Secara garis besar, kalimat utama akan memiliki point-point berikut.

1. Mengandung permasalahan yang potensial untuk diuraikan;

2. Mempunyai arti yang jelas tanpa dihubungkan dengan kalimat lain

3. Umumnya berada di awal paragraf (untuk paragraf deduktif), dan di akhir paragraf (paragraf induktif).

Nah, berikutnya menentukan kalimat utama pada paragraf Orientation.

Perhatikan paragraf berikut.

On Friday I went to Mount Bromo. It is one of the mountains Iwant to see very much. It is near
Probolinggo. That is why I stayed at Nida and Hasan's house at Cemara Lawang, Probolinggo.

Ingat :

- main idea adalah ide pokok (gagasan utama) dalam suatu paragraf.

- main idea dapat diletakkan di depan, tengah atau akhir paragraf.

Jadi, main idea pada paragraf di atas terdapat di awal paragraf yaitu : "On Friday I went to Mount
Bromo".

Latihan dan pembahasan.

The Navajo Indians

A Report By: Rachel

 The Navajo Indians were a very interesting tribe to learn and study about. The things that interested
me the most were their simple lifestyle. They had no electricity, running water, or indoor plumbing. Life
couldn't get much simpler than this!

Navajo Indians lived in houses called hogans. These houses were made of mud, wooden poles, and
tree bark. Many Navajo today still live in hogans.

The Pueblo Indians taught the Navajo many skills. They taught them to plant crops, such as melon,
corn, beans, and squash. This is why the Navajo were referred to as farmers, sheep herders, and
laborers. Other skills of the Navajo are sand paintings, jewelry making, and rug weaving.

Navajo Indians wore shoes called moccasins to protect their feet from the hot, desert ground and
cactus. They were made from leather or rawhide.

Navajo Indians held ceremonies called Night Chants. They wore masks and shook rattles while praying
for rain and good crops. The ceremonies lasted for nine days!

The Navajo were warlike. They would sometimes raid other Indians, Mexicans, and white men. They
would steal horses, sheep, and cows. In 1863, Kit Carson marched 400 men through Canyon de Chelly,
the stronghold of the Navajo. Carson and his men killed so much livestock and destroyed so many crops,
that the Navajo begged for peace. Carson gathered the Navajo and moved them to Fort Sumner in New
Mexico. They were held prisoners there until 1867.

So as you can see, the Navajo Indians were a very interesting tribe to learn and study about.

Question :

1. What is the main idea of this passage?

A. The Navajo Indians were warlike.

B. The Navajo Indians were a very interesting tribe to learn and study about . (benar)

C. The Navajos had ceremonies called Night Chants.

D. The Pueblo taught the Navajo many skills.

Pembahasan :

(Main idea selalu terletak pada kalimat pertama atau terakhir dari suatu paragraf, atau tersebar, tapi
dalam hal ini yang sering dijumpai dalam soal, kalimat utama kebanyakan terletak diawal dan akhir)

2. What is the main idea of the third paragraph?

A. The Pueblo Indians taught the Navajo many skills.

B. The Navajo wore shoes called moccasins.

C. The Navajo were skilled at rug weaving.

D. The Navajo were referred to as sheep herders.

Pembahasan :

(Dalam soal diminta menentukan main idea untuk paragraf ke tiga, jadi kita hanya fokus pada kalimat
pertama dan terakhir pada paragraf ketiga saja)

3. What is the main idea of the sixth paragraph?

A. The Navajo were held prisoners for many years.

B. Kit Carson was a brave and daring man.

C. The Navajo were a warlike people.

D. The 400 men all died.

Pembahasan :

(Dalam paragraf ke enam pun demikian, kalimat utamanya terletak pada kalimat pertama)