main idea essay called

Reading to Understand

• Reading to Understand (8 minutes)
• Working with Context Clues (5 minutes)
• The Main Idea

Steps for Identifying the Main Idea

• Knowledge Check
• Academic Reading Challenges (7 minutes)

The main idea is the point or message - what an author presents and what a reader takes from a text. 

Searching for that main idea is a very important activity in understanding a text. It is usually found in the opening paragraph when the author is  setting up the topic  and  expressing the thesis.  

However, the location can vary according to the type of reading. For example, a research article's main idea is toward the end, whereas a persuasive essay's main idea is conveyed at the beginning.

Pre-read to Determine the Overall Topic

Examine the title and then skim the text to determine who or what the reading is about. If you see the same word repeated you know that it is likely the topic or at least an important element of the topic. The topic should be a noun or a noun phrase such as "online education." The topic itself does not convey any meeting us you must read on to determine the main idea.

Ask yourself questions about the text as you read in-depth. Pay close attention to the introduction, the first sentence of body paragraphs, and the conclusion. In these places, the author typically states and supports the main idea. 

Questions to Ask Yourself While Reading : 

• What elements make up this topic?
• What is the author saying about this topic?
• What does the author want me to know or believe about this topic?

Reflect on what you have read. If the main idea is not immediately apparent to you review the introduction and conclusion. The  main idea should be a complete thought  such as "because of its flexibility, comfort, and lower-cost online education is increasing in popularity for younger generations."

Questions to Ask Yourself While Reflecting:

• What is the message I take away from this reading?
• What point does the information add up to?
• What idea does the author reinforce in the conclusion?
• What is the final impression I have about this topic?

Finding the Main Idea

Once you believe you have found the main idea, check that each body paragraph relates to that main idea. The body paragraph should include  supporting ideas  that reinforce and provide greater detail about the main idea. 

Some students find it beneficial to sketch the main idea and supporting ideas in their notes as a concept map.

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How to Find the Main Idea

ThoughtCo / Mary McLain 

• B.A., English, University of Michigan

Questions about the "main idea" of a story or passage are popular on reading comprehension tests.But sometimes, those questions are pretty difficult to answer, especially for students who are not completely sure they understand what the main idea really is.  Finding the main idea of a paragraph or longer passage of text is one of the most important reading skills to master, along with concepts like making an inference , finding the author's purpose , or understanding vocabulary words in context.

Here are a few techniques to help understand what is a "main idea" and how to identify it accurately in a passage.

How to Define the Main Idea

The main idea of a paragraph is the primary point or concept that the author wants to communicate to the readers about the topic. In a paragraph, when the main idea is stated directly, it is expressed in what is called the topic sentence . It gives the overarching idea of what the paragraph is about and is supported by the details in subsequent sentences in the paragraph. In a multi-paragraph article, the main idea is expressed in the thesis statement, which is then supported by individual smaller points.

Think of the main idea as a brief but all-encompassing summary. It covers everything the paragraph talks about in a general way, but does not include the specifics. Those details will come in later sentences or paragraphs and add nuance and context; the main idea will need those details to support its argument.

For example, imagine a paper discussing the causes of World War I . One paragraph might be dedicated to the role that imperialism played in the conflict. The main idea of this paragraph might be something like: "Constant competition for massive empires led to increasing tensions in Europe that eventually erupted into World War I." The rest of the paragraph might explore what those specific tensions were, who was involved, and why the countries were seeking empires, but the main idea just introduces the overarching argument of the section.

When an author does not state the main idea directly, it should still be implied and is called an implied main idea. This requires that the reader look closely at the content—at specific words, sentences, and images that are used and repeated—to deduce what the author is communicating.

Finding the main idea is critical to understanding what you are reading. It helps the details make sense and have relevance and provides a framework for remembering the content. Try these specific tips to catch the main idea of a passage.

1) Identify the Topic

Read the passage through completely, then try to identify the topic. Who or what is the paragraph about? This part is just figuring out a topic like "cause of World War I" or "new hearing devices;" don't worry yet about deciding what argument the passage is making about this topic.

