IX Topik dan Pokok Pikiran Paragraf
TOPIK DAN POKOK PIKIRAN SUATU PARAGRAF
A. CIRI KHAS PERTANYAAN
1. What is paragraph 1 about?
2. What does paragraph (3) tell you about?
3. What is the (third) paragraph of the text about?
4. What is the main idea of paragraph (2)?
5. What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
6. Paragraph (4) tells you about … .
7. The (fourth) paragraph is about … .
B. Topik paragraph
Topik paragraph menceritakan Anda suatu paragraph itu
berisi tentang apa. Dalam menentukan topik ini ingat
jangan memilih topiK yang terlalu khusus atau terlalu
umum.
Contoh:
Read the text and answer the question given.
The food in Mexico sometimes surprises tourists. it can be
very spicy! Mexican cooks use a special kind of pepper.
This pepper is so spicy that it almost burns your mouth.
But most people start to like the spices after a while. They
learn to like Mexican food very much.
What is the above paragraph about?
a. Mexican cooks
b. Mexican food
c. Spicy food
d. Food
Jawaban:
C. LATIHAN TOPIK PARAGRAF
Read the text and answer the question given.
Large forests are important to us in many ways. they give
us wood for building and heating. They are a home for
many kinds of plants and animals. And for many city
people, forests are a place to go for a vacation. People can
learn about nature there. They can breathe fresh air and
sleep in a quiet place. But there is one more reason why
forests are important for everyone. The leaves on the
trees in a forest help clean the air. Dirty air is a problem in
many parts of the world. Without our forests this problem
might be much worse.
Question:
What does the above paragraph tell you about?
D. POKOK PIKIRAN SUATU PARAGRAF
Pokok pikiran atau pikiran utama suatu paragraph
menceritakan kita lebih banyak tentang suatu topic
paragraph. Pikiran utama ini sebenarnya menceritakan ide
si penulis tentang topic paragraph tersebut. Biasanya ide
ini dinyatakan dalam bentuk kalimat utama.
Misal topic paragraph : Elephants
Maka ide penulis atau kalimat utamnya bisa berupa
misalnya:
a. Elephants live in Africa and Asia.
b. Elephants can cause serious problems for farmers.
c. Elephants are killed for their skin and their ivory tasks.
selanjutnya penulis memberikan ide pendukung atau
kalimat-kalimat penjelasnya.
Read the text and answer the question given.
Diamonds are very expensive for several reasons. First,
they are difficult to find. They are only found in a few
places in the world. Second, they are useful. People use
diamonds to cut other stones. Third, diamonds do not
change. They stay the same for millions of years. And
finally, they are very beautiful.
Questions:
What is the above paragraph about?
What is the main idea of the above paragraph?
E. TEMPAT POKOK PIKIRAN ATAU TOPIC IDEA DALAM
PARAGRAF
1. Pokok pikiran dapat dijumpai pada kalimat pertama.
Biasanya kalimatnya berupa: summary sentence,
introductory sentence, brief definition, atau statement
to be explained.
Contoh:
a. Introductory sentence
Example
There are many kids of pollution. One kind is air
pollution. This usually is a problem over cities. Water
pollution is another problem. It is found in rivers,
lakes, and oceans. Also, pollution of the earth is
sometimes a problem near farms. And finally, there is
even noise pollution, especially in crowded cities.
1. What is the text about?
2. What is the main idea of the above paragraph?
b. Brief definition
Example
Ozone is an unusually active form of oxygen
produced by the discharge of electricity in the air.
The fresh, pungent odor of the air after a
thunderstorm is partly due to the presence of ozone
produced in the air by lighting. The slightly irritating
odor near x rays and other high-voltage machine is
also due to the presence of ozone.
1. What does the above paragraph tell you about?
2. What is the main idea of the paragraph?
c. Summary sentence
Example
Certainly money should not be your chief aim in life.
