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easier to analyze. (1) Due to increasing costs, there will be two changes in the tuition reimbursement program that will significantly reduce employee benefits. (2) First, reimbursement has been reduced from 100 percent to 60 percent of tuition costs for each course in which the student earns a C or better. (3) For example, if you pay $1,000 for a course, and earn at least a C in that course, you will be reimbursed in the amount of $600. (4) Second, employees will now be limited to $2,000 in reimbursement expenses per year. (5) Thus, if your tuition per course equals $1,000, you will be reimbursed $600 per course for each of your three courses but only $200 for the fourth course because you will have reached the $2,000 limit. (6) Any additional courses in that year will not be reimbursed. This paragraph follows a very common pattern. It starts with the topic sentence (sentence 1). Then it offers support for that topic sentence in the form of details and examples. Sentences 2 and 4 give the details of the FINDING THE SUPPORTING IDEAS 69 change in the tuition reimbursement program. Sentences 3, 5, and 6 give specific examples of those changes. Thus, the organization looks like this (sentence numbers are in parentheses): Main idea (1) Detail (2) Example (3) Detail (4) Example (5, 6) DISTINGUISHING MAIN IDEAS FROM SUPPORTING IDEAS If you re not sure whether something is a main idea or supporting idea, ask yourself whether the sentence is making a general statement or providing specific information. In the tuition reimbursement memo, notice how all of the sentences besides Sentence 1 are making very specific statements. They are not general enough to serve as an umbrella for the whole paragraph. Therefore, they must be working to support the main idea. Signal Words You can often tell whether a sentence is expressing a main idea or provid- ing support by looking for certain clues. Notice how each supporting sentence from the memo begins: Sentence 2: First, & Sentence 3: For example, & Sentence 4: Second, & Sentence 5: Thus, & These words and others like them are signal words: They tell you that a supporting fact or idea will follow. The following list shows some of the most common words and phrases that signal supporting ideas. 70 READ BETTER, REMEMBER MORE Transitions accordingly however next also in additionon the other hand as a result indeed secondly first in fact since first of all in other words specifically for example inparticular then for instance likewise therefore furthermore nevertheless thus These signal words and phrases are often called transitions. Transi- tions are words and phrases that writers use to move from one idea to the next. They show the relationships between ideas so What are Transitions? that readers can see how ideas are connected. In Transitions are words and other words, these transitions help show readers phrases that signal a shift how ideas work together to support the main idea from one idea to the next in a passage. For example, the transitional word or show how ideas are likewise shows that the ideas before and after it are related. similar; they have something in common. The transitional phrase for example tells readers that what comes next is an example of what came before. That s how transi- tions work. Sentence A likewise Sentence B Shows that there are similarities between the ideas in Sentences A and B. Sentence A for example Sentence B Shows that Sentence B provides an example of the idea in Sentence A. FINDING THE SUPPORTING IDEAS 71 PRACTICE 1 Read the paragraph below carefully. Underline any words or phrases that signal a supporting idea. Our new marketing campaign has been a tremendous success. In fact, since we ve been advertising on the radio, sales have increased by 35%. Likewise, our client references have doubled, and we ve improved our client retention rates. Furthermore, we ve had to hire five new sales representatives to meet demand. Answer Our new marketing campaign has been a tremendous success. In fact, since we ve been advertising on the radio, sales have increased by 35%. Likewise, our client references have doubled, and we ve improved our client retention rates. Furthermore, we ve had to hire five new sales representatives to meet demand. Two Questions to Ask To help you distinguish between main and supporting ideas, then, there are two questions you can ask: 1. Is the idea general enough to be a main idea, or is it a specific detail? 2. Is there a transitional word or phrase indicating that it s probably a supporting idea? Sometimes just one question will make it clear, but be careful. Not every sentence will have a signal word or phrase to tell you that it s a supporting sentence. Also, you need to be care- ful to distinguish which main idea a supporting idea actually supports. PRACTICE 2 Read the following passage carefully and then answer the questions that follow (the paragraphs are numbered to make the questions easier to follow). 72 READ BETTER, REMEMBER MORE (1) Citizens of Montgomery County, vote no on the referen- dum for local tax reform! The referendum will actually do the opposite of what it promises. (2) First of all, the referendum will not reduce taxes for middle income families. In fact, middle income families with children will pay 10 percent more per year, and 20 percent more if they don t have children. (3) Second, the referendum actually decreases taxes for the wealthiest tax bracket. In fact, taxpayers in the highest bracket will pay 10 percent less per year if the referendum is passed. (4) VOTE NO on Tuesday! 1. In this passage, what is the sentence Second, the referendum actually decreases taxes for the wealthiest tax bracket ? a. It s the main idea of the whole passage. b. It s the main idea of paragraph 3. c. It s a supporting idea for the main idea of the whole passage. d. It s a supporting idea for paragraph 3. 2. In the passage, what is the sentence In fact, middle income families with children will pay 10 percent more per year, and 20 percent more if they don t have children ? a. It s the main idea of paragraph 2. b. It s a fact that supports the main idea of paragraph 2. 3. What is the other sentence that supports the overall main idea of the passage? Answers 1. The correct answer is both b and c. Second is a signal word that indicates the sentence has a supporting idea. But what is it support- ing? Is it supporting the main idea in paragraph 3? No. It can t be, because it is the main idea of paragraph 3. So what is it supporting? It must be supporting the main idea of the whole text: The referendum will actually do the opposite of what it promises. FINDING THE SUPPORTING IDEAS 73 2. b. The second sentence in paragraph 2 is a fact that supports the main idea of paragraph 2. The transition in fact should signal this relationship. 3. The first sentence of paragraph 2, First of all, the referendum will not reduce taxes for middle income families, is the other idea that directly supports the overall main idea. LEVELS OF SUPPORT As you can see by now, there are often several different levels of support in a passage. A major supporting idea is one that directly supports the overall main idea. A minor supporting idea, on the other hand, offers support for a major supporting idea. Look at it this way: I. Overall main idea (thesis) A. Major Supporting Idea (directly supports thesis) 1. Minor supporting idea (supports idea A) 2. Minor supporting idea (supports idea A) 3. Minor supporting idea (supports idea A) B. Major Supporting Idea (directly supports thesis) 1. Minor supporting idea (supports idea B) 2. Minor supporting idea (supports idea B) 3. Minor supporting idea (supports idea B) C. Major Supporting Idea (directly supports thesis) 1. Minor supporting idea (supports idea C) 2. Minor supporting idea (supports idea C) 3. Minor supporting idea (supports idea C) This pattern can work in a single paragraph as well as in a larger text. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |
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