2) Summarize the Passage

After reading the passage thoroughly, summarize it in your own words in one sentence . Pretend you have just ten to twelve words to tell someone what the passage is about—what would you say?

3) Look at the First and Last Sentences of the Passage

Authors often put the main idea in or near either the first or last sentence of the paragraph or article, so isolate those sentences to see if they make sense as the overarching theme of the passage. Be careful: sometimes the author will use words like but , however ,  in contrast , nevertheless , etc. that indicate that it's the second sentence is actually the main idea. If you see one of these words that negates or qualifies the first sentence, that is a clue that the second sentence is the main idea.

4) Look for Repetition of Ideas

If you read through a paragraph and you have no idea how to summarize it because there is so much information, start looking for repeated words, phrases, or related ideas. Read this example paragraph :

A new hearing device uses a magnet to hold the detachable sound-processing portion in place. Like other aids, it converts sound into vibrations, but it is unique in that it can transmit the vibrations directly to the magnet and then to the inner ear. This produces a clearer sound. The new device will not help all hearing-impaired people—only those with hearing loss caused by infection or some other problem in the middle ear. It will probably help no more than 20 percent of all people with hearing problems. Those people who have persistent ear infections, however, should find relief and restored hearing with this new device.

What does this paragraph consistently talk about? A new hearing device. What is it trying to convey? A new hearing device is now available for some, but not all, hearing-impaired people. That's the main idea!

Avoid Main Idea Mistakes

Choosing a main idea from a set of answer choices is different than composing a main idea on your own. Writers of multiple-choice tests are often tricky and will give you distractor questions that sound much like the real answer. By reading the passage thoroughly, using your skills, and identifying the main idea on your own, though, you can avoid making these three common mistakes : selecting an answer that is too narrow in scope; selecting an answer that is too broad; or selecting an answer that is complex but contrary to the main idea. 

Resources and Further Reading

• How to Find a Stated Main Idea
• How to Find an Implied Main Idea
• Finding the Main Idea Practice
• Finding Main Ideas In Paragraphs
• Finding the Main Idea, Columbia College

Updated by Amanda Prahl 

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The Roadrunner's Guide to English: Thesis/Topic/Main Idea

• Planning to Read or Write
• Editing and Revising
• Proofreading
• Unstated Main Idea
• Thesis/Topic/Main Idea
• Examples/Supporting Ideas
• Modes of Organization
• Sentence Formation (Type 1 Errors)
• Mechanics (Type 2 Errors)
• Proper Word Usage (Type 3 Errors)
• Vocabulary, Context Clues, and Acquiring a Word
• Practice Games
• Style, Tone, and Inference
• Writing in Class
• English Language Learners
• Comma Splice
• Fact & Opinion
• Fused Sentence
• Identifying Dependent and Independent Clauses
• Interactive Semicolon
• Logical Fallacy
• Parts of Speech
• Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement
• Subject Identification
• Subject-Verb Agreement
• Supporting Details

Main Idea/ Thesis Statement

Author: Lydia Postell

The main idea , as we call it in reading class, is the same as the topic sentence in English class.  The main idea, like the topic sentence, simply states what the reading passage is about in one sentence.  There are several ways to find the main idea that you can apply to topic sentences as well.

1. Find the topic of the selection.  In order to find the topic, ask yourself who or what the selection is about.  When you answer either one of those questions, you will have found the topic.  Here are a couple more hints.  The topic will often be a word that is repeated throughout the selection.  For instance, if you were reading a paragraph about dinosaurs and how they became extinct, you would see the reason they became extinct repeated several times throughout the selection, many times using different words. 

2. Another important concept about the topic is that it is always written as a few words or even as one word.  Sometimes the title of the selection is the topic.

