Identifying Main Ideas and Purposes

Read the text below.

Mrs. Cain and Emily stared out across the field. It had been more than two days since Mr. Cain left for the market in town.

"Look Mama!" Emily pointed in the distance. "I think that's Papa's horse!"

What is the text's most likely purpose?

• To Persuade

• To Enterain

• To Inform

• To Distract

Read the text below.

To make a peach smoothie, first cut up some peaches. Then put the peaches, ice, and milk into a blender. Cover the blender and blend until smooth.

What is the text's most likely purpose?

• To Enterain

• To Inform

• To Persuade

• To Scare

Read the text below.

Bathing your dog takes a few simple steps. First, wet your dog. Then, gently rub soap into his or her fur. Wash the soap off completely with cool water.

What is the text's most likely purpose?

• To Entertain

• To Inform

• To Persuade

• To Detail

Look at these details from a paragraph about the same topic:

• -To train for a race, sled dogs run for many hours each day.

• -Sled dogs practice pulling a heavy sled so they get used to the weight.

• -Sled dogs also practice running on different kinds of ground.

Choose the main, or central, idea that ties all the details together.

• Pulling a sled is an important part of sled-dog training.

• Sled dogs work hard to develop to prepare for a race.

• Dog sled races can take up to two days to complete.

• Sled dogs are really cool.

Look at these details from a paragraph about the same topic:

• -The Asian longhorned beetle can harm maple trees' wood.

• -The forest tent caterpillar can destroy the leaves of maple trees.

• -Direct sunlight can cause maple trees' leaves to droop in warmer climates.

Choose the main, or central, idea that ties all the details together.

• Maple trees can be damaged in a number of ways.

• The maple tree can catch common tree diseases.

• There are different types of maple trees.

Look at these details from a paragraph about the same topic:

• -When baking, people measure the amounts of ingredients.

• -People measure how much medicine they need to take.

• -To stay on time, people measure how long it will take them to complete a task.

Choose the main, or central, idea that ties all the details together.

• Measurement is an important part of everyday life.

• Most kitchens have tools that are used for measurement.

• In sports, you might measure the distance to a goal.

Look at these details from a paragraph about the same topic:

• -Bamboo has been used to make bridges in Cambodia.

• -Some roads in India are strengthened using bamboo.

• -In Costa Rica, bamboo is sometimes used to make roofs for buildings.

Choose the main, or central, idea that ties all the details together.

• Bamboo can be used to make roofs.

• Bamboo can be used as a building material.

• There are many animals that eat bamboo.