80
Finding the main idea; reading and retelling a text
Textbook: pp. 141–142
GoalDetermine the main idea of a text; read and retell it.
New words
main idea · asosiy fikrplan · rejaretelling · qayta hikoyatopic · mavzu
Explanation
Every text has a main idea that the author wants to convey. To find it we look at the title, the content of each part and the final conclusion. Before retelling a text it helps to make a plan: the plan points remind us of the order of events. In a retelling the content is kept, but the sentences are put in our own words. The main idea is often given at the beginning or the end of the text.
Worked examples
The main idea of the text “Labour is a blessing”: work brings good results.
Plan: 1) Spring came. 2) The farmer sowed crops. 3) The harvest ripened.
Class activity
Part-by-part retelling: pupils in turn retell one plan point each in their own words.
Practice
1
What do we pay attention to in finding a text's main idea?
The title, the content of the parts and the final conclusion.
2
What is a plan needed for?
It reminds us of the order of events.
3
What do we keep and what do we change in a retelling?
We keep the content and put the sentences in our own words.
4
Why is memorising a text word for word not retelling?
Because in retelling the sentences are put in one's own words.