MAIN IDEA

Every
paragraph
has a topic.

And every
paragraph
should have a
main idea.
Learning outcomes:

You will be able to:

1) use the topic to get to a writer’s main idea

2) identify stated main idea (topic sentence)

 Main Idea
• The main idea in a paragraph is the general idea.

• In contrast, the supporting information in a

paragraph is made up of specific ideas and details.

• Main ideas can be directly stated and implied.

• A direct main idea (a.k.a STATED MAIN IDEA) is

usually the topic sentence of a particular paragraph.

• In this lesson, we will deal with stated main idea.

Before we look at stated main
ideas, let’s discover some
more information about main
ideas…
 The Main Idea:
1) is expressed in a sentence rather than
a single word or a phrase.
2) answers the question: “What does the
author/ paragraph say about the
topic?”
3) unifies/ holds together, or summarizes
the sentences in a paragraph.
 Let us look at the
characteristics of a
main idea
 Characteristics of a Main Idea
A main idea:

1) must always make complete sense by itself;

2) must be a general sentence that sums up the

details in the paragraph;

3) does not provide details like statistics or

examples.
Now, we will look at
stated main ideas.
Stated Main Idea
 Stated Main Idea
• A stated main idea is also referred to as the TOPIC
SENTENCE.

• It is a sentence found in the paragraph which states

the topic and the main point being made about that
topic.

• A stated main idea should be general enough to

summarise the details in the text.
Steps in Identifying
Stated Main idea
 Steps in Identifying Stated Main idea

The steps involved in identifying a stated main idea

are:

1) understand and identify the topic

2) determine what the paragraph says about the
topic
3) locate the stated main idea sentence in the
paragraph (it should be a sentence that contains
similar meaning to the statement/idea/concept
in step 2)
Let’s try one example…
→ Read the paragraph below. Then, identify the stated main
idea.

Example A:

When summer brings very hot weather, many people suffer more than they
need to. There are a number of ways to make life more comfortable in the
heat. For example, you can try to keep your homes as cool as possible. It is
best to close all the windows and curtains during the hottest part of the day.
Then, when it is cooler in the evening, you can open them up again. Also, it
is important to keep yourself cool by wearing loose, light clothes. Cotton is
the best material for clothes in hot weather. And finally, you should try to
stay calm and relaxed. You could even try a nap after lunch, like many
people do who live in hot climates. This way you are most rested and ready
to enjoy the cool evening hours.
 STEP 1 (Identify topic):
What is the subject/ thing discussed in the paragraph?

Example A:

When summer brings very hot weather, many people suffer more than they
need to. There are a number of ways to make life more comfortable in the
heat. For example, you can try to keep your homes as cool as possible. It is
best to close all the windows and curtains during the hottest part of the day.
Then, when it is cooler in the evening, you can open them up again. Also, it
is important to keep yourself cool by wearing loose, light clothes. Cotton is
the best material for clothes in hot weather. And finally, you should try to
stay calm and relaxed. You could even try a nap after lunch, like many
people do who live in hot climates. This way you are most rested and ready
to enjoy the cool evening hours.
 STEP 1 (Identify topic):
What is the subject/ thing discussed in the paragraph?
→ Ways to be comfortable in the heat.

Example A:

When summer brings very hot weather, many people suffer more than they
need to. There are a number of ways to make life more comfortable in the
heat. For example, you can try to keep your homes as cool as possible. It is
best to close all the windows and curtains during the hottest part of the day.
Then, when it is cooler in the evening, you can open them up again. Also, it
is important to keep yourself cool by wearing loose, light clothes. Cotton is
the best material for clothes in hot weather. And finally, you should try to
stay calm and relaxed. You could even try a nap after lunch, like many
people do who live in hot climates. This way you are most rested and ready
to enjoy the cool evening hours.
 STEP 2 (Determine what the paragraph says about the topic):
What does the paragraph say about ‘ways to be comfortable in
the heat?’

Example A:

When summer brings very hot weather, many people suffer more than they
need to. There are a number of ways to make life more comfortable in the
heat. For example, you can try to keep your homes as cool as possible. It is
best to close all the windows and curtains during the hottest part of the day.
Then, when it is cooler in the evening, you can open them up again. Also, it
is important to keep yourself cool by wearing loose, light clothes. Cotton is
the best material for clothes in hot weather. And finally, you should try to
stay calm and relaxed. You could even try a nap after lunch, like many
people do who live in hot climates. This way you are most rested and ready
to enjoy the cool evening hours.
 Example A:
When summer brings very hot weather, many people suffer more than they
need to. There are a number of ways to make life more comfortable in the
heat. For example, you can try to keep your homes as cool as possible. It is
best to close all the windows and curtains during the hottest part of the day.
Then, when it is cooler in the evening, you can open them up again. Also, it
is important to keep yourself cool by wearing loose, light clothes. Cotton is
the best material for clothes in hot weather. And finally, you should try to
stay calm and relaxed. You could even try a nap after lunch, like many
people do who live in hot climates. This way you are most rested and ready
to enjoy the cool evening hours.

STEP 2 (Determine what the paragraph says about the topic):

What does the paragraph say about ‘ways to be comfortable in
the heat?’
→ The paragraph says that there are a number of ways to be
comfortable in the heat.
 Example A:
When summer brings very hot weather, many people suffer more than they
need to. There are a number of ways to make life more comfortable in the
heat. For example, you can try to keep your homes as cool as possible. It is
best to close all the windows and curtains during the hottest part of the day.
Then, when it is cooler in the evening, you can open them up again. Also, it
is important to keep yourself cool by wearing loose, light clothes. Cotton is
the best material for clothes in hot weather. And finally, you should try to
stay calm and relaxed. You could even try a nap after lunch, like many
people do who live in hot climates. This way you are most rested and ready
to enjoy the cool evening hours.

STEP 3 (locate the stated main idea sentence ):

Useful tip! The topic should be in the stated main idea
sentence.
Stated main idea:
→ There are a number of ways to make life more comfortable
in the heat.
• For stated main idea question, you must copy
the answer from the original text.

• There is no need for you to write it in your

own words.
 In essence…
• When trying to locate a stated main idea, find a
sentence that is general enough to summarise
the whole paragraph.

• Only ONE sentence can be the stated main idea in

a paragraph so be sure you understand the
sentence.

• And remember, examples, explanations and

specific details cannot be the main idea because
they are information that support the main idea.
Thank
You!