Language Arts
Stated Versus Implied
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Sometimes you can figure out the main idea of a passage by pointing to a sentence that states what it is, (stated main idea) but at other times, the author does not directly write out the main idea. It is up to you to infer (to decide something based on evidence from the text - to read between the lines) what the author is saying. The author may imply the meaning by giving you hints. It is a little like being a detective. You have to put two and two together to get four.
An implied main idea is simply a main idea that is not directly stated by the author. You, the reader, have to figure it out. This seems daunting at first, and students do tend to struggle more in identifying implied main ideas, but there are some ideas you should keep in mind. First of all, in many ways, you are an expert at this. You are an expert in understanding the meanings of many of your day-to-day interactions even when they are not directly stated.
If it is harder to figure out the meaning when the main idea is unstated, why would authors not just go ahead and state the main idea of every paragraph that they write? There are several reasons why authors use implied meaning or unstated main ideas.
To hold interest: Imagine reading a book in which each and every paragraph started with the main idea. It would become very boring, very quickly.
To simulate real life: Real life does not hit us on the head with main ideas. Authors mimic real life.
To impact the reader: Sometimes it is more powerful to not say something. Sometimes you will learn more and be more impacted by a passage that does not state what the answer is in the first sentence.
How do we "read between the lines" and understand what the main idea is when it is not directly stated? The answer is fairly simple: you use the same techniques that you used when you looked for the stated main idea.
- Find the topic.
- Sharpen the focus of the topic; look at where the details are pointing you.
- Ask yourself, "What is the author really trying to say here?"
- Use what you know about the world to help you figure out what the author is trying to get across.
- Narrow the focus of the topic, and write out the main idea in a full sentence. Make sure it is broad enough to encompass the entire piece, but focused enough to be about what the author is trying to get across.
Let's look at an example.
When I was a little girl, I took piano lessons every Monday after school. I walked to Mrs. Siever's house with my tattered sheet music in my school lunch-stained hands. She taught me the scales, the proper way to hold my small fingers, and the theme song from The Pink Panther. She also taught me much more. From her I learned the necessity of practice, the importance of patience, and the joy of achieving a goal after hard work. She also gave me the gift of music. All of that was learned in a half hour lesson on Monday afternoons in Hamel, Illinois.
What is the topic of this paragraph?
Let's move on and wrap up this lesson about main ideas with a review and then a check on your learning.