But you ought not to despise it, for it can help you
and your family obtains many of good things of life. It
can buy an adequate diet, one of the bases of good
health. When necessary, it can provide medicine and
medical care. It can be the means for a comfortable
house, for travel, for good books and for hobbies and
recreation. It can make it easier for your children to
secure an education. Finally, it can offer a great
opportunity for you to help others.
1. What is the topic of the paragraph above?
2. What is the main idea of the above paragraph?
d. Statement to be explained
Example
Computer language can be funny at times. For
example, we say computers have a memory. We
know they do not really remember or think. But we
still say memory. Also, on many computer programs
there is a menu. Of course, we are not talking about
restaurants or food. This is a different kind of menu.
Another funny example is the mouse in some
computers. it is hard not to think about a real mouse
when you hear the word. But do not worry: there are
no little gray animals in the machine.
1. What is the topic of the paragraph above?
2. What is the main idea of the above paragraph?
2. Pokok pikiran dapat juga dijumpai di akhir kalimat.
Jika kita tidak menjumpai pokok pikiran di kalimat awal,
maka tempat untuk mengetahui selanjutnya adalah mungkin
di akhir paragraph. Pokok pikiran seperti ini biasanya berupa
pengulangan dari kalimat pertama yang dinyatakan secara
persis atau berbeda dengan kalimat yang pertama tersebut.
Example
The chemist is essential in our life today. Aviation uses
lightweight aluminum, magnesium, high-octane gasoline – all
processed or created by chemist. The automotive industry
uses plastics, improved gasoline and oils, improved rubber
and other creations or discovery of the chemist. Farming
depends on the chemist for many fertilizers and insecticides.
Medicine has received the miracle drugs and synthetic
vitamins from the chemist. Indeed, the chemist today is
irreplaceable.
1. What is the text about?
2. What is the main idea of the above paragraph?
3 Pokok pikiran dapat juga ditemukan dikalimat kedua.
Bila hal ini terjadi mungkin kalimat pertama masih mengacu
pada sesuatu pada paragraph sebelumnya. Kalimat ini
mungkin memberi idea yang menkualifikasi atau
mengontraskan. Penting diperhatikan pokok pikiran dikalimat
kedua ini sering ditandai dengan pemakaian kata ganti yang
merujuk pada kata tertentu dalam kalimat pertamanya.
Example
Certainly money should not be your chief aim in life. But you
ought not to despise it, for it can help you and your family
obtain many of good things of life. It can buy an adequate
diet, one of the bases of good health. When necessary, it can
provide medicine and medical care. It can be the means for a
comfortable house, for travel, for good books and for hobbies
and recreation. It can make it easier for your children to
secure an education. Finally, it can offer a great opportunity
for you to help others.
1. What is the paragraph about?
2. What is the main idea of the paragraph?
4 Pokok pikiran bisa jumpa dijumpai pada kalimat pertama dan
kedua yang disatukan.
Example
You may question whether a poor mark in chemistry, for
example, will look bad to the future employer who is
considering you for a sales position. It will. Or at least it will
throw some doubt into his mind. He will reason something
like this: “He (you) was given a job to do, but he didn’t give
that job a good effort. I wonder if he will postpone calling on
a tough customer until a worker from other company has
clinched the sale”.
1. What is the text about?
2. What is the main idea of the above paragraph?
5 Pokok pikiran dapat juga tidak dinyatakan secara jelas dalam
paragraf. Namun demikian penulis memberikan kalimatkalimat penjelasnya. Dalam situasi ini pembaca diminta
menyimpulkannya sendiri.
Example
The 1989 Census Report tells us that in 1987, of all men
25 years and older, those who completed eight years of
grade school received a median income of $2533. Those
with four years of high school received a median wage of
3258. Those who stuck out four years of college received a
median wage of $4407
1. What is the text about?
2. What is the main idea of the above paragraph?
6 Pokok pikiran bisa juga ditemukan di kalimat yang mana
saja pada suatu paragraph. Setiap kalimat pada paragraph
ini mungkin sebagai pokok pikiran. Kalaimat yang mana saja
dimanapun ia ditempatkan yang menceritakan tentang topik
paragraf, maka ia menjadi pikiran utama dari paragraph
tersebut.
