What is the main idea? A general statement about the paragraph (or reading selection). The main idea is
a sentence that provides the subject for discussion
; it is the topic sentence. It is usually supported by a list of details.
How do you identify the main idea and topic sentence?
That main idea may be stated at the
beginning of
the paragraph, in the middle, or at the end. The sentence in which the main idea is stated is the topic sentence of that paragraph. The topic sentence announces the general theme ( or portion of the theme) to be dealt with in the paragraph.
How do you write a main idea in a sentence?
While the main idea
is usually in the first sentence
, the next most common placement is in the last sentence of a paragraph. The author gives supporting information first and then makes the point in the last sentence. Here's a paragraph we can use as an example. Try to locate the topic and the main idea.
What is the main idea sentence called?
The “topic sentence”
is the sentence in which the main idea of the paragraph is stated. It is unquestionably the most important sentence in the paragraph.
What is a main idea?
The main idea is
the central, or most important, idea in a paragraph or passage
. It states the purpose and sets the direction of the paragraph or passage. … The main idea may be stated in the first sentence of a paragraph and then be repeated or restated at the end of the paragraph.
What is a main idea example?
The main idea is
a sentence that provides the subject for discussion
; it is the topic sentence. It is usually supported by a list of details. If you can tell what the supporting details have in common, you can discover the main idea. great heat of the desert sun at noon and in the bitter cold of the desert at night.
What is the main idea expressed by the text?
The main idea of a paragraph is the primary point or concept that the author wants to communicate to the readers about the topic. Hence, in a paragraph, when the main idea is stated directly, it is expressed in what is called
the topic sentence
.
What's the difference between the main idea and the topic sentence?
What is the difference between a topic and a main idea? The topic is
the general subject of a paragraph or essay
. Topics are simple and are described with just a word or a phrase. The main idea is a complete sentence; it includes the topic and what the author wants to say about it.
What are 3 supporting details?
Supporting details are
reasons, examples, facts, steps, or other kinds
of evidence that explain the main idea. Major details explain and develop the main idea. Minor details help make the major details clear. Identify the following sentences as Main Idea (MI), Topic (T), Supporting Detail (SD):
What is a topic sentence and examples?
Topic Sentence Examples
Note that each example
includes both a topic and a controlling idea
. Topic Sentence: There are many reasons why pollution in ABC Town is the worst in the world. The topic is “pollution in ABC Town is the worst in the world” and the controlling idea is “many reasons.”
Why is main idea important?
Why is identifying the main idea important? Finding the main idea is
a key to understanding what you read
. The main idea ties all of the sentences in the paragraph or article together. Once you identify the main idea, everything else in the reading should click into place.
What is the main idea in the story?
The main idea of a story is
the central point or big picture concept that the reader should walk away with
. One of the best ways to determine the main idea is to identify things that are not the main idea. The main idea is not detailed; it's a concept that encompasses the entire book.
What does a main idea not do?
What does a main idea not do? The correct answer of the given question above would be the third option. What the main idea does not do is
to show what a reader will learn
, rather, it only shows what the story is about, summarizes the details and events, and illustrates an important idea.
How do you identify the main idea in a text?
- at the beginning of paragraphs. The first sentence often explains the subject being discussed in the passage.
- in the concluding sentences of a paragraph. The main idea can be expressed as a summation of the information in the paragraph as well as a link to the information in the next paragraph.
Which sentence best expresses the main idea?
In paragraphs, a stated main idea is called
the topic sentence
. In an article, the stated main idea is called the thesis statement.
