TEAS EXAM STUDY GUIDE UPDATED ACTUAL Questions And Correct Answers
C
Terms in this set (1362)
The Main Idea of a Text Describes the author's main topic and general perspective on that topic. It is
expressed within and throughout the text.
The reader can recognize the main idea in any text by considering the main topic and how it is addressed throughout the passage.
On this test, you will be asked not only to identify the main idea of a text, but to differentiate it from topic and
theme and to summarize it clearly and concisely.
The main idea is closely connected to topic sentences and how they are supported in a text.
Questions about the main idea may also deal with finding topic sentences, summarizing ideas in the text, or finding
the supporting details of a text.
In the sections that follow, determine the distinctions between all these aspects of text and practice
answering questions related to them.
To determine the topic, ask yourself what you're reading about.
To determine the main idea, ask yourself how the author feels about the topic.
To identify the main idea, first identify the topic
The difference between the main idea and topic is simple, The topic is the overall subject matter of the passage; the main idea is what the
author wants to say about that topic.
The main idea covers the author's direct perspective about a topic, as distinct from the theme.
Theme Generally true idea that the reader might derive from a text.
Most of the time, a fiction text will have a theme, while a nonfiction text will have a main idea.
In a nonfiction text, the author speaks more directly about a topic to the audience-his or her
perspective is more apparent.
Analyzing details the author includes and looking for similarities among them guides the reader to the conclusion. By
identifying the supporting details the author's main idea becomes clear.
Summarizing the main idea requires focusing on the connection between the different ideas and how that connection
helps the reader draw a conclusion.
A summary is a very brief restatement of the most important parts of an argument or text.
, To build a summary, start with the most important idea in a text. To continue building a longer
summary, look for supporting details to add.
Remember that when you summarize, your text should be much shorter than the original.
To build an outline of the text as you read, jot down words or phrases that describe the main idea as you're
reading and underline important details.
Part of identifying the main idea is understanding the structure of a piece of writing
When looking at a short passage of one or two identifying the topic sentences and summary sentences will quickly tell the reader
paragraphs, what the paragraphs are about and what conclusions the author wants the reader
to draw.
Topic sentences and summary sentences function as bookends to a paragraph or passage, telling readers what to think and then
keeping the paragraph tightly together.
The topic sentence is generally the first sentence or very near the first sentence in the paragraph. It
introduces the reader to the topic by making a general statement about that topic,
clearly and specifically directing the reader to access any previous experiences
with that topic.
The summary sentence of a paragraph on the other hand, frequently (but not always!) comes at the end of a paragraph or passage, because
it wraps up all the ideas the passage presents.
The summary sentence gives the reader an understanding of what the author wants to say about the topic
and what conclusions can be drawn about it.
While the topic sentence acts as an introduction to the topic, allowing the reader to activate his/her own ideas
and experiences with the topic, the summary statement asks the reader to accept
the author's ideas about that topic.
Finding a summary sentence, will help to quickly identify the main idea.
Between a topic sentence and a summary sentence, the rest of a paragraph is built by supporting details.
Supporting details can come in many forms; the purpose of the passage dictates the type of information
that will be used to support the main idea.
A persuasive passage may use specific facts and data, or it may detail specific reasons for the author's opinion.
An informative passage will primarily use facts about the topic to support the main idea.
Even a narrative passage will have supporting details- the specific things the author says to develop the story
and characters.
The most important aspect of supporting details is exactly what the name says; they must support the main idea.
Looking at the various supporting details and how they work with one another will solidify an understanding of the author's
perspective on a topic and what the main idea of the passage really is.
C
Terms in this set (1362)
The Main Idea of a Text Describes the author's main topic and general perspective on that topic. It is
expressed within and throughout the text.
The reader can recognize the main idea in any text by considering the main topic and how it is addressed throughout the passage.
On this test, you will be asked not only to identify the main idea of a text, but to differentiate it from topic and
theme and to summarize it clearly and concisely.
The main idea is closely connected to topic sentences and how they are supported in a text.
Questions about the main idea may also deal with finding topic sentences, summarizing ideas in the text, or finding
the supporting details of a text.
In the sections that follow, determine the distinctions between all these aspects of text and practice
answering questions related to them.
To determine the topic, ask yourself what you're reading about.
To determine the main idea, ask yourself how the author feels about the topic.
To identify the main idea, first identify the topic
The difference between the main idea and topic is simple, The topic is the overall subject matter of the passage; the main idea is what the
author wants to say about that topic.
The main idea covers the author's direct perspective about a topic, as distinct from the theme.
Theme Generally true idea that the reader might derive from a text.
Most of the time, a fiction text will have a theme, while a nonfiction text will have a main idea.
In a nonfiction text, the author speaks more directly about a topic to the audience-his or her
perspective is more apparent.
Analyzing details the author includes and looking for similarities among them guides the reader to the conclusion. By
identifying the supporting details the author's main idea becomes clear.
Summarizing the main idea requires focusing on the connection between the different ideas and how that connection
helps the reader draw a conclusion.
A summary is a very brief restatement of the most important parts of an argument or text.
, To build a summary, start with the most important idea in a text. To continue building a longer
summary, look for supporting details to add.
Remember that when you summarize, your text should be much shorter than the original.
To build an outline of the text as you read, jot down words or phrases that describe the main idea as you're
reading and underline important details.
Part of identifying the main idea is understanding the structure of a piece of writing
When looking at a short passage of one or two identifying the topic sentences and summary sentences will quickly tell the reader
paragraphs, what the paragraphs are about and what conclusions the author wants the reader
to draw.
Topic sentences and summary sentences function as bookends to a paragraph or passage, telling readers what to think and then
keeping the paragraph tightly together.
The topic sentence is generally the first sentence or very near the first sentence in the paragraph. It
introduces the reader to the topic by making a general statement about that topic,
clearly and specifically directing the reader to access any previous experiences
with that topic.
The summary sentence of a paragraph on the other hand, frequently (but not always!) comes at the end of a paragraph or passage, because
it wraps up all the ideas the passage presents.
The summary sentence gives the reader an understanding of what the author wants to say about the topic
and what conclusions can be drawn about it.
While the topic sentence acts as an introduction to the topic, allowing the reader to activate his/her own ideas
and experiences with the topic, the summary statement asks the reader to accept
the author's ideas about that topic.
Finding a summary sentence, will help to quickly identify the main idea.
Between a topic sentence and a summary sentence, the rest of a paragraph is built by supporting details.
Supporting details can come in many forms; the purpose of the passage dictates the type of information
that will be used to support the main idea.
A persuasive passage may use specific facts and data, or it may detail specific reasons for the author's opinion.
An informative passage will primarily use facts about the topic to support the main idea.
Even a narrative passage will have supporting details- the specific things the author says to develop the story
and characters.
The most important aspect of supporting details is exactly what the name says; they must support the main idea.
Looking at the various supporting details and how they work with one another will solidify an understanding of the author's
perspective on a topic and what the main idea of the passage really is.