Example
(1) The widespread illusion on this subject (working
one’s way through college) is due to several
misconceptions. (2) The first of these is the popular
idea that the great objective is to get through college.
(3) Getting through college is of no value whatsoever.
(4) Many men have gotten through college who would
be better off if they had never seen a college. (5) So
would society. (6) Which is to say that there are no
many ways of getting through college and some of
them mean nothing. (7) What counts is what a man
gets out of college as he gets through. (8) If he gets
what he should, he will be immediately enriched and
society will be blessed by his ability and his service. (9)
But if he does not get these proper values, he has
nothing. (10) The fact, therefore, that a man earned his
through college means nothing unless the man got
something as he went through. (11) Many of the
earning men get little or nothing. (12) In one case play
interferes with education. (14) In the other, menial,
driving, all absorbing remunerative work does the
same.
1. What is the text about?
2. What is the main idea of the paragraph above?
7 Pokok pikiran ada juga yang terletak di luar paragraph.
Adanya bisa di paragraph yang mendahuluinya atau yang
datang sesudahnya. Model seperti ini biasanya terjadi jika
suatu paragraph merupakan bagian dari unit yang lebih
besar.
Example
You must never forget, though, that it takes a lot of
hard work to become a god lawyer.
A boy must first spend at least five years in college in
some states fear. And he must get high grades or he won’t
be accepted by an accredited law school. If he is admitted
to law school, he next must put in three years of still more
intensive effort in order to win the cherished degree of
Bachelor of Laws.
Even then his hard work in not done.
He has to pass the bar. This is an examination given by
the various states to determine whether a man has a
thorough knowledge and understanding of law.
Questions:
1.
2.
What is the text about?
What is the main idea of the paragraphs.
A. CIRI KHAS PERTANYAAN
1. What is paragraph 1 about?
2. What does paragraph (3) tell you about?
3. What is the (third) paragraph of the text about?
4. What is the main idea of paragraph (2)?
5. What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
6. Paragraph (4) tells you about … .
7. The (fourth) paragraph is about … .
B. Topik paragraph
Topik paragraph menceritakan Anda suatu paragraph itu
berisi tentang apa. Dalam menentukan topik ini ingat
jangan memilih topiK yang terlalu khusus atau terlalu
umum.
Contoh:
Read the text and answer the question given.
The food in Mexico sometimes surprises tourists. it can be
very spicy! Mexican cooks use a special kind of pepper.
This pepper is so spicy that it almost burns your mouth.
But most people start to like the spices after a while. They
learn to like Mexican food very much.
What is the above paragraph about?
a. Mexican cooks
b. Mexican food
c. Spicy food
d. Food
Jawaban:
C. LATIHAN TOPIK PARAGRAF
Read the text and answer the question given.
Large forests are important to us in many ways. they give
us wood for building and heating. They are a home for
many kinds of plants and animals. And for many city
people, forests are a place to go for a vacation. People can
learn about nature there. They can breathe fresh air and
sleep in a quiet place. But there is one more reason why
forests are important for everyone. The leaves on the
trees in a forest help clean the air. Dirty air is a problem in
many parts of the world. Without our forests this problem
might be much worse.
Question:
What does the above paragraph tell you about?
D. POKOK PIKIRAN SUATU PARAGRAF
Pokok pikiran atau pikiran utama suatu paragraph
menceritakan kita lebih banyak tentang suatu topic
paragraph. Pikiran utama ini sebenarnya menceritakan ide
si penulis tentang topic paragraph tersebut. Biasanya ide
ini dinyatakan dalam bentuk kalimat utama.
