Paragraph Structure - Main Idea and Details

The main idea is the central point or message that the author wants to convey in the paragraph.

Textual evidence refers to specific details or quotes from the text that support the main idea or a claim.

You make an inference by combining information from the text with your own experiences and knowledge to draw a conclusion.

A supporting detail is a piece of information that helps to explain, clarify, or provide evidence for the main idea.

The topic sentence is usually the first sentence of a paragraph.

The purpose of a topic sentence is to introduce the main idea of the paragraph.

A detail that does not fit with the topic sentence does not support or relate to the main idea presented in that sentence.

Supporting details provide evidence and elaboration that reinforce the main idea of the paragraph.

You can identify the main idea by looking for the topic sentence and considering the supporting details.

A fact is a statement that can be proven true or false, while an opinion is a personal belief or judgment that cannot be proven.