Reading Skills Section 2

Seite 1

An essay is a common type of writing. A standard essay consists of an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

In the first paragraph, the introduction, an author presents the main idea of the essay. This paragraph, which tells readers what they're going to read about, is designed to grab their attention.

The body of an essay follows the introduction. Paragraphs in the body of the essay are made up of a variety of supporting details to prove the main idea. These details include elements such as statistics, stories, research studies, quotations, and whatever else the author wants to use to support his or her main idea.

An essay ends with the conclusion, the author summarizes what he or she has demonstrated or discussed in the essay.

Here's the simple way to remember the makeup of an essay:

Introduction: Tell your readers what you're going to tell them.

Body: Tell them.

Conclusion: Tell them what you told them.

Articles in newspapers and magazines are broken up into paragraphs. A paragraph is a group of sentences that relate to a central or main topic. The statement within a paragraph that provides that central idea is called a topic sentence. The other sentences provide details about the topic. Details are small facts that present information about a topic. While all paragraphs have a main topic, not all of them have clear or obvious topic sentences. Some don't have a topic sentence at all. Instead, as a reader, you must read the entire paragraph and determine what it's about. The main idea is what the entire piece is about. The topic sentence is the statement in each paragraph that tells you what will be discussed in that particular paragraph. The topic sentences should always support the overall main idea.

The first line of a paragraph indented to show that a new paragraph is beginning. Paragraphs aren't always indented. Instead of indenting each paragraph, the author has added an extra line of space between them. This is known as block style. It's important to know which style you've been instructed to use for each assignment. The simplest way to indent a paragraph is with the Tab key on your keyboard. When you wish to begin a new paragraph, hit the Enter or Return key to finish the current one. Then, before adding any more text, press the Tab key will automatically indent your new paragraph. Remember: a topic sentence describes the main idea of a particular paragraph. All of your topic sentences contribute toward the main idea of your essay.

Sometimes the topic sentence is the first sentence in a paragraph. When the topic sentence is at the beginning of a paragraph, it's usually easy to identify. A topic sentence may also occur in the middle of a paragraph When a topic sentence appears in the middle of a paragraph, it often separates two kinds of details. The first sentences serve as the introduction. They're meant to get the readers' interest so that readers are more likely to keep reading. After these introductory sentences comes the topic sentence After the topic sentence, you find the details. Placing the topic sentence in the middle of a paragraph is the least common method for locating the topic. Sometimes the topic sentence is placed at the end of a paragraph. In such cases, the writer wants to build up the main idea. Th final sentence---the topic sentence---tells you why the writer wrote all of the other sentences.

Each piece of writing should have a main idea, but that doesn't mean that every paragraph is going to have a topic sentence. In the paragraphs you've studied so far in this lesson, the topic sentences have changed position within their paragraphs, but they have always been clear, or stated. An idea is stated when the writer says specifically what he or she means. An idea is implied when the writer hints at what he or she means. In other paragraphs, the topic sentences may be implied. That is, they aren't stated outright. When you read a paragraph that contains no topic sentence, you must infer what the topic is. To infer, or to make an inference, means to derive a conclusion from facts. When you see smoke you can infer that there's a fire. When the sky is clear with no clouds, you can infer that it's not going to rain.

Key points:

A standard essay consists of an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.

A paragraph is a group of sentences that relate to a central or a main topic.

A topic sentence is a statement that presents the main idea of a paragraph.

The first line of a paragraph can be indented to indicate that a new paragraph is beginning.

A topic sentence can be placed at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a paragraph.

An idea stated when the writer says specifically what he or she means. An idea is implied when the writer hints at what he or she means.

Seite 2

In this assignment, you'll begin to look for the supporting details in paragraphs. Supporting details are bits of information that elaborate on the main topic and make reading far more interesting. Each sentence in you paragraph should add supporting details to your description. In addition to describing something, you might want to outline how to make something or explain or argue for your point of view on an issue.Each one of these papers has a different purpose and needs different support.

Depending on the purpose of a paragraph, supporting details may serve different functions. Here are three examples:

Details can describe something/someone

Details can explain how to do or make something.