Misal topic paragraph : Elephants
Maka ide penulis atau kalimat utamnya bisa berupa
misalnya:
a. Elephants live in Africa and Asia.
b. Elephants can cause serious problems for farmers.
c. Elephants are killed for their skin and their ivory tasks.
selanjutnya penulis memberikan ide pendukung atau
kalimat-kalimat penjelasnya.
Read the text and answer the question given.
Diamonds are very expensive for several reasons. First,
they are difficult to find. They are only found in a few
places in the world. Second, they are useful. People use
diamonds to cut other stones. Third, diamonds do not
change. They stay the same for millions of years. And
finally, they are very beautiful.
Questions:
What is the above paragraph about?
What is the main idea of the above paragraph?
E. TEMPAT POKOK PIKIRAN ATAU TOPIC IDEA DALAM
PARAGRAF
1. Pokok pikiran dapat dijumpai pada kalimat pertama.
Biasanya kalimatnya berupa: summary sentence,
introductory sentence, brief definition, atau statement
to be explained.
Contoh:
a. Introductory sentence
Example
There are many kids of pollution. One kind is air
pollution. This usually is a problem over cities. Water
pollution is another problem. It is found in rivers,
lakes, and oceans. Also, pollution of the earth is
sometimes a problem near farms. And finally, there is
even noise pollution, especially in crowded cities.
1. What is the text about?
2. What is the main idea of the above paragraph?
b. Brief definition
Example
Ozone is an unusually active form of oxygen
produced by the discharge of electricity in the air.
The fresh, pungent odor of the air after a
thunderstorm is partly due to the presence of ozone
produced in the air by lighting. The slightly irritating
odor near x rays and other high-voltage machine is
also due to the presence of ozone.
1. What does the above paragraph tell you about?
2. What is the main idea of the paragraph?
c. Summary sentence
Example
Certainly money should not be your chief aim in life.
But you ought not to despise it, for it can help you
and your family obtains many of good things of life. It
can buy an adequate diet, one of the bases of good
health. When necessary, it can provide medicine and
medical care. It can be the means for a comfortable
house, for travel, for good books and for hobbies and
recreation. It can make it easier for your children to
secure an education. Finally, it can offer a great
opportunity for you to help others.
1. What is the topic of the paragraph above?
2. What is the main idea of the above paragraph?
d. Statement to be explained
Example
Computer language can be funny at times. For
example, we say computers have a memory. We
know they do not really remember or think. But we
still say memory. Also, on many computer programs
there is a menu. Of course, we are not talking about
restaurants or food. This is a different kind of menu.
Another funny example is the mouse in some
computers. it is hard not to think about a real mouse
when you hear the word. But do not worry: there are
no little gray animals in the machine.
1. What is the topic of the paragraph above?
2. What is the main idea of the above paragraph?
2. Pokok pikiran dapat juga dijumpai di akhir kalimat.
Jika kita tidak menjumpai pokok pikiran di kalimat awal,
maka tempat untuk mengetahui selanjutnya adalah mungkin
di akhir paragraph. Pokok pikiran seperti ini biasanya berupa
pengulangan dari kalimat pertama yang dinyatakan secara
persis atau berbeda dengan kalimat yang pertama tersebut.
Example
The chemist is essential in our life today. Aviation uses
lightweight aluminum, magnesium, high-octane gasoline – all
processed or created by chemist. The automotive industry
uses plastics, improved gasoline and oils, improved rubber
and other creations or discovery of the chemist. Farming
depends on the chemist for many fertilizers and insecticides.
Medicine has received the miracle drugs and synthetic
vitamins from the chemist. Indeed, the chemist today is
irreplaceable.
