Central Idea, Theme, & Text Structure

What is the best question to ask yourself when you are trying to find the central idea of a text?

• Who is the main character?

• What is the significance of the main event?

• What is one important detail?

• What does the author want me to remember most?

_{Most people want to think that they are in control of their pets. However, a study by Karen McComb at the University of Sussex found that cat owners are controlled by their cats. Cat owners probably won’t have too much trouble believing this. Cats make a fairly loud noise by mixing a purr with a cry. The sound seems to be less annoying to humans than straight meowing. Using this sound, cats tell humans when they want to eat and when they want the door opened. The purr part of the sound keeps humans from becoming too annoyed, so the cat gets exactly what he or she wants.}

Which sentence from the paragraph SUPPORTS the central idea that CATS HAVE A SMART WAY OF GETTING WHAT THEY WANT?

• "Most people want to think that they are in control of their pets."

• "Cat owners probably won't have too much trouble believing this."

• "The purr part of the sound keeps humans from becoming too annoyed."

• "Cats make a fairly loud noise by mixing a purr with a cry."

What is the CENTRAL IDEA of a nonfiction text?

• What the author of a text wants me to remember most.

• A full paragraph SUMMARY of a text.

• The type of CONFLICT used throughout a text.

• The universal truth, moral lesson, or message that the author intends for the audience.

What is the central idea of the passage?

In 1981, a new television channel was introduced to showcase musicians performing their songs in music videos. This channel was called MTV, or Music Television. Since the channel first went on the air, viewership has increased, and the channel has expanded to countries all over the world. Today, MTV not only shows music videos, but a variety of other television programming as well.

• MTV has been a ground-breaking TV channel

• MTV offers interesting videos

• Watching MTV is a great way to see musicians

• MTV is a channel that is broadcasted around the world

What is the central idea of the passage?

Millions of acres of tropical rainforest have been destroyed. Many animals and people lose their homes when the rain forest is cut down. Today, people are destroying the forests so quickly that the animals are unable to adapt. Many of these animals, such as the leopard, need miles and miles of untouched rain forest in order to live. Furthermore, as more of the rainforest is destroyed, the risk of air pollution and loss of oxygen increases.

• Leopards are losing their homes

• The destruction of the rain forest is harming humans and animals.

• The destruction of the rain forest is an interesting subject

• Forests provide oxygen for humans and animals

When determining a theme, the reader should first consider...

• the illustrations
• the subject or topic
• the title
• the length of the story 

How is central idea different from theme?

• Theme incudes specific names and details from the text.

• Central idea is the main point the author wants you to remember and theme is the moral or lesson you learn from the story.

• The central idea tells the lesson or moral of the text.

• The theme is the main topic or focus of the text.

Which of the following best describes the relationship between a central idea and supporting details in a text?

• Supporting details are unrelated to the central idea.

• Supporting details are the main point the author wants you to remember.

• Supporting details provide evidence and examples that reinforce the central idea.

• The central idea is a minor point that supports the details.

What question should you ask to determine the theme of a story?

• What is the setting of the story?

• What lesson or message does the story convey?

• Who is the protagonist?

• What is the author's writing style?

How can identifying the central idea help in understanding a nonfiction text?

• It helps in memorizing the text word for word.

• It provides a summary of the text's main points.

• It highlights the author's personal opinions.

• It focuses on the text's grammatical structure.