Chapter 5 - Locating Stated Main Ideas Exercises

“CRCB”: Chapter 5 - Locating Stated Main Ideas – Exercise

Learning Journal – Page 139:
Without reading ahead, write down your definitions of the terms main idea, topic, details, major supporting details, and minor supporting details in your journal.

Main Idea – the main point; the main topic or focus
Topic – What you are going to talk or write about
Details – supporting descriptions
Major Supporting Details – supporting facts
Minor Supporting Details – descriptions



Exercise 5a – Page 141:
Circle the most general item in each list. The first one is modeled for you.
(Instead of circling, I underlined words)

1. Saab Audi Mustang cars
2. genetics DNA RNA
3. English history majors
4. gas matter solid liquid
5. Buddhism Sikhism religions Islam
6. control group variables research data



Exercise 5b – Page 142:
For each list, think about what the separate items have in common and ask yourself, what is the general subject, or topic, of this list? The first one is modeled for you.

1. Topic: holidays
- Labor Day
- Fourth of July
- Memorial Day
- Christmas

2. Topic: Poets
- Langston Hughes
- Emily Dickinson
- T.S. Eliot
- Walt Whitman

3. Topic: Word puzzles
- crossword
- riddles
- jigsaw
- conundrum

4. Topic: health
- calories
- carbohydrates
- fat
- protein

5. Topic: resume information
- name
- education
- employment experience
- references

6. Topic: Teeth and gum diseases
- gingivitis
- tarter
- periodontal disease
- plaque