Main Idea

SUPPLEMENTAL HANDOUT: Identifying the Main Idea

English 1 (2012-2013) / Knight

All comprehension revolves around the reader’s ability to answer two important questions.

1) Who or what was the topic of this reading?
2) What is the main point or points the author is expressing about the topic?
Topic - the topic of a paragraph or reading selection answer the basic question:
"Who or what have I just read about?"

Main Idea - the main idea of a paragraph answers the question:
"What is the main point or points the author is expressing about the topic?"
Topic Sentence - is a term often used in English classes to describe a statement found in a paragraph which states the topic and the main idea of the paragraph. In reading, this term is synonymous with a Stated Main Idea Sentence. The topic sentence or stated main idea sentence guides or controls what can be expressed in the paragraph.
The main idea sentence controls the individual paragraph and answers two important questions:
1) Who or what have I just read about?
2) What was the main point or points the author made about this topic?
The topic sentence may be clearly stated (explicit) or implied.
A stated (explicit) main idea sentence is a SENTENCE FOUND IN THE PARAGRAPH which states two pieces of information:
1) The topic of the paragraph 2) The main point or points being made about the topic
Stated main idea sentences may be anywhere in the paragraph, but are typically found in the following locations:
1) First sentence 2) Last sentence 3) Middle of paragraph 4) Combination of two sentences
Sometimes an author may choose to only hint or suggest the topic and main idea rather than providing a topic sentence or stated main idea sentence.
An Implied Main Idea is a sentence the reader composes rather than a statement found in the selection. This reader developed sentence provides the same information as a topic or stated main idea sentence.
1) Who or what did I just read about? 2) What was the main point or points made by the author?
Author Thesis - is a term often used in English classes to describe the main idea of an entire reading selection or an essay.
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It refers to the controlling or guiding statement for a reading selection that is composed of several paragraphs.
A main idea may be recognized by:
1) The significance of its content or the force with which it is expressed.
2) The summation of the passage’s content.
3) An idea expressed as a well-written, formal-sounding statement and a complete thought.
4) If the passage seems to have only one general point, it includes the main idea. If it has two or more seemingly equal general points, the relationship between the points includes the main idea.
Main ideas must be backed up, supported, restated, or reinforced by the rest of the passage. On standardized tests be especially cautious of sentences posing as main ideas. These sentences are often:
1) A partial statement of the main idea.
2) A reference to the main idea, but not the main idea.
3) A reference to an idea in the passage that is expanded in the answers with information not found in the passage.
4) A misinterpretation (often slight) of the main idea information in the passage that results in choosing an answer that feels correct.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
The main idea of a passage or reading is the central thought or message.
In contrast to the term topic, which refers to the subject under discussion, the term main idea refers to the point or thought being expressed.
Here’s an example to show you the difference between a topic and a main idea:
Imagine yourself overhearing a conversation in which your name is repeatedly mentioned. When you ask your friends what they were discussing, they say they were talking about you. At that point, you have the topic but not the main idea. Undoubtedly, you wouldn’t be satisfied until you learned what your friends were saying about this particular topic. You would probably pester them until you knew the main idea, exactly what they were saying about your personality, appearance, or behavior.
The same principle applies to reading. The topic is seldom enough. You also need to discover the main idea.
Reading Tips:
1. As soon as you can define the topic, ask yourself “What general point does the author want to make about this topic?” Once you can answer that question, you have more than likely found the main idea.
2. Most main ideas are stated or suggested early on in a reading; pay special attention to the first third of any passage, article, or chapter. That’s where you are likely to get the best statement or clearest expression of the main idea.
3. Pay attention to any idea that is repeated in different ways. If an author returns to the same thought in several different sentences or paragraphs, that idea is the main or central thought under discussion.
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4. Once you feel sure you have found the main idea, test it. Ask yourself if the examples, reasons, statistics, studies, and facts included in the reading lend themselves as evidence or explanation in support of the main idea you have in mind. If they do, your comprehension is right on target. If they don’t, you might want to revise your first notion about the author’s main idea.
5. The main idea of a passage can be expressed any number of ways. For example, you and your roommate might come up with the same main idea for a reading, but the language in which that idea is expressed would probably be different. When, however, you are asked to find the topic sentence, you are being asked to find the statement that expresses the main idea in the author’s words. Any number of people can come up with the main idea for a passage, but only the author of the passage can create the topic sentence.
6. If you are taking a test that asks you to find the thesis or theme of a reading, don’t let the terms confuse you, you are still looking for the main idea.