Spotting the Detail That Doesn't Belong

Find sentences that wander off topic and don't support the main idea.

Sometimes a paragraph contains a sentence that is off topic. It might be about the same general subject, but it doesn't support the main idea. Spotting it shows you truly understand the main point. Read: 'Penguins are excellent swimmers. Their bodies are shaped like torpedoes, which helps them glide through water. Their flipper-like wings work as paddles.

Emperor penguin fathers keep eggs warm on their feet. Some penguins can dive more than 500 meters deep. ' The main idea is that penguins are excellent swimmers. The sentence about fathers keeping eggs warm is true and about penguins, but it has nothing to do with swimming. That's the detail that doesn't belong.

A helpful trick: read each sentence and say, 'Does this prove that penguins are excellent swimmers? ' One sentence fails the test.

• 1An off-topic detail doesn't support the main idea.
• 2It may still be about the same general subject.
• 3Test each sentence against the main idea.