Details can explain or support a point of view or opinion about topic.

Supporting ideas tell the reader about the main idea of the paragraph.

Before you accept what any writer has to say, you should question the ideas to see if they're facts. Writers should support their details with evidence. In a good argument, the main kind of supporting idea should be evidence based on facts, rather than opinions or guesses. A fact is information that can be provided to be either true or false. An opinion is simply what someone believes or thinks. An opinion can't be proved. If you read anything that's intended to prove an idea, you should think about the supporting ideas. Sometimes it takes a lot of research and reading to find out. One way to get a clue about an argument meant to prove something is to consider the source. Quite often, authors can be biased and tend to present only one side of an argument, or they may manipulate facts to better support their point of view. Whenever you're reading material about a controversial topic, look closely to see who wrote it and how his or her background might affect the argument. In reading and writing source is the person or group making a claim or statement. That is, a source is the person or group supplying information.

Key points:

Supporting details are bits of information that clarify the main point of a paragraph.

Supporting details can describe , explain how to do or make something, or support a point of view or opinion.

A fact is information that can be proved to be either true or false. An opinion is simply what someone believes or thinks. An opinion can't be proved.

In any written material, a source is the person or group supplying information.

Seite 3

Ideas in sentences that form a paragraph are easier to read if they're organized---that is, is they're arranged in a certain way to make them easier to read and understand. A general idea is one that can be applied to other more specific ideas. The order in which events are presented in a paragraph is important. Readers need to know what happens first, second, and so on. The organization of sentences in a paragraph makes a difference for readers. Here are three ways in which readers benefit from organized paragraphs:

They can make comparisons and contrasts. (To contrast two things means to show how they're different, while to compare means to show how they're the same or similar.)

The readers can see the time order of events.

The readers can see how one thing causes another thing to happen.

A comparison is a method used to show how things are alike. To compare things is to show how they're alike. To contrast things is to show how they're different. Writers often use clue words when they compare or contrast.

Clues for Comparing:

Alike

Also

And

Both

Like

Similar

Too

Clues for Contrasting:

But

Different

However

Instead of

Less

On the other hand

Less like (or) more like

No matter what topic you write about, you should generally support your main idea with examples. Another way that writers explain ideas is by providing explanations, which provide information on why and how. Writers add explanations to make their writing clearer and to give more complete information to their readers. As you read, ask yourself questions and then look for explanations.

Key points:

The order in which events are presented in a paragraph is important. Readers need to know what happens first, second, and so on.

Paragraphs that compare show how things are the same; paragraphs that contrast show how things are different.

Paragraphs that explain something can use examples, explanations, or both.

Seite 4

Sentences need to be arranged a logical order, or sequence. Otherwise, readers may become confused and may not even understand the main point of what they're reading. One way to organize your writing is through chronological order, which arranges sentences or ideas in the order in which they occurred. When a paragraph is arranged in clear chronological order, readers should have no problem understanding how and when events occurred. In some paragraphs, the logical order of sentences show time order in a different way. The writer combined both time orders to make the paragraph more interesting.

A cause is something that makes something else happen. The effect is the thing that happens as a result of a cause. In other words, an effect is the result or outcome of some cause. A cause is why something happens. An effect is what happens. Cause and effect is a common method that authors use to organize their writing. The purpose of many cause and effect texts is often to explain why something happened. Often, writers organize a paragraph to show that one thing caused something else.

Certain clue words help to identify cause and effect writing. When you're reading, look for these words; when you're writing, use them to help guide your readers through your paragraphs. The clue words for cause and effect include if, because, since, then, when, so, cause, depend, produce, reason, result, result from, soon, therefore, for that reason, effect, consequently, as soon as, and as a result. Some of the words and phrases are at the beginning of the sentences, while others are in the middle. Certain writing will also suggest an indirect cause---that is, a cause that produces and effect, which in turn causes another effect. In the real world, many causes create effects that become causes in a very long chain of causes and effects.

Key points:

Paragraphs can be organized in chronological order---that is, in the order in which events occurred.

Paragraphs can be organized to illustrate how one thing (a cause) causes another (an effect).

Clue words can help readers understand the approach a writer is taking.