Worksheetsmain idea
Total questions: 15
Worksheet time: 41mins
A statement that tells what a passage is mostly about.
Topic Sentence
Supporting Details
Main Idea
Central Idea
IDENTIFY THE MAIN IDEA
When one hears the term "reality" applied to a show, one might expect that the events portrayed occurred naturally or, at the least, were not scripted. This is not always the case. Many reality shows occur in unreal environments, like rented mansions occupied by film crews. Such living environments do not reflect what most people understand to be "reality." Worse, there have been accusations that events not captured on film were later restaged by producers. Worse still, some involved in the production of "reality" television claim that the participants were urged to act out story lines premeditated by producers. With such accusations floating around, it's no wonder many people take reality TV to be about as real as the sitcom.
What is the main idea of this passage?
The everyday work on a set of a reality TV show.
How important is to watch reality TV shows
The similarities of reality TV with sitcoms.
Reality TV is not as real as they show you to be.
IDENTIFY THE MAIN IDEA
"Are you already done, son?" his father asked. "It seems like you just got him in the water." Justin was finished washing his new puppy, Fido, in less than two minutes. He got Fido's hair wet, rubbed some weird smelling shampoo on his hair, washed Fido's body with soap, and quickly rinsed it off. He knew bathing Fido was his responsibility, but he liked to bathe his dog quickly so he would have more time to play with Fido. In fact, Justin never gave Fido a long bath. To him, the faster the bath, the better.
What is the main idea of the passage?
Justin's dog, Fido, is very clean.
Justin uses weird-smelling shampoo.
Justin likes bathing his dog quickly.
Justin never bathes his dog.
What are supporting details?
Doesn't matter because supporting details are irrelevant.
Additional information that is not always relevant
Additional information that explains, defines, or proves the main idea
A collection of facts
What supporting DETAIL might you find in the same article about healthy foods?
That people who eat healthy foods live longer.
That healthy foods include vegetables and protein.
That healthy foods are good for you.
That eating is necessary to sustain life.
IDENTIFY THE MAIN IDEA
Before you put on that skeleton costume and rove door-to-door pandering for candy, take a minute to reflect on this tradition. Halloween is believed to have come from an ancient Celtic festival dating back some 2,000 years. November 1st was the Celtic New Year and marked the end of summer to the Celts. They celebrated on its eve by wearing costumes made of animal skins and dancing around bon fires. Over the next two millennia, this primitive celebration grew to be the candy fueled costume ball that we know today.
What is the main idea of this passage?
The origins of Halloween
The New Celtic Year
Primitive traditions
Why the skeleton costume is the best for Halloween
If you read an essay explaining why eating healthy foods is good for you, what would the topic be?
Healthy foods include fruits, vegetables, and lean protein.
Healthy foods
Eating healthy foods is good for you.
Eating is necessary to sustain life.
IDENTIFY THE MAIN IDEA
Amanda sat on a chair in her room. She looked out the window at a tree, which was covered with snow. She held a pencil in her hand and a pad of writing paper in her lap. She began to dream of a story she could write. Suddenly, a bird flew onto a snow-covered branch of the tree. The bird’s head was red, and its feather were black with white tips. Amanda thought, “What if the bird were magic?” Now she had an idea for her first story.
What is the main idea of this passage?
Amanda was lazy and a dreamer
Amanda couldn't write.
Amanda wants to write and got inspiration from a bird.
Amanda likes birds.
In the phrase, "The main idea is buttressed by supporting details," what is the best synonym for "buttressed?"
Backed
Refuted
Confounded
Weakened
IDENTIFY THE MAIN IDEA
It is estimated that over twenty million pounds of candy corn are sold in the US each year. Brach's, the top manufacturer, sells enough candy corn to circle the earth 4.25 times if each piece were laid end to end. That's a lot of candy corn, but that's nothing compared to the production of Tootsie Rolls. Over 64 million Tootsie Rolls are produced every day! But even Tootsie Rolls have got nothing on the candy industry's staple product: chocolate. Confectioners manufacture over twenty billion pounds of chocolate in the United States each year. Now that's a mouthful!
How much of popular candies are sold each year.
The overpowering candy industry
Tootsie Rolls are delicious
Candy corn, the world's most abundant candy piece.
Which sentence best describes the main idea of the paragraph?
What is this selection mainly about?
If you wanted to find the main idea in a piece of writing, where would you look?
In the first sentence
In the first sentence of the second paragraph
In the last sentence of the first paragraph
There's no one place where the main idea is always found.
The main idea is supported by what?
Topics
Body paragraphs
Conclusion
Details
