TEAS EXAM STUDY GUIDE question and
answers
The main idea is closely connected to - CORRECT ANSWER-topic
sentences and how they are supported in a text.
Questions about the main idea may - CORRECT ANSWER-also deal
with finding topic sentences, summarizing ideas in the text, or finding
the supporting details of a text.
In the sections that follow, - CORRECT ANSWER-determine the
distinctions between all these aspects of text and practice answering
questions related to them.
,To determine the topic, - CORRECT ANSWER-ask yourself what
you're reading about.
To determine the main idea, - CORRECT ANSWER-ask yourself how
the author feels about the topic.
To identify the main idea, - CORRECT ANSWER-first identify the topic
The difference between the main idea and topic is simple, - CORRECT
ANSWER-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 - CORRECT ANSWER-the author's direct
perspective about a topic, as distinct from the theme.
Theme - CORRECT ANSWER-Generally true idea that the reader
might derive from a text.
Most of the time, - CORRECT ANSWER-a fiction text will have a
theme, while a nonfiction text will have a main idea.
,In a nonfiction text, - CORRECT ANSWER-the author speaks more
directly about a topic to the audience-his or her perspective is more
apparent.
Analyzing details the author includes - CORRECT ANSWER-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 - CORRECT ANSWER-focusing
on the connection between the different ideas and how that connection
helps the reader draw a conclusion.
A summary is a - CORRECT ANSWER-very brief restatement of the
most important parts of an argument or text.
To build a summary, - CORRECT ANSWER-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, - CORRECT ANSWER-your text
should be much shorter than the original.
, To build an outline of the text - CORRECT ANSWER-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 - CORRECT ANSWER-
understanding the structure of a piece of writing
When looking at a short passage of one or two paragraphs, -
CORRECT ANSWER-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 - CORRECT
ANSWER-bookends to a paragraph or passage, telling readers what to
think and then keeping the paragraph tightly together.
The topic sentence is - CORRECT ANSWER-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, - CORRECT
ANSWER-frequently (but not always!) comes at the end of a paragraph
or passage, because it wraps up all the ideas the passage presents.
answers
The main idea is closely connected to - CORRECT ANSWER-topic
sentences and how they are supported in a text.
Questions about the main idea may - CORRECT ANSWER-also deal
with finding topic sentences, summarizing ideas in the text, or finding
the supporting details of a text.
In the sections that follow, - CORRECT ANSWER-determine the
distinctions between all these aspects of text and practice answering
questions related to them.
,To determine the topic, - CORRECT ANSWER-ask yourself what
you're reading about.
To determine the main idea, - CORRECT ANSWER-ask yourself how
the author feels about the topic.
To identify the main idea, - CORRECT ANSWER-first identify the topic
The difference between the main idea and topic is simple, - CORRECT
ANSWER-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 - CORRECT ANSWER-the author's direct
perspective about a topic, as distinct from the theme.
Theme - CORRECT ANSWER-Generally true idea that the reader
might derive from a text.
Most of the time, - CORRECT ANSWER-a fiction text will have a
theme, while a nonfiction text will have a main idea.
,In a nonfiction text, - CORRECT ANSWER-the author speaks more
directly about a topic to the audience-his or her perspective is more
apparent.
Analyzing details the author includes - CORRECT ANSWER-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 - CORRECT ANSWER-focusing
on the connection between the different ideas and how that connection
helps the reader draw a conclusion.
A summary is a - CORRECT ANSWER-very brief restatement of the
most important parts of an argument or text.
To build a summary, - CORRECT ANSWER-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, - CORRECT ANSWER-your text
should be much shorter than the original.
, To build an outline of the text - CORRECT ANSWER-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 - CORRECT ANSWER-
understanding the structure of a piece of writing
When looking at a short passage of one or two paragraphs, -
CORRECT ANSWER-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 - CORRECT
ANSWER-bookends to a paragraph or passage, telling readers what to
think and then keeping the paragraph tightly together.
The topic sentence is - CORRECT ANSWER-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, - CORRECT
ANSWER-frequently (but not always!) comes at the end of a paragraph
or passage, because it wraps up all the ideas the passage presents.
