7.1 Central Idea and Text Structure

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Notes

The central idea is the main point of an informational text. Text structure is how the author organizes information to develop it.

An objective summary states the central idea and key supporting points in your own words, without opinions.
Common structures: chronological, cause and effect, problem and solution, compare and contrast, description.
Signal words help: as a result, therefore (cause/effect); however, similarly (compare/contrast); one solution (problem/solution).
Authors often refine the central idea over the text, so check the introduction and conclusion.

An article explains that rising sea temperatures bleach coral, which then causes fish populations to fall. Its structure is mainly:

Which sentence belongs in an objective summary?

A text describes water shortages in a region and then proposes three ways to conserve water. Its structure is: