Once you have 2-3 articles you need to begin recognizing the authors / topic main points, ideas, and other points of view such as opinions. Where are the main ideas found?
It is easy to identify a main idea that is directly expressed in the text.
- Main ideas are often found at the beginning of paragraphs. The first sentence often explains the subject being discussed in the passage.
- Main ideas are also found in the concluding sentences of a paragraph. The main idea can be expressed as a summation of the information in the paragraph as well as a link to the information in the next paragraph.
The main idea is not always clearly stated. It is more difficult to identify a main idea when it is inferred or implied. It can be implied through other words in the paragraph. An implied main idea can be found in several ways.
- Several sentences in a paragraph can imply the main idea by introducing facts about the topic before actually stating the topic.
- Implied ideas can be drawn from facts, reasons, or examples that give hints or suggestions concerning the main idea. These hints will be clues leading you to discover the main idea in the selected text.
Once you identify the main points, ideas, and opinions the next step is to identify themes to later identify similarities and differences in the article.