THEORY-BOOK

UNIT 2 SKIMMING &

UNDERSTANDING NOUN
PHRASES
Objectives:

To find the topic of the passage

To find the topic sentences and
the controlling ideas
To get the main and supporting
ideas of the passage
To understand Noun Phrases

SKIMMING
A. Topic of the passage
a. Topic stated at the first sentence :
The Japanese macaque is an
endangered monkey. It inhabits an
area farther north than any other
primate except for humans. The
Japanese call this animal the snow
monkey because it can be found in
the snowy regions of Japan.
Ironically, some troops of
macaques have been relocated in
Texas to ensure their survival.

b. Topic stated at the last sentence :

For thousands of years, desert
dwellers have sheltered themselves
in extremely functional buildings
constructed of one of the most
readily available, dependable, and
inexpensive materials we know of.
This ideal insulator, which absorbs
heat during the day and slowly
releases it at night, is mud.

c. Topic is implied:
The potato is an important food for millions of people.
Destruction of the potato crop by pests has resulted in
famines. Plant researchers have uncovered a hairy
wild variety of potato from Bolivia that emits strong
glue from the end of its hairs. This glue traps and kills
insects. A new hairy potato was developed when
researchers successfully crossed the common potato
with the hairy potato. This new hybrid potato not only
reduces aphid populations by 40 to 60 percent, but
also emits a substance that stops the population of
the Colorado potato beetle, one of the most
destructive potato pests.

The passage is about the developments in the cross breeding of

potatoes.

B. Topic sentence
a. Topic sentence at the beginning:
The life cycle of a virus is in two phases. The
first is extra-cellular. This means that the virus
lives outside the cell. The second is intracellular,
and this means that the virus lives inside the
cell where it produces.

b. Topic sentence in the middle:

Within the animal world, populations change
all the time. Changes in the animal population
depend on many factors. These include the
rate of production of young, and the number
of young that survive through the breeding
stage.
c. Topic sentence at the end:
Doing research on rabies means being in
close contact with the virus and this is very
dangerous. It is also very difficult to grow the
rabies virus sufficiently well. These two
reasons explain why little is known about it.

A topic sentence contains a controlling idea that

needs to be explained, described, illustrated, or
developed in the sentences that follow the topic
sentence.
A topic sentence is not a statement of a fact.
Therefore the following statements of facts cannot be a
topic sentence:

Susilo Bambang Yudoyono is the sixth president of

Indonesia.
Prof. Dr. Ir. Ahmad Ansori Mattjik, MSc is the Rector of
Institut Pertanian Bogor.
The Independence Day of Indonesia is celebrated annually
on the 17th August.

A topic sentence can be a statement of intent or

opinion, or both intent and opinion.

A statement of intent is an objective sentence that tells

the reader what will objectively be explained in the
paragraph that follows.

Examples:
The life cycle of a virus is in two phases.
Changes in the animal population depend on many
factors.
These two reasons explain why little is known about it.

A statement of opinion makes a judgment.

Words like interesting, bad, exciting, best,
terrifying, etc. give the writers subjective
opinion (that is, a personal feeling or belief of
the writer) and the paragraph that follows
will support the writers opinion in the topic
sentence. Study the following examples:

Some drugs are particularly worrisome

because their continued use leads to
addiction.
Television commercials can be very
imaginative.
Learning English at the Self-Access Center is
enjoyable.

C. Controlling ideas

D. Main and supporting

ideas

Sample passage
Plants can be limited in their growth
rates by a variety of factors . Mineral
nutrients may diffuse through the soil
to the roots, and from there, they must
be carried through the body of the
plant. Carbon dioxide must be taken
into the leaves. Sufficient light must
fall upon the plant to cause a rate of
photosynthesis greater than the rate
of consumption of energy by the plant.

Grammar points: Noun

Phrases

A. Form
Noun phrase is a phrase that consists of
a noun plus a modifier; the modifier can
be an adjective, a prepositional phrase,
adjective clause, and another noun

Adjective
Examples: a big house, an extremely
expensive car, easy tasks, complicated
problems

Prepositional phrases
Examples:
a new computer in the classroom, the
man with glasses, the young teacher in
red, the shoes under the table

Relative clauses
Examples:
the people who work in the office
a house which is 100 years old
the bag which I was carrying
the university where you study
the day when I first came to Bogor

 Another noun
Examples:

Computer room
History book
Car park
Table lamp

B. Functions of Noun phrase

a. Subject
Examples:
The explosion of bombs on all sides
made the habitants fear for their lives.
Most fast-food meals which are high in
fat have become an increasing concern.
French and American managers have
decided different management styles
Olympic athletes must be strong both
physically and mentally

b. Noun phrase as an Object

Examples:
Their teacher was explaining the
pronunciation of the English vowels.
Generic research has produced both
exciting and frightening possibilities

Further exercise
Reread all the above paragraphs and
underline the noun phrases that you
find in each paragraph

THANK YOU