Main Idea, Supporting Details, and Summary

Front

What is the main idea of a passage?

Back

The main idea is a statement that tells what a passage is mostly about.

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What are supporting details?

Back

Supporting details are the facts and/or examples in a paragraph that help explain or support the main idea.

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What is a topic sentence?

Back

A topic sentence is a complete sentence that expresses the main idea of a paragraph and is mostly found at the beginning.

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What is a summary?

Back

A summary is a brief statement that gives the main points of a passage.

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What is the purpose of supporting details?

Back

Supporting details provide evidence and examples to clarify and strengthen the main idea.

Front

Where is the main idea usually found in a paragraph?

Back

The main idea is usually found in the first sentence or the topic sentence of a paragraph.

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What is the relationship between the main idea and supporting details?

Back

The main idea is the central point, while supporting details provide the information that backs up that point.

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What is a conclusion sentence?

Back

A conclusion sentence wraps up the paragraph and reinforces the main idea.

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How can you identify the main idea in a passage?

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Look for the topic sentence and see what the rest of the paragraph discusses to support it.

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What is an example of a supporting detail?

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An example of a supporting detail could be a fact, statistic, or anecdote that illustrates the main idea.