Main Idea Begin and End

The document discusses identifying the main idea of a paragraph. The main idea is the most important statement about the topic, contains the topic, and can stand alone as a complete sentence. It summarizes the key details. The main idea can be at the beginning, middle, or end of a paragraph. However, placing it at the beginning using deductive reasoning is clearest for the reader. In academic writing, the main idea is best placed at the beginning to immediately inform the reader of the writer's point.

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Main Idea Begin and End

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sheila

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After determining the topic of a reading passage.

The student needs to figure

out what the main idea is. The main idea is the most important statement the
writer makes about the topic. There are three common characteristics of main
ideas.

 Must always have the topic (the word, name, or phrase that tells who or
what the paragraph is about)
 Must always be a complete sentence by itself (even if you were not able
to read the rest of the paragraph)
 Must be a sentence that summarizes the details of the paragraph

IMPORTANT NOTE: In many ways, the main idea and the thesis statement
can be the same thing. A thesis statement is the main idea of an entire paper
whereas a regular main idea is the most important statement about the topic
in a particular paragraph. In other words, there are different levels of main
ideas from ones that cover an entire paper to ones that only cover a
paragraph. This applies to the concept of topics as well.

The main idea of a paragraph can be in one of three places.

 The beginning
 The middle
 The end

We will now look at examples of each.

Main Idea at the Beginning

The main idea at the beginning is often the easiest to understand. The first
sentence states clearly what the rest of the paragraph is about. The reader
never has to wonder why the author is saying something because the author
tells them from the beginning. Below is an example. The main idea is
underlined and in bold

Dogs are good pets to have. Dogs are fun to play with and are friendly to
everyone. Dogs are also very close to their master and obey them. Dogs
even love children and will protect the family.

Dogs are good pets to have is the main idea. The rest of the paragraph
provides reasons and evidence for why dogs are good pets. This is deductive
reasoning in which is going from a general principal (the main idea) to specific
examples (the rest of the paragraph.
Main Idea at the End

The next most common place to put a main idea is at the end.

Have you ever had a dog for a pet? Dogs are fun to play with and are friendly
to everyone. Dogs are also very close to their master and obey them. Dogs
even love children and will protect the family. Dogs are good pets to have.

The writer starts with a question (a question can never be the main idea).
They supply reasons for having a dog and the summarize by sharing that
dogs are good pets to have. This is inductive reasoning in which the author
goes from specific examples (the beginning of the paragraph) to a general
principle (the main idea).

Main Idea in the Middle

The worst place to put the main idea is in the middle. This approach is neither
deductive or inductive it is just confusing for many academic disciplines.
Below is an example.

–Have you ever had a dog for a pet? Dogs are fun to play with and are
friendly to everyone. Dogs are also very close to their master and obey
them. Everyone should own a dog. Dogs even love children and will protect
the family.

The question to ask is “why provide another example after sharing the main
idea?” This is why this approach is not always the clearest.

Conclusion

When reading it is important to determine what is the point and to answer why
is the writer writing about this. The answer to these questions is the main idea.
It is the most important idea about the topic. The main idea is what the writer
wants a student to remember after he or she finishes reading. The placement
of the main idea can be anywhere in the paragraph. Finding the main idea will
help a student to see the big picture of what the writer was trying to say.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR WRITERS: In an academic writing, it is almost

always best to put the main idea at the beginning. A student wants the reader,
which is often a professor, to know exactly where the student is taking them in
their text immediately. If a teacher has to try and figure what a student has to
say, the teacher can often become frustrated and this could cost a student
points. Scholars want to know what the point is right away, they want to see
the big picture and check details as necessary. Therefore, students should tell
them in the first sentence or as soon as possible what the main idea is. There
are exceptions depending on discipline but this is a very safe rule for most
circumstances.

The next best place to put a main idea is at the end. As mentioned, this is a
sort of inductive reasoning approach. The reader wonders what the student
is talking about but the get the point at the end. It’s frustrating but eventually
they get the punchline. The worst place is the middle. A student give
examples, state the point, and give more examples. This is totally confusing in
may disciplines. Remember, main idea should be first whenever possible, last
if necessary, and never in the middle.

Main Idea Begin and End

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Main Idea Begin and End

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After determining the topic of a reading passage.

The student needs to figure

The main idea of a paragraph can be in one of three places.

We will now look at examples of each.

Main Idea at the Beginning

The next most common place to put a main idea is at the end.

Main Idea in the Middle

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR WRITERS: In an academic writing, it is almost

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