3. A third way to look for a main idea is to consider the wording.  When you see words that suggest you could find the information by creating a list, then you have found the main idea sentence.  Examples of these word groups are several kinds , three disadvantages o f, several reasons for , three causes of , and others along these lines.  These types of sentences announce the points the reading will deal with.

A couple of ideas to keep in mind:  Main idea sentences take in everything in the reading passage, so when you look for a main idea sentence, be sure to look for the sentence that can take in all the points the paragraph or reading makes.  Another important idea to keep in mind is that the main idea, like the topic sentence, may appear in other locations besides the beginning of an essay.  While it may appear in the first two or three sentences, it may also appear in the middle or at the end of a reading selection.  Don’t limit yourself by looking only at the beginning!  Look for the most general sentence, and then ask yourself who or what the selection is about.  If you are struggling at that point, you might wish to look at the wording of the sentences to see if one suggests that a list might be coming.  If so, then that is your main idea sentence.

Thesis Statement

Author: Jenny Crisp

In writing, a thesis statement is the most important sentence you will write in an essay. For this class, and likely for most of your college courses, it should be the last sentence – or sometimes the last two sentences – in your introduction paragraph.

The thesis statement will say something about your topic, but doesn't just state your topic. For example, you would not want to write

[Bad thesis]: This is an essay about how everyone should own a dog.

Instead, your thesis statement should say something that is debatable – that is, it should have some attitude . If no one could possibly argue with your thesis statement, what would be the point of writing at all? So, let's work on that thesis statement from before:

How could any reader argue with that? It's your essay – you know what it's going to be about. No one reading your essay knows what it's about yet – otherwise why read it? So, to give it some attitude, let's quit talking about the fact that it’s an essay:

[Decent thesis]: Everyone should own a dog.

OK. That's better – that thesis statement has an attitude. But, if I'm reading your essay, I still don't really know where you're going with this, do I? That's where the other part of the thesis statement comes in: the essay map . An essay map gives your reader some idea of what's coming. What would you talk about in trying to convince your friends that everyone should own a dog? Those are the topics that you will explain in your body paragraphs, and they are the things you should list in your thesis statement’s essay map. Here's an example:

Good thesis: Everyone should own a dog because dogs provide companionship, provide protection, and provide great entertainment.

Now, there is a thesis statement! That one has attitude – it takes a side on the topic. It also provides a map of where the essay is going. With a thesis statement like this, readers know to expect a body paragraph about companionship, then one about protection, and then one about entertainment. Sounds more interesting than just saying “this essay will be about dogs,” huh?

Main Idea - Practice Exercise1

Select the stated main idea in the following passages.

Many people claim that they do not have time to work exercise into their daily schedules.  However, exercise can be easily worked one's daily routine.  For instance, one can do stretches while taking a shower.  While standing in line at the grocery store, one can flex the abs or clench the rear.  One can even do calf raises while talking on the phone.  More ideas: try walking around the building during lunch breaks and always take the stairs.

Many parents tend to think of day-care centers as breeding grounds for colds.  But new research suggests that children in day-care centers appear to develop immunity to many of the viruses responsible for the common cold.  An article published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine found that children ages 6 to 11 who had been enrolled at large day-care centers as toddlers had about one-third as many colds as children who had stayed home as toddlers.  Dr. Thomas Ball, one of the authors of the study, says that when children have colds as toddlers, their immune systems are learning from these experiences, and this learning will come back to protect children later in life.  Such news should be reassuring to parents whose preschool children are in daycare.

• Main Idea - Practice 1 Answer Key

Main Idea - Practice Exercise 2

One sign of pregnancy is nausea upon awakening.  Other signs are increase in size and tenderness of the breasts.  Still other signs include increase in the frequency of urination and an increase in the size of the abdomen.  Thus, aside from pregnancy tests, a woman can sometimes recognize the early signs and symptoms of pregnancy.

Is this year's holiday season making you tired?  You can easily perk up by following a few easy tips.  First, get plenty of rest.  Second, snack wisely.  Third, keep fit.  Exercise is very important during the holidays--and not just for its weight benefits.  Fourth, take a relaxing bath, and finally try sharing with others.

