If this is the first advice sheet you use, you may also want to look at Improving your reading speed (R4). When you read for main points only, of course, you will increase your reading speed naturally.

It would be easier to locate main points in a reading article if you know what they are. A simple way is look at the title of the article. A good title should be able to summarize the theme of the article. When you read, try to identify all the points related to the theme or the title.

If the title does not tell explicitly what the content or theme is, then try to predict. This leaflet will give you some tips on helping you to locate main points, and the materials that you may use for practice.

Tips on locating main points

• Identify a purpose for your reading.
• List out several points you want to get from the article, and look for those points when you read.
• Look for any signposts in the article. They are hints to let you know whether the nearby text contains important information. When you see signposts such as "in other words", you may automatically skip this part since it is a paraphrase of a previously-mentioned point. Other signposts such as "another important point", "what is important is...", etc. are signals that tell you to read on.
• It's WRONG to assume that the first sentence of each paragraph summarizes the main idea of that paragraph.
• It's also WRONG to assume that each paragraph should contain one main idea. Some paragraphs may contain more than one main point. And in other cases, one main point is expressed in several paragraphs. (See Improving your reading speed R4.)
• Take graphics and layout as hints. Important words may be in bold or larger font size.

What materials can I use for practising?

Inside the SAC:

• "Study reading" pp.44-49.
• "Authentic reading" unit 3.
• "Effective reading" units 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 31, 32, 33, 34, 40, 42 & 44.

Outside the SAC:

• Newspapers
• Magazines
• Lecture notes
• Course readings
• Advertisements
• Newsletters
• E-mail
• Any readings you come across in your daily life

And now...

If you need any further advice:

• see an Adviser, on duty at the SAC Advice Desk (for details of advisers and their availability, please go to http://lc.ust.hk/~sac/sacadviser.html)
• e-mail lcsac (lcsac@ust.hk) with your query;
• ask at the reception counter of the SAC — if the receptionist cannot help you directly, s/he will pass your query on to one of the SAC advisers.

  Good luck and enjoy your learning!

Note
The introductory leaflet in this series is the leaflet How do you become a better reader? (R1)

This advice sheet is part of the Reading series of leaflets supporting independent language learning produced by the HKUST Language Centre SAC team. This leaflet was written by Susanna Ho, 1997. If you copy this leaflet, please acknowledge the source. Thanks.