night, week after week, month after month, makes it more difficult for people to
pay attention (especially to monotonous tasks) and to remember things. Reaction time slows
2. Infer Controlling/Main Idea: Mark major
down, behavior becomes unpredictable, logical reasoning is impaired, and accidents and
errors in
judgment increase,details.
while productivity
and the
ability toare
makeoften
decisions decline.
supporting
Major
details
Students fall asleep in class and fail to learn all that they should. Marriages become more
signaled
by transition
words.
stressful
as sleep-exhausted
parents try to cope
with their children and each other. Truck and
auto drivers fall asleep at the wheel, and experts estimate that accidents result in over 1,500
deaths in this country a year. Workers perform less efficiently, and those in high-risk
positions can endanger us all. For example, sleep deprivation led to the accident at the
nuclear power plant at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania.
A.
B.
C.
D.
The loss of sleep in America has led to serious problems.
Americans have lost sleep steadily over the last fifty years.
Sleep loss affects the performance of students and parents.
Sleep loss affects the performance of drivers and workers.
Implied Main Idea
A is the correct answer.
• All of the supporting details in the paragraph are
about problems resulting from loss of sleep.
• Choice B does not include the serious problems that
result from loss of sleep.
• Choices C and D are too narrow. Each refers to only
two groups that are affected by sleep loss.
A.
B.
C.
D.
The loss of sleep in America has led to serious problems.
Americans have lost sleep steadily over the last fifty years.
Sleep loss affects the performance of students and parents.
Sleep loss affects the performance of drivers and workers.
Implied Main Idea
Strategies for identifying the topic and main idea:
• Find Topic: Look for repeated words.
• Infer Controlling/Main Idea: Mark major
supporting details. Major details are often
signaled by transition words.
Transitions Words: Addition
one
first (of all)
second(ly)
third(ly)
to begin with
for one thing
other
another
also
in addition
next
moreover
further
furthermore
last (of all)
final(ly)
Implied Main Idea
Read the paragraph below. Then answer the question.
All people have a strong need to belong to groups, stemming from evolutionary
pressures that increased people’s chance of survival and reproduction when in groups rather
than in isolation. This need may also be driven by the desire to feel protected against threat
and uncertainty in everyday life or to gain a greater sense of personal and social identity.
Moreover, people join specific groups in order to accomplish things that they cannot
accomplish as individuals. Neither symphonies nor football games can be played by one
person alone, and many types of work require team effort. Further, people join groups
because of the social status and identity that they offer. An important part of people’s feelings
of self-worth comes from their identification with particular groups. Even a relatively lowstatus group can be a source of pride for individuals who are held in high esteem within the
group; being big fish in small ponds can make people feel good about themselves, particularly
people from individualist cultures. Finally, people may join groups simply because they like
the members and want to have the opportunity to interact with them.
What is the topic of the paragraph?
Implied Main Idea
All people have a strong need to belong to groups, stemming from evolutionary
pressures that increased people’s chance of survival and reproduction when in groups rather
than in isolation. This need may also be driven by the desire to feel protected against threat
and uncertainty in everyday life or to gain a greater sense of personal and social identity.
Moreover, people join specific groups in order to accomplish things that they cannot
accomplish as individuals. Neither symphonies nor football games can be played by one
person alone, and many types of work require team effort. Further, people join groups
because of the social status and identity that they offer. An important part of people’s feelings
of self-worth comes from their identification with particular groups. Even a relatively lowstatus group can be a source of pride for individuals who are held in high esteem within the
group; being big fish in small ponds can make people feel good about themselves, particularly
people from individualist cultures. Finally, people may join groups simply because they like
the members and want to have the opportunity to interact with them.
What is the topic of the paragraph?
Joining groups
Implied Main Idea
Read the paragraph again. Then answer the question.
All people have a strong need to belong to groups, stemming from evolutionary
pressures that increased people’s chance of survival and reproduction when in groups rather
than in isolation. This need may also be driven by the desire to feel protected against threat
and uncertainty in everyday life or to gain a greater sense of personal and social identity.
Moreover, people join specific groups in order to accomplish things that they cannot
accomplish as individuals. Neither symphonies nor football games can be played by one
person alone, and many types of work require team effort. Further, people join groups
because of the social status and identity that they offer. An important part of people’s feelings
of self-worth comes from their identification with particular groups. Even a relatively lowstatus group can be a source of pride for individuals who are held in high esteem within the
group; being big fish in small ponds can make people feel good about themselves, particularly
people from individualist cultures. Finally, people may join groups simply because they like
the members and want to have the opportunity to interact with them.
What is the implied main idea of the paragraph?
Implied Main Idea
All people have a strong need to belong to groups, stemming from evolutionary
pressures that increased people’s chance of survival and reproduction when in groups rather
than in isolation. This need may also be driven by the desire to feel protected against threat
and uncertainty in everyday life or to gain a greater sense of personal and social identity.