Are you confused by your holiday leftovers?  Well, don't save any food that has been sitting around on your dining room table or counters for more than two hours after cooking.  Do place the leftovers in the refrigerator while they are still warm.  Don't waste those turkey scraps:  add them to a salad or make a delicious soup.  There are many strategies that you should use when dealing with holiday leftovers.  You can even pool your leftovers with friends and neighbors by having an after-holiday potluck dinner.

Yesterday's storm did considerable damage to our neighborhood.  Many stately oaks were uprooted, and several large old pine trees crushed the roofs of at least five houses.  The hail that accompanied the storm damaged all of the cars that were not under shelter, and my neighbor's home was completely demolished.  And my own "detached" garage was certainly detached from its foundation.  Clearly, yesterday's storm caused much destruction.

Some folks think that pets are trustworthy and harmless creatures.  However, it's surprising what little thieves these creatures can be.  My daughter's ferret has stolen my checkbook, my calculator, my wallet, and my change purse.  My officemate's dog stole a neighbor's T-bone steak right off the grill.  My old dog Moonbear was known to steal freshly baked cherry pies and peanut butter cookies, while the dog that lived below us stole his master's roast one day.

Lara is quite different from her sister Lisa.  Lara's hair is jet black and curly, while Lisa's is blond and straight.  Lara stands 5 feet 10 inches in her stocking feet, while Lisa is a mere 5 feet 2 inches (in heels!).  Furthermore, Lara's complexion is olive, quite unlike Lisa's rosy hue. 

Many people are not good listeners.  They may not even realize that they lack this skill.  But almost anyone can become a better listener by being aware of certain negative listening habits.  One such habit is jumping to conclusions before hearing the entire message.  Another bad habit is to nod off when someone is speaking in a monotone.  Turning off to speakers who are not necessarily experts is also a negative listening habit. Yet another bad habit to avoid is the habit of reacting emotionally to certain words.

• Main Idea - Practice 2 Answer Key

Thesis Statement Handout

• Thesis Statement Handout handout created by UNC Writing Center
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• Last Updated: Sep 5, 2023 11:00 AM
• URL: https://libguides.daltonstate.edu/ENGL0098

Evaluating a Text

Main idea, purpose, & audience.

Text evaluation and analysis usually start with the core elements of that text: main idea, purpose, and audience.  An author needs to consider all three of these elements before writing, as they help determine the author’s content and language.  As a reader, it’s important to ascertain these aspects of a text which exist as a foundation for the author’s content and language.

Always start with the main idea.  Main ideas may be stated directly in the text or implied; you need to read a text carefully in order to determine the main idea. Put the main idea into your own words, so that it’s expressed in a way that makes sense to you.  Then ask and answer the following basic questions about that main idea:

• Is the main idea reasonable/believable to most readers?
• Is the main idea clear and if not, why do you think the author embedded it?
• Is the main idea the author’s opinion, or is it something that the author asserts about an issue?

Asking and answering these questions should help you get a sense of the author’s intention in the text, and lead into considering the author’s purpose.

Main idea and purpose are intricately linked. There are a few basic purposes for texts; figuring out the basic purpose leads to more nuanced text analysis based on its purpose. Basic purposes of a text include:

• to inform – to describe, explain, or teach something to your audience
• to persuade/argue – to get your audience to do something, to take a particular action, or to think in a certain way
• to entertain – to provide your audience with insight into a different reality, distraction, and/or enjoyment

The following video more fully explains these different purposes of a text, and adds a fourth, to share insights or feelings.

Main Idea & Purpose Determine Analysis

The author’s main idea and purpose in writing a text determine whether you need to analyze and evaluate the text.  They also determine the pieces of the text you should analyze—content or language or both.

If the purpose is to persuade or argue

You always need to analyze the text to see if the main idea is justified.  Do the supporting ideas relate to and develop the main idea? Is the supporting evidence taken from recognized, valid sources?  Is the author arguing via language instead of evidence or facts?  Persuasion and argument need to present logically valid information to make the reader agree intellectually (not emotionally) with the main idea.

