Determining the Main Idea and Summarising Texts

Why is determining the main idea of a text important?

• It helps us to write better.

• It makes the text more interesting.

• It makes the text shorter.

• It helps us to better understand what we are reading.

What can titles and headings provide clues about?

• The difficulty level of the text

• The author's name

• The length of the text

• The main idea of the text

What is a topic sentence?

• A sentence that provides a conclusion

• A sentence that repeats an idea

• A sentence that provides the main idea of a paragraph

• The last sentence of a paragraph

Where is a topic sentence usually found?

• In the title

• At the beginning of a paragraph

• At the end of a paragraph

• In the middle of a paragraph

What can concluding sentences provide clues about?

• The main idea of the paragraph

• The next paragraph

• The title of the text

• The author's opinion

What does the concluding sentence usually do?

• Introduces a new idea

• Repeats the first sentence

• Provides a summary or conclusion

• Asks a question

What should you look for in a text without titles or headings to find the main idea?

• The length of the text

• The first word

• Repeated ideas

• The author's name

Why is it important to use multiple strategies to determine the main idea?

• Because it makes the text more interesting

• Because it helps to memorize the text

• Because it makes the text longer

• Because not all strategies will always work