Chapter 2: Reading at the Sentence Level

The last chapterdiscussed how to let go of the thoughts and beliefs that cause you to lose focus in reading. “A clear and focused mind provides the fertile soil for success in college.” This chapter teaches the steps you need to understand, remember, and apply what you read.

Many students assume that just because they read an assignment, understanding will follow, which is like expecting a stream of random sounds to magically result in music. No matter how much you pat yourself on the back for all the time you put into a college reading assignment, it remains true that reading without understanding is, unfortunately, a waste of time. In fact, reading without understanding is no better than not reading at all, and it takes longer!

The key to understanding what you read starts with the sentence. Without understanding the sentence, you cannot understand the paragraph, and without understanding the paragraph, you cannot understand the essay, or a chapter in a college text, or for that matter anything you read.

Some sentences are not difficult, and as long as you stay focused, as we learned in Chapter 1, you’ll understand these sentences without too much trouble. Other sentences, however, especially in college texts, are more difficult, and understanding these more challenging sentences is what this chapter is about.

No matter how you cut it, there is no shortcut to understanding difficult sentences; you’ll need to slow down and follow a series of steps outlined in this chapter. You could say this is a good news−bad news story. The bad news is that following the steps takes longer and means more work, but the good news is that the more you practice the steps the better you get at them, and the less time and effort they take. At some point in the not-too-distant future, you’ll be reading at about the same speed you do now, but you’ll get significantly better results. How’s that for a good outcome for a little hard work?

Section 1. The Heart and Soul of the Sentence: The Topic and Main Idea.

As with the paragraph and the essay—indeed any reading assignment —the sentence is based on the Topic and Main Idea.

The Topic (also called the Subject) is who or what the sentence is about.

The Main Idea makes a point about, or proves something about, the topic. The Main Idea usually begins with the verb in the sentence.

Readers are pretty good at identifying the Topic of a sentence (who or what the sentence is about), but they have more trouble understanding the Main Idea (what is proved about the topic). However, if you overlook the Main Idea, the sentence loses its meaning, and you lose any chance for understanding. Below are some examples that illustrate how the Topic and Main Idea work together to produce meaning:

(In the example sentences, we’ve underlined the Topic,put the Main Idea in Bold Type, and highlightedthe verb that signals the Main Idea in Green.Background or Supporting information is in Italics. We’ve defined a few of the vocabulary words by highlighting the definition in Gray.)

Type of Main Ideas / Example Sentences
Describes the Topic or Subject
Question that the Main Idea answers about the Topic: / Fiorello La Guardia wasMayor of New York for three terms from 1934 to 1945.
Who wasFiorello La Guardia?
Evaluates the Topic
Question that the Main Idea answers about the Topic: / La Guardia, who appealed across party lines, was very popular in New York during the 1930s.
WasLa Guardiaa popular mayor?
Lets the reader know what happened to the Topic
Question that the Main Idea answers about the Topic: / In 1941 during the second World War, while remaining mayor, hebecame the national Director of Civilian Defense.
What did La Guardiabecome during the second World War?
Communicates what action the Topic performed or completed
Question that the Main Idea answers about the Topic: / La Guardiarevitalized (bring back to life and health) New York City and restored (bring back to an earlier condition) public faith in city government.
What did La Guardiarevitalize and restore?

Fiorello La Guardia Wikipedia

Fiorello Henry La Guardia – 99th Mayor of New York City

YouTube Video of Mayor La Guardia signing a proclamation for a funding drive for the Red Cross in 1938 (Click Here)

It’s a good strategy to use the Topic, which is not so hard, as a guide in finding the Main Ideaby asking a series of questions. For example, you might ask: “What is being said about the Topic?” or “What action is being taken by the Topic?” or “How is the Topic being judged or evaluated.” You’ll find it helpful to frame your question around the verb in the sentence. Here are some examples of the questions you might ask of the Topic to find the Main Idea as you read a sentence:

(In the example sentences, we’ve underlined the Topic,put the Main Idea in Bold, and highlightedthe verb that signals the Main Idea in Green.Background or supporting information is in Italics. We’ve defined a few of the vocabulary words by highlighting the definition in Gray.)

Example Sentences Method to Find the Main Idea

The Civil Warhas several root (basic) causes.

/ The Topic of the sentenceis: The Civil War.
Using the verb in the sentence, ask a question about the Topic to find the Main Idea: What does the Civil Warhave?
The answer is the Main Idea: The Civil Warhas several root causes.

