BC

Identifying Main Ideas and Non-Essential Information in Sentences

Identifying the Main Idea in a Sentence

  • Core Concept: The main idea of a sentence conveys the essential action or topic without which the sentence would lose its fundamental meaning. Other parts often provide additional, non-essential information.

Distinguishing Main Idea from Supporting Information

  • Example 1: The Party

    • Sentence: "What's the main idea in this line this whole line regarding the party? Is it about the weather or is it about a party? It will be canceled."
    • Main Idea: "The party will be canceled." This is the core piece of information.
    • Supporting Information: "Under what circumstances it will be canceled." The discussion about specific conditions for cancellation (e.g., weather) adds context but is not the main idea itself. It provides "more information about the main idea as to when the party will not occur." It's "adding information to the main idea," but "it's not the main idea."

  • Example 2: The Dog

    • Sentence Analysis: "He was waiting for the bus when the dog started talking to whoever."
    • Main Idea: "Dog started talking to whoever." This is the central, surprising event.
    • Non-Essential Front Information: "He was waiting for the bus when the dog…" The phrase "He was waiting for the bus when…" is identified as non-essential. It provides background but is not the core subject and action. This front part is something "you shrug it off and we still have a bad idea. It's not essential."

Clues for Identifying Non-Essential Information

  • Commas: Non-essential clauses or introductory phrases are often "set off with a comma." This comma "helps you separate it" from the main idea.
    • The speaker notes that a comma can clarify when the front part of a sentence is not essential, helping the reader understand the sentence structure more easily.
  • Introductory Words: Specific words at the beginning of a sentence can indicate that the initial clause is non-essential or conditional.
    • The speaker advises to "notice the words that start each one of those lines." For instance, sentences that "begin with if" often signal a condition that prefaces the main idea, making the "front end… not essential in some way."