Moreover, people join specific groups in order to accomplish things that they cannot
accomplish as individuals. Neither symphonies nor football games can be played by one
person alone, and many types of work require team effort. Further, people join groups
because of the social status and identity that they offer. An important part of people’s feelings
of self-worth comes from their identification with particular groups. Even a relatively lowstatus group can be a source of pride for individuals who are held in high esteem within the
group; being big fish in small ponds can make people feel good about themselves, particularly
people from individualist cultures. Finally, people may join groups simply because they like
the members and want to have the opportunity to interact with them.
What is the implied main idea of the paragraph?
People join groups for a number of reasons.
Explanation
Each major detail in the paragraph is one reason that people join groups. Note
that four of the major details are signaled by transition words.
Implied Main Idea in Longer Passages
• When you read, you may have to infer—
figure out on your own—an author’s
unstated central idea in a longer passage.
• The central idea is also called a thesis.
Implied Main Idea in Longer Passages
To find the implied central idea in a longer passage, you
must ask the same three questions you used to find the
main ideas in paragraphs:
•
Who or what is this passage about?
(What is the topic?)
•
What is the central point the author is
trying to make about that topic?
When you think you know the central idea, you can test
it by asking:
•
Does all or most of the material in the
passage support this idea?
Review
In this section, you learned the following:
• At times authors imply, or suggest, a main
idea without stating it clearly in one sentence.
In such cases, you must figure out that main
idea by considering the supporting details.
When you think you know the main idea, test
it by asking, “Does all or most of the material
support this idea?”
• To find implied central ideas in longer reading
selections, you must again look closely at the
supporting material.
What’s the logical inference you could
draw from the following paragraph?
Guess Who’s Not Coming for Dinner?
In an effort to help ranchers protect their sheep from
coyotes, researchers injected dead sheep with a poison
and left the carcasses strewn in pastures, where the wolves
could find and eat the remains. As intended, the poison made
the coyotes horribly sick. Within a short time, the coyotes,
who had been routinely slaughtering live sheep for their dinner,
stopped. In fact, it wasn’t long before the coyotes ran away
at the very sight or smell of sheep, and sheep had been crossed
off the coyote menu.
Which implied main idea is the
most logical inference?
1. The sheep had learned how to outsmart and
get away from the coyotes.
2. After the coyotes associated eating the sheep
with getting sick, they didn’t want to hunt them
them anymore.
3. The poisoned sheep carcasses didn’t taste very
good, so the coyotes decided to hunt different
prey that tasted better.
Distinguishing Between Logical and
Illogical Inferences
Inference 2 is the logical inference because it
follows from the information supplied by the author.
We can say that eating the poisoned sheep carcasses stopped
the coyotes from killing because according to the paragraph,
1.
the killings stopped after the coyotes ate the poisoned
carcasses.
2.
the coyotes didn’t even want to see the sheep after eating
some poisoned ones that made them sick.
Distinguishing Between Logical
and Illogical Inferences
• Implied main idea 1, about the sheep outsmarting
coyotes, is not a logical inference. There’s no mention in
the paragraph of the sheep being either smart or dumb.
• Implied main idea 3 doesn’t work because the text doesn’t
say that the sheep didn’t taste good. It says the coyotes
got sick AFTER eating the sheep and that made them take
sheep off the menu.
© Ulrich Flemming
Just So You Know
The description of how the coyotes came to associate the sheep with
being sick and therefore avoided them is a good example of what’s
called classical conditioning, or associated learning.
•
This kind of learning occurs when a formerly neutral or even
pleasant object or experience gets associated with something
positive or negative.
•
In a famous experiment based on classical conditioning,
experimenters banged a hammer on a steel bar each time a
little boy reached out to touch a white rat he had once
considered a pet. When the experiment ended, the little boy
was afraid of the bell and the white rat.
© Ulrich Flemming
Finishing Up: Focusing on Inferences in
Paragraphs
You’ve previewed the major
concepts and skills introduced in
Chapter 8. Take this quick quiz to
test your mastery of those skills
and concepts, and you are ready
to read the chapter.
© Laraine Flemming. All rights reserved. No
distribution allowed without express
authorization.
Finishing Up: Focusing on Inferences in
Paragraphs
1. True or False. If a writer is really good,
readers don’t have to add anything to the
text to create meaning.
2. True or False. Readers always draw
inferences by combining parts of different
sentences.
Finishing Up: Focusing on
Inferences in Paragraphs
3.
Can you identify the characteristics of a
logical inference?
4.
Can you describe the characteristics of
an illogical one?
5.
Read the following passage and draw a
logical inference.
Finishing Up: Focusing on Inferences
in Paragraphs
At first glance, hunger seems an easy word to define. It
means wanting something to eat or having an appetite that
will in time be satisfied. But is that what hunger is for people
around the world? Not quite. For millions of adults and
children everywhere, including the United States, hunger
means a persistently recurring empty stomach that growls and
cramps and seldom feels full. For others, hunger is a constant
companion. These are the victims of war, famine, and backbreaking social inequality. In their world, hunger is a synonym
for starvation. (Adapted from Kaufman and Franz, Biosphere,
2000, p. 172.)