The results show that parents and their teens eating meals together helps to keep conversation strong.

/ The Topic of the sentence is: the results.
Using the verb in the sentence, ask a question about the Topic to find the Main Idea: What do the resultsshow?
The answer is the Main Idea: The resultsshowthat parents and their teens eating meals together helps to keep conversation strong.

The resultssuggest family dinners in a child's early adolescence (teenage years) can set the stage for long-lasting communication.

/ The Topic of the sentence is: The results.
Using the verb in the sentence, ask a question about the Topic to locate the Main Idea: What do the resultssuggest?
The answer is the Main Idea: The resultssuggest family dinners in a child's early adolescence (teenage years)can set the stage for long-lasting communication.

The resultsare basedon surveys of nearly 5,000 middle school students in Chicago public schools.

/ The Topic of the sentence is: The results.
Using the verb in the sentence, ask a question about the Topic to locate the Main Idea: What arethe resultsbased on?
The answer is the Main Idea: The resultsare based on surveys of nearly 5,000 middle school students in Chicago public schools.

The subjectsin the surveywere asked how frequently they ate dinner with their parents.

/ The Topic is: The subjects in the survey.
Using the verb in the sentence, ask a question about the Topic to locate the Main Idea: What werethe subjects in the surveyasked?
The answer is the Main Idea: The subjects in the surveywere asked how frequently they ate dinner with their parents.

Family Dinners Increase Parent-Teen Communication

Rachael Rettner

August 6, 2010

Family Dinner Conversation

Practice 1.In the following sentences, underline the Topic (who or what the sentence is about). Next, highlight the verb that signals the Main Idea in Green. Using Topic and the verb, write down a question you could ask that points you to the Main Idea (what the sentence is saying or proving about the Topic). Finally, put the Main Idea inbold.

Example: Weather satellites have been monitoring global atmospheric temperatures since 1979.

Underline the Topic: Weather satellites

Highlight the verb that signals the Main Idea in Green: have been monitoring

Using the Topic and the verb, write down a question you could ask that points to the Main Idea: What haveweather satellitesbeen monitoring?

The answer is the Main Idea. Put the Main Idea in bold: Weather satelliteshave been monitoring global atmospheric temperatures since 1979.

Thousands of land-based weather stations and ocean buoys monitor temperaturesin every corner of the world.

Underline the Topic:

Highlight the verb that signals the Main Idea in Green:

Using Topic and the verb, write down a question you could ask that points you to the Main Idea:

The answer to the question is the Main Idea. Put the Main Idea in bold:

Temperature records clearly show a warming of the Earth over the past century, with particularly rapid heating over the past few decades.

Underline the Topic:

Highlight the verb that signals the Main Idea in Green:

Using Topic and the verb, write down a question you could ask that points you to the Main Idea:

The answer to the question is the Main Idea. Put the Main Idea in bold:

Atmospheric temperature measurements taken from orbiting satellites also show global warming.

Underline the Topic:

Highlight the verb that signals the Main Idea in Green:

Using Topic and the verb, write down a question you could ask that points you to the Main Idea:

The answer to the question is the Main Idea. Put the Main Idea in bold:

Patterns in the width and density of tree rings also provide year-by-year temperature information.

Underline the Topic:

Highlight the verb that signals the Main Idea in Green:

Using Topic and the verb, write down a question you could ask that points you to the Main Idea:

The answer to the question is the Main Idea. Put the Main Idea in bold:

Scientists have tree ring records from more than 2,000 sites on all inhabited continents.

Underline the Topic:

Highlight the verb that signals the Main Idea in Green:

Using Topic and the verb, write down a question you could ask that points you to the Main Idea:

The answer to the question is the Main Idea. Put the Main Idea in bold:

The tree ring records show that 20th century warming was unusual compared to at least the past 500 years.

Underline the Topic:

Highlight the verb that signals the Main Idea in Green:

Using Topic and the verb, write down a question you could ask that points you to the Main Idea:

The answer to the question is the Main Idea. Put the Main Idea in bold:

Another method of determining temperature change is to drill into glaciers and ice sheets to extract ice samples.

Underline the Topic:

Highlight the verb that signals the Main Idea in Green:

Using Topic and the verb, write down a question you could ask that points you to the Main Idea:

The answer to the question is the Main Idea. Put the Main Idea in bold:

Since the ice was formed from snow that fell over the centuries, the deeper you drill, the farther back in time you are looking.

