TEAS EXAM STUDY GUIDE

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 paragraphs,

identifying the topic sentences and summary sentences will quickly tell the reader 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.

The supporting details contain important

information key to understanding the passage

Supporting details build

the argument and contain the key ideas upon which the main idea rests.

While finding the supporting details

will help reveal the main idea, it is actually easier to find the most important supporting details by understanding the main idea first; then the pieces that make up the argument will become clear.

Signal words

or transitions and conjunctions that explains to the reader how one sentence or idea is connected to another hint at supporting ideas.

Signal words and phrases

can be anywhere in a sentence, and it is important to understand what each signal word means

Signal words can add

information, provide counterarguments, create organization in the passage, or draw conclusions.

Some common signal words and terms include

for example, in particular, in addition, besides, in contrast, therefore, because, or many other similar phrases.

Besides using supporting details to

understand a main idea, the reader must evaluate them for relevance and consistency.

An author selects

supporting details that help organize the passage and support the main idea.

Sometimes, the author's bias may

cause him or her to omit details that don't directly support the main idea or that may even support a main idea. A reader must recognize not only what the author says, but also what the author leaves out..

To understand how a supporting detail relates to the main idea,

a reader must first understand the purpose of the passage. What is the author trying to communicate? How does the author want the reader to respond? Every passage has a specific goal, and each paragraph in a passage is meant to support that goal.

For each supporting detail,

the position in the text, the signal words, and the specific content work together to alert the reader to the relationship between the supporting ideas and the main ideas.

Close reading of a text requires

taking note of its striking features. For example, does a point in the text appeal to your sense of justice? Does a description seem rather exaggerated or overstates?Do certain words seem emotive, like agonizing? Are rhetorical questions being used to lead you to a certain conclusion?

In general, an author includes

details that support the main idea; however, the reader must decide how those ideas relate to one another and uncover any weakness in their support of the author's argument. This is particularly important in a persuasive piece of writing, when an author may display bias in his or her choice of supporting details.

Discovering the author's bias and

how the supporting details reveal that bias is key to understanding a text.

Authors use both

facts and opinions as supporting details. While it is usually a simple task to identify between the two, sometimes an author might mix facts and opinions in such a way that the two become convoluted; in addition, an author might state an opinion as if it is a fact.

The difference between a fact and an opinion

is simple; a fact is a piece of information that can be verified as true or false by any person, and it retains the quality of truthfulness (or not) no matter who verifies it.

An opinion

expresses a belief held by the speaker and may or may not be something each audience member agrees with.

To distinguish between fact and opinion

,ask if a statement can be proven. Look for subjectivity by asking if an observation could vary according to the situation or person observing.

The structure of a text determines

how the reader understands the argument and how various details interact to form the argument.

There are many ways to arrange a text,

and varying types of arrangements have distinct characteristics.

Specific text structures include

cause and effect, compare and contrast, problem and solution, descriptive, and chronological

Cause and Effect

the author describes a situation and then its effects

Compare and Contrast

the author explores the similarities and differences between two or more things

Problem and Solution

the author presents a problem and offers a solution

Descriptive

the author describes a topic

Chronological

The author lists events in the order in which they happened

To identify the organizing structure of a passage,

look at the order in which the author presents information and the transitions used to connect those pieces.

Structures such as

problem-solution or cause-effect will use transitions that show casual relationships because, as a result, consequently, therefore.

These structures (problem-solution or cause-effect) might also

use transitions that show contradiction (however, alternatively, although). The former may provide solutions, while the latter can explain alternative causes

Authors often use

repetition to reinforce an idea. Pay attention to any repeated words, phrases or images. Then, ask why the author might have repeated them.

When analyzing a text, a

reader should consider how text structure impacts the author's meaning.

Most important, readers must be aware of how

an author presents information in order to emphasize an idea. For example, including a contrasting idea makes a central idea stand out, or including a series of concrete examples strongly supports an argument

Reading text begins with

making sense of the explicit meanings of information or a narrative.

Understanding text occurs

as readers draw conclusions and make logical inferences from a text.