If the purpose is to inform

You usually need to analyze the text, since the text needs to present valid information in as objective a way as possible, in order to meet its purpose of explaining concepts so a reader understands.

If the purpose is to entertain

You may or may not need to analyze the text. Writing that entertains does not necessarily have to be either logical or complete in order to accomplish its purpose. You may want to analyze the text for language, though, to see how the author manipulates language to accomplish their purpose.

Who are the author’s intended readers?  Figuring out this will help you understand an author’s approach to providing the main idea with a particular purpose. Does the audience know little or nothing about the topic, or are they already knowledgeable?  Is the audience’s knowledge at beginner or expert level, somewhere in between, or mixed? Does the audience include people who may be skeptical of the author’s ideas?  Does the audience include people who outright oppose the author’s ideas? As you can see, asking and answering questions about audience can help an author determine the type and amount of content to include in a text. As a reader, it’s important to figure out the author’s intended audience, to help you analyze the type, amount, and appropriateness of the text’s information.

The following video presents the concept of audience from a writer’s perspective, but the concepts are applicable to you as a reader who needs to consider audience as a foundation for evaluating a text.

You may also want to link to one of Purdue’s Online Writing Lab’s page on Author and Audience to get a sense of the wide array of variables that can influence an author’s purpose, and that an author may consider about an audience.

Read the article “ Forget Shorter Showers ” by Derrick Jensen.

Note that most of the Try It exercises in this section of the text will be based on this article, so you should read carefully, annotate, take notes, and apply appropriate strategies for reading to understand a text.

Then answer the following questions about the article’s main idea, purpose, and audience.

Which selection best represents the author’s main idea?

• We have it in our power and right to take action to stop the industrial economy over-using and wasting our natural resources.
• We are victims of a campaign of misdirection, being told and accepting that our personal use of natural resources is both the cause of scarcity and the solution to preservation.
• Because we have accepted our identities as consumers, we reduce our forms of political existence to consuming and not consuming.
• Simple living is better for the planet than over-consumption.

Sentence 1 is the best answer. Although sentences 2 and 3 extract main ideas from the text, they are key supporting points that help lead to the author’s conclusion and main idea.

Which selection best represents the author’s purpose?

• to inform readers about the actual use of resources by individuals vs. the industrial economy
• to persuade readers to consider taking action against an unjust situation that assigns blame to individuals instead of big business in regard to the depletion of natural resources
• to persuade readers to re-think their personal attempts to live more simply and more “green”
• to entertain readers interested in nature with accusations against the industrial economy

Selection 2 best represents the author’s purpose. The author’s purpose is to get readers thinking about conservation of resources in order to spur them to action against a system that, in his opinion, exploits those resources as well as individuals. His purpose is both to inform and persuade, but persuasion seems to take precedence, as he both starts and ends with a reminder about historically justified instances of activism.

Who comprises the author’s audience and what cues can you use to determine that audience?

The author is writing to an audience of readers who are interested in nature and conservation. If you look on the Orion website and read the “About” section on Mission and History, you’ll see that this publication started as a magazine about nature and grew from there. Based on reading the text, the author’s intended audience has the following characteristics:

