Identifying Topics And Main Ideas Flashcards

1
Q

What is the topic of a multi-paragraph text?

A

The subject of the entire piece of writing. The topic is often found at the beginning of the text in the title, the introduction, or a topic sentence. Examples of topics in a nursing text might include blood poisoning, body organs, or blood pressure.

Example of a good piece of writing being clear about the topic it addresses.

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2
Q

How can you identify the main idea of a passage?

A

By answering the questions: ‘What is the writer saying about the topic?’, ‘What is important to know about the topic?’, and ‘What is the author’s message or claim about the topic?’ For example, if the topic of a text is blood pressure, the main idea could be how to measure blood pressure or that people should pay more attention to the importance of monitoring their heart rate.

Example of main idea related to the topic of blood pressure.

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