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