We saw that writers put
ideas in paragraphs. We then look for patterns of information
in the paragraph to understand the idea. Yeah... it sounds easy, doesn't it?... But how many times do we get to the end of a paragraph and still don't know
what the main idea is?! It's very frustrating! Hey... stick around and let's look at how you can use the details
in the paragraph to understand the main idea much faster. [♫] [snap] [♫] Hi! Welcome back to
Snap Language. Marc Franco here. Main ideas and supporting details... [sigh] When we read in "real life," those can be a problem... Maybe we're focusing on the wrong thing... So, why don't we try something different? If we understand the writing process and understand the paragraph first, we'll know what to look for
when we read. Let's see what I'd do as a writer. In a very simplified way, the writing process goes like this: I have a topic and an idea about that topic. (That's the main idea I want to communicate to you, the reader.) I encode the idea, which means I organize into a paragraph the thoughts that, together, convey that idea to you. Those are the details that support my main thought or my main idea. I have an idea here. The topic is "public health." Many people confuse public health and clinical medicine. So, my idea is to explain what public health is by comparing it
with clinical medicine. Okay, what I need now are details that support the idea that public health is different
from clinical medicine. One major detail is that public health focuses on the community, but clinical medicine focuses
on the person. The other major difference is public health tries to prevent illnesses, but clinical medicine treats people who are already sick. Now I have all the ingredients
for my paragraph. When you put these ideas together, they'll support the idea that there are two main differences between public health
and clinical medicine. [Clinical medicine is concerned with treating a person who
has become ill.] But... this is about clinical medicine! What about public health!? [Public health, on the other hand,
is concerned with protecting and improving the health of an entire community.] Oh, okay. Here's some information about clinical medicine first; "on the other hand" is a transition that shows how that information
contrasts with public health. But there's more... [Moreover, because public health
treats the community before people get ill,
it is preventive.] Great! Public health is preventive. From that, you infer
clinical medicine is not... it treats people after they get sick. You know that a good writer organizes an idea
into a paragraph. So, when you read, look for that organization, and let the details guide you. In another video, we learned that a paragraph always
has a main idea, but it may or may not be stated in a main idea sentence. Mmm... I don't see one here. But what's implied here is that [Public health differs from clinical medicine in
two main ways.] Oh... now, there it is! Now we have a main idea sentence! (Even though you didn't
really need one because the paragraph was clear enough.) How about this one? [These are the two main differences between public health and clinical medicine.] Yes! That works, too! But wait a minute!... I still have to re-read paragraphs all the time to see these patterns
of information. How do you stop that
from happening? Rereading is part of
the reading process. You can make it easier on yourself if you focus on understanding
what you're reading. Let the details guide you and, eventually, the main idea that the writer wants you
to understand just... clicks. It also takes practice. The more you read, the more fluent
your reading becomes, and the better you become
at finding these patterns. Then, you don't have to
reread as often. Speaking of practice, look at this paragraph. [Type 2 diabetes is
the most common form of this illness. In Type 2 diabetes, the body cannot produce or use insulin effectively. The risk of Type 2 diabetes increases with age. Genetics and lifestyle
also play a role. However, the exact causes of Type 2 diabetes are not fully understood.] Examine the details in this paragraph. The details support a main idea. What is this main idea? Pause the video and think about it... This first sentence tells you that Type 2 diabetes is the most common. Is the paragraph about
how common it is? Not really. You see in the next sentence that the author explains what causes this type
of diabetes. The next two sentences explain two other causes. Finally, the writer explains that the exact causes are not fully understood. Well, do you see the pattern? Cause... cause... cause...... The details tell you the main message
from the writer is that Type 2 diabetes has several possible causes. In fact, that could be stated right... here... So, when you read, don't forget that reading is about understanding what the writer wants you to understand. The writer has an idea. The writer encodes
that idea in writing. You decode the message so the idea is transferred from the writer's head... into your head. Is that cool or what? When you read to
understand the content, look at the details the author used. Look at how the ideas
are organized in the paragraph. Look for patterns of information. What do the ideas have in common? What is the idea that the author is supporting with those details? Using the details, the idea will eventually pop out of the page. That means you understand what you're reading. Focus on understanding and learning the content as opposed to "finding that one main idea sentence" in the paragraph that may not even be there... The most important thing is to understand the message... Do you read to learn the content? Why do you think sometimes we get so focused on things that don't matter? Do you build a mental picture of the ideas the writer expresses? This takes practice, so get out there and read a lot! Read different subjects... read different types
of publications. Notice how you're reading... and maybe try a different approach... And please support Snap Language. Like this video... Subscribe to the channel. Subscribers help the channel grow so we can continue producing more videos to help more people out there get smarter through language. And until the next time, thanks for stopping by and watching this video. [♫]
