Big-Idea Nouns: Concept, Principle, Factor, Aspect

Recognize the abstract nouns that textbooks use to organize ideas.

Textbooks organize information with a handful of abstract nouns. A concept is a general idea, such as democracy or gravity. A principle is a basic rule or truth that other ideas rest on, such as the principle that energy cannot be created or destroyed. A factor is one of several things that contribute to a result: 'Rainfall is a factor in crop growth. ' An aspect is one side or part of a larger topic: 'One aspect of city life is noise. ' These words are signposts.

When a chapter says, 'Three factors led to the decline of the trading town', you know to look for exactly three causes. When it says, 'Consider the economic aspect of the decision', you know the author is focusing on money, not other sides of the issue. Recognizing these nouns instantly helps you predict how a section is organized and what kind of information is coming next.

• 1Concept: a general idea. Principle: a basic rule or truth.
• 2Factor: one contributor to a result.
• 3Aspect: one side of a larger topic.