How to find the main idea!

1. Chapter 7: Following
Thought Patterns
College Reading and Study Skills,
Ninth Edition
by Kathleen T. McWhorter
© 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers

2. Objective:
This chapter focuses on important
features of textbook chapters and
essays.
LEARNING PRINCIPLE: You are able
to remember information better if it is
organized or if you can detect a pattern.
© 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers

3. Textbook
Organization
Usually each text is divided into
chapters, then sections, subsections,
and, finally, paragraphs in the
subsections.
Each paragraph has a main idea and
supporting information.
See Figure 7.1 for textbook organization.
© 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers

4. Structure of
Essays and Articles
Introduction: contains thesis statement.
Body: one or more paragraphs with
supporting details to support the thesis.
Conclusion: final statement about the
subject.
© 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers

5. Types of Supporting
Information
Examples
Reasons
Description
Facts and Statistics
Citation of Research Evidence
© 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers

6. What type of detail is used in the
following paragraph?
“According to its proponents, a national primary
would bring directness and simplicity to the
process for the voters as well as the candidates.
The length of the campaign would be shortened
and no longer would votes in one state have more
political impact than votes in another. The
concentration of media coverage on this one
event, say its advocates, would increase not only
political interest in the nomination decision, but
also public understanding of the issues involved.”
(from Edwards, Wattenberg, and Lineberry, Government in
America, p. 230.)
© 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers

7. Types of Supporting
Information
Examples
Reasons
Description
Facts and Statistics
Citation of Research Evidence
© 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers

8. Recognizing
Organizational Patterns
By identifying the pattern of a
paragraph, it becomes more meaningful
and easier to remember.
Once you recognize a pattern, the
paragraph’s organization becomes
familiar and predictable.
© 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers

9. Common Patterns
Definition
Cause-Effect
Time Sequence
Problem-Solution
ComparisonContrast
Enumeration
See Figure 7.3 for a summary of patterns,
and Figure 7.4 for directional words used in patterns.
© 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers

10. Predict the thought
pattern of the following:
“Unlike the statues of humans, the
statues of animals found at Stone Age
sites are quite lifelike.”
© 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers

11. Common Patterns
Definition
Cause-Effect
Time Sequence
Problem-Solution
ComparisonContrast
Enumeration
See Figure 7.3 for a summary of patterns,
and Figure 7.4 for directional words used in patterns.
© 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers

12. Summary Questions
Why is it important to become familiar with
the organization of your textbooks?
What types of supporting information are
used in textbooks and how is this information
organized?
How can you tell which organizational pattern
is being used in a section or paragraph?
Why is it helpful to recognize the pattern of a
passage you are reading?
© 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers

13. Take a Reading
Road Trip!
Take a trip to ELLIS ISLAND and
the STATUE OF LIBERTY and
visit the Patterns of Organization
module on your CD-ROM.
© 2004 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers