20 Understanding main ideas and supporting details Using paraphrase Writers want to make their texts clear and easy for the reader to understand. They do this by adding details to support or explain the main idea of what they say. They also use paraphrase to explain what they mean and to avoid repeating the same words. Paraphrase is when you say something using different words. Look at the sentences below. Decide which sentence expresses a ‘main idea’ and which expresses a ‘supporting detail’. Write MI or SD. 1 Tough new punishments for teenagers who break the law will start next month. 2 For instance, citizens there are fined for dropping even a small amount of rubbish on the ground. 3 There has been a huge rise in the number of students cheating during exams. 4 Just yesterday he was told off for having a bad attitude in maths class. 5 Singapore has some strict laws. 6 More than half of the students we spoke to admitted using their phones to do this. 7 They can go to jail for a minimum of six months for driving offences, such as driving without a licence. 8 Joey is regularly in trouble at school for breaking the rules. There are four pairs of main ideas and supporting details in exercise 1. Match them. 1 2 Match each statement from Box A with its paraphrase from Box B. 3 1 This year the rules about what students can and can’t wear at school have changed. 2 Students must keep their phones turned off at all times when they’re on the school premises. 3 While they’re on school trips, students are obliged to wear uniforms. 4 Students are not supposed to use their phones while they’re doing the English test. 5 Students have been banned from entering certain rooms without a teacher. A a Students are not allowed to turn their mobiles on when they’re at school. b Students shouldn’t use their phones during the exam. c Students are not permitted to go into some classrooms on their own. d Students face new regulations regarding uniforms when they return to school in September. e Students must wear their uniforms while they’re on educational school visits to places like museums. B Rules, laws and regulations | Key Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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