• Educated – The author assumes that readers know about WWII, the Civil Rights Act of 1974, and other historic events.  The author also uses language such as “systematic misdirection,” “solar photovoltaics,” and even “consensus” (instead of agreement).
• Concerned about the environment – because they are reading this magazine in the first place
• Willing to entertain the idea of taking action to improve quality of life and preserve resources
• Comfortable enough (with themselves? with their social status? with their personal philosophies?) to feel that their voices might make a difference if they choose to protest the current use of natural resources
• Purpose & Audience. Authored by : Susan Oaks. Project : Introduction to College Reading & Writing. License : CC BY-NC: Attribution-NonCommercial
• video The Author's Purpose. Authored by : Marc Franco. Provided by : Snap Language. Located at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6H2NLPqWtI . License : Other . License Terms : YouTube video
• video Audience: Introduction & Overview. Authored by : Gracemarie Mike and Daniel Liddle. Provided by : The Purdue Online Writing Lab. Located at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_ypxLRYsrE . License : Other . License Terms : YouTube video
• image of woman with a stack of books instead of a head, facing shelves of books. Authored by : Gerd Altmann. Provided by : Pixabay. Located at : https://pixabay.com/photos/books-question-mark-student-stack-4158244/ . License : CC0: No Rights Reserved
• image of the word Evaluation. Authored by : Gerd Altmann. Provided by : Pixabay. Located at : https://pixabay.com/illustrations/district-evaluation-assessment-1264717/ . License : CC0: No Rights Reserved

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Main Idea Definition

Examples main idea from literature.

“O my Luve is like a red, red rose That’s newly sprung in June; O my Luve is like the melody That’s sweetly played in tune. So fair art thou, my bonnie lass, So deep in luve am I; And I will luve thee still, my dear, Till a’ the seas gang dry. Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear, And the rocks melt wi’ the sun; I will love thee still, my dear, While the sands o’ life shall run. And fare thee weel, my only luve! And fare thee weel awhile! And I will come again, my luve, Though it were ten thousand mile.”

Out of the night that covers me, Black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds and shall find me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.

SCENE I. A desert place. (Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Act I, Scene I)

Thunder and lightning. Enter three Witches First Witch When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain ? Second Witch When the hurlyburly’s done, When the battle’s lost and won. Third Witch That will be ere the set of sun. First Witch Where the place? Second Witch Upon the heath. Third Witch There to meet with Macbeth . First Witch I come, Graymalkin! Second Witch Paddock calls. Third Witch Anon. ALL Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air.

Main Idea Meaning and Function

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Finding the Main Idea

The main idea of a paragraph is the author's message about the topic. It is often expressed directly or it can be implied. Knowing how to find main ideas allows you to understand and think critically about what you're reading. And that benefits you regardless of your chosen profession.

Where Are The Main Ideas Found?

It is easy to identify a main idea that is directly expressed in the text. Main ideas are often found:

• 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.

The main idea is not always clearly stated.   It is more difficult to identify a main idea when it is inferred or implied. It can be implied through other words in the paragraph. An implied main idea can be found in several ways.

• Several sentences in a paragraph can imply the main idea by introducing facts about the topic before actually stating the topic.
• Implied ideas can be drawn from facts, reasons, or examples that give hints or suggestions concerning the main idea. These hints will be clues leading you to discover the main idea in the selected text.
• Try the passage below to see if you can pick out the main idea. "To many parents, the infant's crying may be mainly an irritation, especially if it continues for long periods. But crying serves important functions for the child as well as for the parents. For the child, crying helps improve lung capacity and the respiratory system. Perhaps more important, the cry serves as a signal of distress. When babies cry, they indicate that they are hungry or in pain, and this is important information for parents."

Use the hints below to determine the correct main idea of this paragraph.

After reading a paragraph ask, "What point is the author making in this passage?"

Ask the following questions:

• Who - Does this passage discuss a person or group of people?
• When - Does the information contain a reference to time?
• Where - Does the text name a place?
• Why - Do you find a reason or explanation for something that happened?
• How - Does this information indicate a method or a theory?

How To Determine If I Have Selected the Correct Main Idea of a Paragraph?

If you are able to summarize the information in the passage in your own words, you have absorbed the correct main idea. To accomplish this goal, try the steps listed below after reading a short section of your textbook.

• Write a short summary in your own words about what you have read.
• Does your summary agree with this general topic?
• Does your summary contain the same ideas being expressed by the author?
• Could you write a headline (or textbook subheading) that would express your summary in less than five words?

If you are able to rephrase your choice of a topic sentence into a question and then determine if the passage answers your question, you have been successful at selecting a main idea.

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