Are the terms topic sentence and implied main idea adequate to the task of describing paragraphs?
At the moment, my answer to this question would be no. Yes, there are lots of paragraphs that sum up the main idea in a single sentence or else strongly suggest an idea not explicitly put forth by the author. Still there are also a good many that–to my mind at least–dont neatly fit the two terms commonly used to talk about main ideas in paragraphs. Heres an example: Most Americans are accustomed to thinking of lie detectors as foolproof machines that can, without error, neatly separate the guilty from the innocent. But, in fact, these machines can and do make mistakes. For one thing, the people in charge of lie detectors are not necessarily experts, and many states do not employ licensed examiners trained to read and interpret the lie detectors printout. In addition, some subjects react to a lie detector test by becoming anxious. As a result their bodies behave as if they were lying–even when they are telling the truth. Then, too, some subjects are smart enough to use relaxation tec
At the moment, my answer to this question would be no. Yes, there are lots of paragraphs that sum up the main idea in a single sentence or else strongly suggest an idea not explicitly put forth by the author. Still there are also a good many that–to my mind at least–dont neatly fit the two terms commonly used to talk about main ideas in paragraphs. Heres an example: Most Americans are accustomed to thinking of lie detectors as foolproof machines that can, without error, neatly separate the guilty from the innocent. But, in fact, these machines can and do make mistakes. For one thing, the people in charge of lie detectors are not necessarily experts, and many states do not employ licensed examiners trained to read and interpret the lie detectors printout. In addition, some subjects react to a lie detector test by becoming anxious. As a result their bodies behave as if they were lying–even when they are telling the truth. Then, too, some subjects are smart enough to use relaxation tec