Underline the Topic:

Highlight the verb that signals the Main Idea in Green:

Using Topic and the verb, write down a question you could ask that points you to the Main Idea:

The answer to the question is the Main Idea. Put the Main Idea in bold:

The chemical composition of the ice correlates very strongly (is closely tied) with temperature.

Underline the Topic:

Highlight the verb that signals the Main Idea in Green:

Using Topic and the verb, write down a question you could ask that points you to the Main Idea:

The answer to the question is the Main Idea. Put the Main Idea in bold:

Ice cores have shown that the current level of greenhouse gases is greater now than at any time during the last 650,000 years.

Underline the Topic:

Highlight the verb that signals the Main Idea in Green:

Using Topic and the verb, write down a question you could ask that points you to the Main Idea:

The answer to the question is the Main Idea. Put the Main Idea in bold:

Environmental Defense Fund

August 2012

A Brief Review:
Your goal in reading is to identify the Topic of the sentence and then, using the verb as a guide, ask questions about the Topic to identify the Main Idea.
The key to success in reading at all levels (the sentence, the paragraph, and the essay) is to interact with the material by asking questions.

Section 2. Steps in understanding the meaning in a sentence.

Before you can identify the Topic and Main Idea, you must first make sure you understand each word and phrase in the sentence. There are two types of words and phrases you’ll need to know: vocabulary and background terms. Let’s take them one step at a time.

Step 1. Vocabulary – understanding the meaning of the words in a sentence.

It’s pretty obvious that sentences are made up of words, but it’s not so obvious—but just as true—that if you do not know the meaning of one or more of the words in a sentence, you stand to miss the meaning of the sentence as well. Students often skip over words they don’t know, assuming they’ll understand enough to get by. This strategy works only if there are not many unknown words, and if the few unknown words are not critical to the meaning of the sentence. However, each unknown word is a trap because you also don’t know how much of the meaning of the sentence is lost, and not knowing the meaning of one sentence leads to not understanding the meaning of sentences that follow. You can find yourself far along the road to confusion in your reading before you’re even aware there’s a problem.

So understanding the meaning of each sentence builds a strong foundation for understanding the meaning of the essay. Without a strong foundation, you’ll find your understanding collapsing like a poorly constructed bridge.

The Collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, November 7, 1940

YouTube Video of the Collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge: (Click Here)

The bottom line: Look up words you don’t know the meaning of. There are some good on-line dictionaries you can use that are a big help and do not take much time:

You may be surprised, but the quickest way to look up a word is Google. To use the Google dictionary, click on the link to Google: ( and type “define […the word you want to look up…],” and Google will give you a short definition. For example, say you want to look up embellish. Click on the link to Google: ( and type “define embellish.”

define embellish

Google SearchI’m feeling lucky

When you press the Enter key, you’ll get the follow short definition:

em·bel·lish/emˈbeliSH/

Verb: /

Make (something) more attractive by the addition of decorative details or features: "blue silk embellished with golden embroidery."
Make (a statement or story) more interesting or entertaining by adding extra details, esp. ones that are not true.

So you can embellish (make more attractive or interesting) a dress or a story.

If you want to go further in understanding a word, there are several online dictionaries you can use.

M-W.com:

Dictionary.com:

Webster's Dictionary of the English Language, 1830–1840
/ An 1888 advertisement for Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary.

Step 2. Background Wordsand Phrases —The Cultural-Historical Context.

In addition to vocabulary, there’s a second set of words and phrases that you need to know if you are to understand the sentence, and that’s the social, political, and historical context of the writer’s words and phrases. In some cases, you’ll need to use Google or Wikipedia to look these words and phrases up, but other times, the writer will actually interrupt the sentence to give you this background information herself. For example:

Sir Laurence Olivier, the most famous Shakespearean actor of the 20th Century, who starred in a number of Hollywood movies, suffered from such bad stage fright (afraid of being in front of an audience)that for several years he was too afraid to appear on stage.

The Topic of this sentence is Sir Laurence Olivier, and to find the Main Idea use the verb to ask the question: What did Sir Laurence Oliviersuffer from? The answer is that he suffered from stage fright.Notice, however, the writer uses the middle part of the sentence to provide background information about Laurence Olivier: He was the most famous Shakespearean actor of the 20th Century, who starred in a number of Hollywood movies. If you don’t know about Laurence Olivier’s worldwide success in acting, then an important piece of the puzzle in understanding the meaning of the sentence is lost.

When writers interrupt a sentence to provide background information, it makes it easier on you, the reader. The problem comes when writers assume you know important background information, when you actually don’t.