Identifying the difference between a main idea and supporting points

Understanding ideas and supporting points

Distinguishing between detail and main aims
Understanding aims of paragraphs and sections
Identifying aims of a passage
· understanding general content of paragraphs or sections
Identifying specific information in the passage
Understanding the opinions of the writer (Y/N/NG questions
Scanning and understanding information
Understanding information in the passage
Scanning for specific information in the passage
Understanding detail and specific information
Selecting appropriate words
Choosing appropriate words
Scanning for information
Identifying ideas relating to others
Categorizing information
Locating information in the passage
Locating specific information in the passage
Understanding details and order of information
Relating the information to the diagram
·

Strategies for reading academic

http://www.uefap.com/reading/readfram.htm

Before reading
1. Think about your reasons for reading the text:
 you are interested because it is about your subject, or it is related to your subject
 you want background information, or detailed information
 you want to know what the writer's views are
 you are going to have a discussion
 you are going to write an essay on this subject later
Each reason will influence the way you read e.g. quickly or slowly, looking for fact or opinion.
2. Look at the title, headline, any sub-headings, photos or illustrations. Use these to predict what the
text will be about - the topic.
3. Think about what you already know on this topic.
4. Write down what you would like to find out from the text. You could write actual questions you would
like answers to.
5. Make a note of words or phrases connected with the topic that you may find in the text.
During Reading

1. Survey the text: read the first and last paragraphs and the beginning and final sentences of the other
paragraphs.
How close were your predictions?
Do you have a very general idea of the structure of the text, what the different parts are about?
2. Identify your purpose for reading.
a. If you are looking for specific information, read the part where you think the information will be.
b. If you want a general idea of the whole text, read the whole text.
In both cases ignore words or sections you don't immediately understand.
You should now have a general idea of what the text is about and if it is going to be useful for you. Does
it answer the question(s) you asked?
3. Write down in 1 or 2 sentences:
 what you think the main ideas are
 What your first reaction to the text is. Do you find it interesting, informative, well-argued,
boring, illogical, and inaccurate?
4. Do a second more careful reading, marking any new words that are important for your understanding.
Check on the main idea and revise what you wrote if necessary.
Decide what the subsidiary ideas are. How do they relate to the main idea? Put all the ideas together in
linear notes, or as a mind map.

Vocabulary
With the new words which you think are important:
if an approximate meaning is enough,
 try to guess the meaning using word function, context (immediate and wider) and word form
if the exact meaning is needed,
 use a dictionary
 ask another student, or your tutor

Difficult sentences
Divide the sentences where there are connectives or markers.
 What do the connectives mean?
 Underline reference words. What do they refer to?
 Identify complex noun phrases.
 Expand them using verbs and/or relative clauses so that they are easy to understand.
 Find the subjects, verbs and objects which go together, and, if necessary, write the whole
sentence out in several sentences to show the meaning.
After reading
1. Make a list of the new words which you think will be useful for you in the future. Give:
 definitions of the words
 Indication of whether they are nouns, verbs, adjectives etc.
 phrases in which the word occurs
 other words with the same meaning
 other forms of the words
E.g. counsellor (noun) =a person who gives help and support to people who have problems, an adviser
[counsel (noun),  to counsel]
2. Evaluate what you have read:
 How does it fit into what you already think and know?
 Does it confirm your ideas, add to them, conflict with them?
 If there are opinions, do you agree or disagree with them?
Thanks to the English Language Centre, University of Exeter for this exercise.

Reading critically
http://www.uefap.com/reading/readfram.htm

Critical reading
It is important to read critically. Critical reading requires you to evaluate the arguments in the text. You
need to distinguish fact from opinion, and look at arguments given for and against the various claims.
This also means being aware of your opinions and assumptions (positive and negative) of the text you
are reading so you can evaluate it honestly. It is also important to be aware of the writer's background,
assumptions and purposes. All writers have a reason for writing and will emphasize details which
support their reason for writing and ignore details that do not.
The following questions may be usefully asked about any text you are reading:

A Purpose and background

1. Why are you reading this text? What is your purpose?
2. What type of text is it: research report, essay, textbook, book review?
3. What do you know about the subject of the text?
4. What else has been written on the subject of the text?
5. What controversies exist in this area? How does this text fit in?

B The author and the text

1. Who is the author? What do you know about the author? What authority does the author have?
2. Who is the intended audience?
3. What is the author's purpose? Why has the text been written?
4. What is the source of the text? Is it reputable? Who is the publisher? What reputation to they
have?
5. What is the date of publication? Is it appropriate to the argument?
6. What is the writer's attitude towards the topic?
7. What conclusions are drawn?
C Evidence used

1. Is there a clear distinction between fact and opinion?

2. Is evidence used to support arguments? How good is the evidence? Are all the points
supported?
3. In an experimental study, was the sample size adequate and are the statistics reliable?
4. Are there any unsupported points? Are they well-known facts or generally accepted opinions?
5. How does the writer use other texts and other people's ideas?
6. Are the writer's conclusions reasonable in the light of the evidence presented?
7. How do the conclusions relate to other similar research?

D Assumptions made

1. What assumptions has the writer made? Are they valid?

2. What beliefs or values does the writer hold? Are they explicit?
3. Look at the language that is used, e.g. active/passive verbs, nominalisations, pronouns, ergative
verbs, articles, etc. Is it always possible to identify participants and processes? e.g. compare: the
government increased taxes; they increased the taxes, taxes were increased; taxes increased;
the taxes increased, there was an increase in taxes
4. Look for emphatic words such as it is obvious, definitely and of course.
5. Look for hedges: possible, might, perhaps.
6. Look for emotional arguments, use of maximizers: completely, absolutely, entirely, or
minimizers: only, just, hardly, simply, merely.
7. How else could the text have been written?

EXAMPLE: http://www.uefap.com/reading/exercise/crit/criteg.htm