FindingtheMainIdea
Paragraph: Agroup ofsentences organizedarounda topic,a mainideaaboutthe
topic,anddetails thatsupport themainidea.
Topic: The overall subjectofaparagraph.
Main Idea: Astatementthattells theauthor’s pointaboutthetopic.The mainidea provides
themessage ofagiven paragraphor the argumentthatisbeingmadeabout thetopic.
Details: Thespecific information aboutthemainidea or supportfor themainidea.
Main Idea = Topic +Author’sPointaboutthe Topic
Howto Find theTopic
Ask yourselfthequestion:
What orwhois thisparagraphabout?
Howto Find theMainIdea
Ask yourselfthequestion:
Whatis theoverall messageor argumentbeingmade bytheauthor about
thetopicofthis paragraph?
Howto Find Supporting Details
Turnthemainideaintoaquestion byaskingwho,what,when,where,why,or how?
The answer willgiveaset ofdetails.
Hints
Boldfacedheadings ortitles maycontainthetopic and/ormainidea
First andlastsentences in theparagraph areusuallyhelpful
Lookfor repeatingwords, these oftenindicate the topic
Remember
Topics,mainideas,andsupporting details work together.The mainideatells the
author’spointaboutthe topic, andthedetails offer supportfor themainidea.
Findingthe MainIdea
May2009;ASCEng/Read
Themainideais theoverallideaof theparagraph.Itis
supportedbydetails throughouttheparagraph muchlike the
frameof ahousesupportstheroof.
Topic
Main Idea
Supporting Supporting upporting
Detail Detail Detail
Florida
Vegetation
Florida isfull ofbeautifulscenery,
but thevegetation isexceptionally
exquisite.
Hibiscus Thoughithasa
Theroyal palm plants,with harshsounding
isone of the their name, thesaw
mostmajestic picturesque palmettoworks
typesof flowers, area well as abuffer
vegetationin pleasing between roads
Florida. addition to any and residences.
landscape.
Florida isfull ofbeautifulscenery,but thevegetationisexceptionallyexquisite.Shopping
plazas,residential areas, and highwaymediansare oftenelaboratelydecoratedwithgrandpalm trees and
tropical plants.Ofthe manytypesofvegetationfoundin Florida, one of the most majestic istheroyal palm.
Growing to nearly ninetyfeet tall,it towersover manyshoppingcentersand hotelswithsplendor.Hibiscus
plants,with theirpicturesqueflowers,are apleasingadditionto any landscape.Adorned with pink, red,or
orangeflowers, thehibiscus setsatropical scenetohomesandbusinessesalike.Finally,thesawpalmetto, though
it has a harshsoundingname,workswellas abufferbetween roads andresidences.
Findingthe MainIdea
May2009;ASCEng/Read
Main Idea Practice Exercises
Readthepassagesand answer the questions.
1 2
Fire ants arepainfulanddestructive pests. Thefireantearneditsname
3
becauseofits venom. Theinsect uses awasp-likestinger toinjectthevenom,which
4
causesapainfulburningsensationandleaves tiny,itchingpustules. The ants will swarm
5
over anyone oranythingthatdisturbstheirnests. Inadditiontocausingpain,
fireantsdamagemanycrops byeatingtheplantsandbyprotectingother insectsthat
6
damagecrops. Fireants areattractedtosoybeans, eggplant,corn,okra,strawberries,
andpotatoes.
1. Whatis thetopic ofthepassage?
a. Ant bites c. Farming
b. Fire ants d. Pests
2. Whatdoes theauthorwantyou toknowaboutthetopic?
a. Fire antshaveawasp-likestinger. b.
Fire antsswarm.
c. Fire antsare peststofarmers. d.
Fire antsare pesky.
3. Whichsentencecontains themainidea?
a. 1
c.4 b. 2
d.5
1
Rosa Parks was an African Americanwomanwhoworked hard asaseamstress
2
inadepartmentstore in theearly1960s. One day,tiredfrom work, sherefusedtogive upher
3
seatona bus inMontgomery,Alabama,andbecamea national hero. Shewas
arrestedandplacedinjail for her refusal to move to theback ofthebus,where African
4
Americans were forcedtositinthosedays. Thewayshewas treatedgarnered
5
nationalattention. Somepeoplesayher refusal togive upher seatlaunchedthecivil
6
rights movement. Rosa Parksproved thatone bravepersoncan makeadifference.
4. Whatis thetopic ofthepassage?
a. Rosa Parks c.Brave People
b. CivilRights d.National Heroes
5. Whatdoes theauthorwantyou toknowaboutthetopic?
a. Rosa Parks was a hardworkingwoman.
b. Brave peopledeservespecial attention. c.
Stubbornpeoplealways gettheirway.
d. Brave peoplecanmakea difference.
6. Whichsentencecontains themainidea?
Findingthe MainIdea
May2009;ASCEng/Read
a. 1c.5 b. 2
d.6
Findingthe MainIdea
May2009;ASCEng/Read
1
Fewofuscouldswimin theoceancomfortablyafter seeingfilmmaker Steven
2
Spielberg’s terrifyingmovieJaws. In his hitmovieE.T.theExtraterrestrial,Spielberg
3
createdasweet,funnyfilmaboutabeingfromouter space. In1985,hegave usThe Color
Purple,a movingpictureabouta blackfamilyin theSouththatearned hima Best Director
4
nomination. StevenSpielberghascreatedsome ofthe mostsuccessfuland
popularfilmsofthe1970s and1980s.
7. Sentence1isa
a. MainIdea b.SupportingDetail
8. Sentence2isa
a. MainIdea b.SupportingDetail
9. Sentence3isa
b. MainIdea b.SupportingDetail
10.Sentence4isa
a. MainIdea b. Supporting Detail
Readthefollowingpassage. Fill inthechartusinginformationfrom theparagraph.
1 2
Reggaemusic is acomplexmixof messageandstyle. OriginatinginJamaica
inthe1960s,reggaeevolvedfrom folkmusicthatprotestedracism andcorruption.
3
Reggae also hasareligious side thatis based onthe Biblefromtheviewof black
4
culture. Somecriticssaythattheseriousmessages ofreggae areeasier toaccept
becauseofitspowerfuldancebeat.
Topic:
REGGAE MUSIC
MainIdea:
SENTENCE 1 1
Reggae music is a complex mix of message and style
SupportingDetail: SupportingDetail: SupportingDetail:
SENTENCE 4
SENTENCE 3
SENTENCE 2
Findingthe MainIdea
May2009;ASCEng/Read
Findingthe MainIdea
May2009;ASCEng/Read