To draw a conclusion,

readers must first consider the details or facts. Then, they arrive at a conclusion from these details; the conclusions is the next logical point in the thought sequence

For example, in a Hemingway story,

an old man is sitting alone in a cafe. The young waiter says that the cafe is closing, but the old man continues to drink. The waiter starts closing up, and the old man signals for a refill. Based on these details, the reader might conclude that the old man hasn't understood the young waiter's desire for him to leave

An inference is distinct from a conclusion. An inference is

an educated guess that readers take based on details in the text as well as their own knowledge; it is information that enriches the reader's understanding of the literal meaning of the text.

Readers use their own

knowledge when considering what the author suggests through the details offered in descriptions of decisions or situations. Returning to the Hemingway story about the old man, the reader might infer that the old man is lonely, enjoys being in the cafe, and is reluctant to leave.

When reading fictional text,

inferring character motivations is essential.

The actions of the character move

the plot forward; understanding the meaning of the series of events requires making sense of the characters' reasoning for their actions.

Hemingway includes

contrasting details as the young waiter and an older waiter discuss the old man. The older waiter sympathizes with the old man because this waiter, too, needs a light for the night; both old men are lonely and experience a sense of emptiness in life, which motivates them to seek out the cafe.

Readers must also be able to

connect texts to each other.

A reader should recognize that the

Hemingway story about the old man in the cafe, for instance, shares similarities with other Hemingway stories about individuals struggling to deal with loss and loneliness in a dignified way.

Readers can even integrate

their own personal connections and experiences into their reading.

When readers read persuasive texts, for instance,

they may connect the arguments in those texts to counterarguments and opposing evidence of which they are aware. They use these connections to infer meaning.

Considering a character's motivations mean asking:

What does the character want to achieve? What will the character get by accomplishing this? What does the character seem to value the most?

It is important to approach every passage with

the understanding that an author chooses words, structures, and content with specific purpose and intent. Without that assumption, it will be impossible to understand the author. With that assumption, a reader can discern why an author uses those words and structures and how they relate to the content.

The author of a passage sets out to

communicate a specific idea to an audience with a specific goal in mind.

The author's purpose is

expressed by determining why an author wants a reader to understand the main idea

There are 4 basic purposes to which an author can write;

within each of these general purposes, the author may also direct the audience the audience to take a clear action or respond in a certain way.

The purpose for which an author writes a passage is

also connected to the structure of the text.

In a narrative,

the author will use the characteristics of storytelling, such as chronological order, characters, and a defined setting.. Identifying these characteristics in a text should indicate that the author wishes to communicate a theme or main idea stemming from the events or characters in the story.

In an expository passage, on the other hand,

the author simply explains an idea or topic to the reader.

The main idea will probably

be a factual statement or a direct assertion of a broadly held opinion.

Expository writing can come in many forms,

but one essential feature is a fair and balanced representation of a topic: the author may explore one detailed aspect or a broad range of characteristics, but he or she intends mainly to present the details or ideas to the reader to make a decision.

Similarly, in technical writing,

the author's purpose is to explain specific processes, techniques, or equipment in order for the reader to use that process or equipment to obtain the desired result.

In technical writing,

look for chronological or spatial organization, specialized vocabulary, and imperative or directive structures.l

As you read persuasive text,

make sure you are aware of what the author believes about the topic

The categories of writing discussed above mostly

communicate information to a reader so that he or she can take action or make a decision.

In contrast, in persuasive writing,

the author actively sets out to convince the reader to accept an opinion or belief

Much like expository writing,

persuasive writing can take many organizational forms; however specific techniques, or rhetorical strategies, assist the author in building an argument.

Readers can identify these strategies in order to

clearly understand what an author wants them to believe, how the author's perspective and purpose may lead to bias, and whether the passage includes any logical fallacies.

Common rhetorical strategies include the

appeals to logos, ethos, and pathos. An author uses these to build trust with the reader, explain the logical points of an argument, and convince the reader of the author's opinion.

An ethos

or ethical appeal uses balanced, fair language and seeks to build a trusting relationship between the author and the reader.