Reading about time with friends: main idea and vocabulary
The main idea is what the whole text is about, in one sentence. The supporting details are the facts and examples that prove it. A good way to find the main idea is to read the first and last sentences of each paragraph, then ask what all the paragraphs have in common. To match a word to its meaning, find the word in the sentence and ask what the sentence needs there. For the book’s passage on pages 90 and 91, make a small map in your notebook: one box for the main idea and three boxes for the details. Writing (page 92): the book’s essay asks for 180 to 200 words; ours is a guided paragraph of 70 to 90 words (up to 120 if you can). Use the title “Why it is good to be sociable” and the frame: one reason, one example, one balance (but sometimes alone is fine), one closing sentence.
| Part of the article | Sentence | Role |
|---|---|---|
| first lines | even fifteen minutes with friends can help | main idea |
| middle | six friends walk round the yard every Thursday | detail |
| middle | they compromise and take turns to choose | detail |
| last lines | some days a quiet hour alone is better | balance |
Many students have a packed week: lessons, homework, clubs and chores. When everything feels overwhelming, even fifteen minutes with friends can help. In our school walking club, six friends walk round the yard for fifteen minutes every Thursday. The walk is simple entertainment: they tell jokes, share stories and notice small things such as a new flower. It is also practice in interaction, because they must listen as well as speak. When they cannot agree on the route, they compromise and take turns to choose. A supportive friend notices when someone is quiet and asks, in a kind voice, if everything is fine. The students say that they return to class calmer and ready to work. A walk cannot solve every problem, and some days a quiet hour alone is better. But a regular time with friends gives the week a bright spot.
Write a guided paragraph of 70 to 90 words (up to 120) with the title “Why it is good to be sociable”. Use the frame: one reason, one example from your life, one balancing sentence and one closing sentence. Use at least three of the new words.