Main Idea

There are many fun things to do at the beach. Swimming is one thing that can be done at the beach. Snorkeling is another thing that can be enjoyed. Playing beach volleyball can be a lot of fun. It is also fun to look for shells. Some people simply like to sunbathe.

What is the main idea?

• There are many fun things to do at the beach.

• It is also fun to look for shells.

• Some people simply like to sunbathe.

• Going to the beach to swim can be fun.

Native Americans dried strips of meat, pounded it into a paste, and then mixed it with fat. Sometimes they added berries and sugar. Then they pressed it into small cakes. They called these cakes pemmican. Pemmican didn't spoil, and it provided lots of energy for people traveling or going hunting. Today explorers still carry and eat this food.

What is the passage mostly about?

• who uses pemmican today

• what can be put into pemmican

• how pemmican was prepared by Native Americans.

• why people eat pemmican today

When we think of seaweed, we usually picture brown or green plants a foot or so in length. Seaweeds are also of other colors. Some are red. Some kinds grow to lengths of a hundred feet! These form giant seaweed forests, where many kinds of fish take shelter. What is the main idea?

• Why some seaweed grows so large

• What seaweed is like

• Why seaweed is red

Seated on his throne, King Midas wore a golden crown. He had golden rings on each finger and held a golden scepter. His vest was embroidered with golden thread and even his shoes had golden ornaments. He had a golden box filled with gold coins. He named his daughter Marigold.
What is the main idea of this paragraph?

• King Midas loved gold.

• King Midas sold lots of gold.

• King Midas had a heart of gold.

• King Midas hated gold.

How does the author support the main idea?

• By using emotional language only

• By providing relevant evidence, examples, logical reasoning, and analysis.

• By including irrelevant information

• By contradicting the main idea

What is a main idea? 

• The purpose of the passage

• A minor detail

• It is the same as the topic

• the most important idea about a topic that a particular text or paragraph conveys

Why do authors include a main idea in their writing?

• To confuse the readers with unnecessary details

• To hide the true meaning of the text

• To make the writing longer and more complex

• To provide a central focus or theme for the readers.

Can the main idea of a text change throughout the passage?

• Always

• No

• Yes

• Rarely

Why is it important to understand the main idea of a passage?

• To memorize every detail

• To grasp the overall message, identify key points, and summarize the content effectively.

• To skip important information

• To confuse the reader

What is the best question to ask yourself when you are trying to find the main idea?

• Who is the main character?

• What is the main event?

• What is one important detail?

• What point is the author trying to make?