TEAS EXAM STUDY GUIDE
QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT
ANSWERS
The |Main |Idea |of |a |Text |- |CORRECT |ANSWER✔✔-Describes |the |author's |main |topic |and |
general |perspective |on |that |topic. |It |is |expressed |within |and |throughout |the |text.
The |reader |can |recognize |the |main |idea |in |any |text |by |- |CORRECT |ANSWER✔✔-considering |
the |main |topic |and |how |it |is |addressed |throughout |the |passage.
On |this |test, |you |will |be |asked |- |CORRECT |ANSWER✔✔-not |only |to |identify |the |main |idea |of |a
|text, |but |to |differentiate |it |from |topic |and |theme |and |to |summarize |it |clearly |and |concisely.
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.
The |summary |sentence |- |CORRECT |ANSWER✔✔-gives |the |reader |an |understanding |of |what |
the |author |wants |to |say |about |the |topic |and |what |conclusions |can |be |drawn |about |it.
, While |the |topic |sentence |acts |- |CORRECT |ANSWER✔✔-as |an |introduction |to |the |topic, |
allowing |the |reader |to |activate |his/her |own |ideas |and |experiences |with |the |topic, |the |
summary |statement |asks |the |reader |to |accept |the |author's |ideas |about |that |topic.
Finding |a |summary |sentence, |- |CORRECT |ANSWER✔✔-will |help |to |quickly |identify |the |main |
idea.
Between |a |topic |sentence |and |a |summary |sentence, |- |CORRECT |ANSWER✔✔-the |rest |of |a |
paragraph |is |built |by |supporting |details.
Supporting |details |can |- |CORRECT |ANSWER✔✔-come |in |many |forms; |the |purpose |of |the |
passage |dictates |the |type |of |information |that |will |be |used |to |support |the |main |idea.
A |persuasive |passage |may |use |- |CORRECT |ANSWER✔✔-specific |facts |and |data, |or |it |may |detail
|specific |reasons |for |the |author's |opinion.
An |informative |passage |- |CORRECT |ANSWER✔✔-will |primarily |use |facts |about |the |topic |to |
support |the |main |idea.
Even |a |narrative |passage |will |- |CORRECT |ANSWER✔✔-have |supporting |details- |the |specific |
things |the |author |says |to |develop |the |story |and |characters.
The |most |important |aspect |of |supporting |details |is |- |CORRECT |ANSWER✔✔-exactly |what |the |
name |says; |they |must |support |the |main |idea.
Looking |at |the |various |supporting |details |and |- |CORRECT |ANSWER✔✔-how |they |work |with |
one |another |will |solidify |an |understanding |of |the |author's |perspective |on |a |topic |and |what |the
|main |idea |of |the |passage |really |is.
QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT
ANSWERS
The |Main |Idea |of |a |Text |- |CORRECT |ANSWER✔✔-Describes |the |author's |main |topic |and |
general |perspective |on |that |topic. |It |is |expressed |within |and |throughout |the |text.
The |reader |can |recognize |the |main |idea |in |any |text |by |- |CORRECT |ANSWER✔✔-considering |
the |main |topic |and |how |it |is |addressed |throughout |the |passage.
On |this |test, |you |will |be |asked |- |CORRECT |ANSWER✔✔-not |only |to |identify |the |main |idea |of |a
|text, |but |to |differentiate |it |from |topic |and |theme |and |to |summarize |it |clearly |and |concisely.
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.
The |summary |sentence |- |CORRECT |ANSWER✔✔-gives |the |reader |an |understanding |of |what |
the |author |wants |to |say |about |the |topic |and |what |conclusions |can |be |drawn |about |it.
, While |the |topic |sentence |acts |- |CORRECT |ANSWER✔✔-as |an |introduction |to |the |topic, |
allowing |the |reader |to |activate |his/her |own |ideas |and |experiences |with |the |topic, |the |
summary |statement |asks |the |reader |to |accept |the |author's |ideas |about |that |topic.
Finding |a |summary |sentence, |- |CORRECT |ANSWER✔✔-will |help |to |quickly |identify |the |main |
idea.
Between |a |topic |sentence |and |a |summary |sentence, |- |CORRECT |ANSWER✔✔-the |rest |of |a |
paragraph |is |built |by |supporting |details.
Supporting |details |can |- |CORRECT |ANSWER✔✔-come |in |many |forms; |the |purpose |of |the |
passage |dictates |the |type |of |information |that |will |be |used |to |support |the |main |idea.
A |persuasive |passage |may |use |- |CORRECT |ANSWER✔✔-specific |facts |and |data, |or |it |may |detail
|specific |reasons |for |the |author's |opinion.
An |informative |passage |- |CORRECT |ANSWER✔✔-will |primarily |use |facts |about |the |topic |to |
support |the |main |idea.
Even |a |narrative |passage |will |- |CORRECT |ANSWER✔✔-have |supporting |details- |the |specific |
things |the |author |says |to |develop |the |story |and |characters.
The |most |important |aspect |of |supporting |details |is |- |CORRECT |ANSWER✔✔-exactly |what |the |
name |says; |they |must |support |the |main |idea.
Looking |at |the |various |supporting |details |and |- |CORRECT |ANSWER✔✔-how |they |work |with |
one |another |will |solidify |an |understanding |of |the |author's |perspective |on |a |topic |and |what |the
|main |idea |of |the |passage |really |is.