1. What is the text about?
2. What is the main idea of the above paragraph?
3 Pokok pikiran dapat juga ditemukan dikalimat kedua.
Bila hal ini terjadi mungkin kalimat pertama masih mengacu
pada sesuatu pada paragraph sebelumnya. Kalimat ini
mungkin memberi idea yang menkualifikasi atau
mengontraskan. Penting diperhatikan pokok pikiran dikalimat
kedua ini sering ditandai dengan pemakaian kata ganti yang
merujuk pada kata tertentu dalam kalimat pertamanya.
Example
Certainly money should not be your chief aim in life. But you
ought not to despise it, for it can help you and your family
obtain many of good things of life. It can buy an adequate
diet, one of the bases of good health. When necessary, it can
provide medicine and medical care. It can be the means for a
comfortable house, for travel, for good books and for hobbies
and recreation. It can make it easier for your children to
secure an education. Finally, it can offer a great opportunity
for you to help others.
1. What is the paragraph about?
2. What is the main idea of the paragraph?
4 Pokok pikiran bisa jumpa dijumpai pada kalimat pertama dan
kedua yang disatukan.
Example
You may question whether a poor mark in chemistry, for
example, will look bad to the future employer who is
considering you for a sales position. It will. Or at least it will
throw some doubt into his mind. He will reason something
like this: “He (you) was given a job to do, but he didn’t give
that job a good effort. I wonder if he will postpone calling on
a tough customer until a worker from other company has
clinched the sale”.
1. What is the text about?
2. What is the main idea of the above paragraph?
5 Pokok pikiran dapat juga tidak dinyatakan secara jelas dalam
paragraf. Namun demikian penulis memberikan kalimatkalimat penjelasnya. Dalam situasi ini pembaca diminta
menyimpulkannya sendiri.
Example
The 1989 Census Report tells us that in 1987, of all men
25 years and older, those who completed eight years of
grade school received a median income of $2533. Those
with four years of high school received a median wage of
3258. Those who stuck out four years of college received a
median wage of $4407
1. What is the text about?
2. What is the main idea of the above paragraph?
6 Pokok pikiran bisa juga ditemukan di kalimat yang mana
saja pada suatu paragraph. Setiap kalimat pada paragraph
ini mungkin sebagai pokok pikiran. Kalaimat yang mana saja
dimanapun ia ditempatkan yang menceritakan tentang topik
paragraf, maka ia menjadi pikiran utama dari paragraph
tersebut.
Example
(1) The widespread illusion on this subject (working
one’s way through college) is due to several
misconceptions. (2) The first of these is the popular
idea that the great objective is to get through college.
(3) Getting through college is of no value whatsoever.
(4) Many men have gotten through college who would
be better off if they had never seen a college. (5) So
would society. (6) Which is to say that there are no
many ways of getting through college and some of
them mean nothing. (7) What counts is what a man
gets out of college as he gets through. (8) If he gets
what he should, he will be immediately enriched and
society will be blessed by his ability and his service. (9)
But if he does not get these proper values, he has
nothing. (10) The fact, therefore, that a man earned his
through college means nothing unless the man got
something as he went through. (11) Many of the
earning men get little or nothing. (12) In one case play
interferes with education. (14) In the other, menial,
driving, all absorbing remunerative work does the
same.
1. What is the text about?
2. What is the main idea of the paragraph above?
7 Pokok pikiran ada juga yang terletak di luar paragraph.
Adanya bisa di paragraph yang mendahuluinya atau yang
datang sesudahnya. Model seperti ini biasanya terjadi jika
suatu paragraph merupakan bagian dari unit yang lebih
besar.
Example
You must never forget, though, that it takes a lot of
hard work to become a god lawyer.
A boy must first spend at least five years in college in
some states fear. And he must get high grades or he won’t
be accepted by an accredited law school. If he is admitted
to law school, he next must put in three years of still more
intensive effort in order to win the cherished degree of
Bachelor of Laws.
Even then his hard work in not done.
He has to pass the bar. This is an examination given by
the various states to determine whether a man has a
thorough knowledge and understanding of law.
Questions:
1.
2.
What is the text about?
What is the main idea of the paragraphs.