Main Point in Illustration

In illustration, the main point is the message you want your readers to receive and understand. To help you discover your main point, complete the following sentence:

MAIN POINT IN ILLUSTRATION What I want readers to know about this topic is . . .

IDEA JOURNAL Give some examples of things that annoy you.

The topic sentence (in a paragraph) or thesis statement (in an essay) usually includes the topic and the main point the writer wants to make about the topic. Let’s look at a topic sentence first.

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Remember that a thesis statement for an essay can be a little broader than a paragraph topic.

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TIP Sometimes, the same main point can be used for a paragraph and an essay, but the essay must develop this point in more detail. (See pp. 69–70.)

Whereas the topic sentence is focused on just home health aides, the thesis statement considers elder-care careers in general.

PRACTICE 1 Making a Main Point

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Each of the items in this practice is a narrowed topic. Think about each of them, and in the space provided, write a main point about each topic.

EXAMPLE: The words to songs I like image
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  1. A few moments alone ____________________________________
  2. A course I am taking _____________________________________
  3. The busiest time at work _________________________________
  4. Being a parent of a newborn baby __________________________
  5. Working with other people _________________________________