Chapter 11: Identifying Main Ideas
In college, you will read a wide variety of materials, including the following:
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Textbooks. These usually include summaries, glossaries, comprehension questions, and other study aids.
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Nonfiction books. These are less likely to include the study features found in textbooks.
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Popular magazine, newspaper, or web articles. These are usually written for a general audience.
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Scholarly books and journal articles. These are written for an audience of specialists in a given field.
Regardless of the type text you are assigned to read, your primary goal is to identify and understand the main idea: the most important idea that the writer wants to communicate and often states early on. Finding the main idea gives you a framework to organize the details presented in the reading and relate the reading to concepts you learned in class or through other reading assignments.
The main idea of a text may be stated directly in the form of a topic sentence that includes the topic and the author’s opinion about the topic. On the other hand, the main idea may be implied. An implied main idea is not stated directly. When the main idea is implied, it may be suggested by the details and examples that are included in the paragraph. Watch the video below to learn more about implied main ideas.
To identify the main idea or implied main idea of a paragraph/reading passage you must identify the topic before you begin to read the passage. This is accomplished by reading heading, titles, focusing in on any images related to the article and in the case of a reading test if there are none of the aforementioned clues, then read the questions that follow the passage.
If you know what the topic is before you begin to read, then you are setting yourself up to becoming an active reader because while you are reading you will be actively asking yourself, “What is the author’s controlling or main point about the topic?” The answer to that question will give you the main idea for the passage.
Example Paragraph
Do you make time to exercise on a daily basis? Exercising has many physical and emotional benefits. One benefit of daily exercise is toned muscles. Toned muscles provide support for the skeletal system and also help to burn calories more efficiently. Another benefit of exercise is increased flexibility. Flexibility can help to prevent injuries while participating in daily life activities. A third benefit of daily exercise is it can serve as a stress reliever. Exercise increases serotonin, a hormone that increases feelings of well-being and overall happiness. Weight loss is a final benefit of exercise. Walking one mile at a brisk pace burns about one hundred calories. Exercising on a daily basis can help a person to live longer and enjoy an overall better quality of life.
Now ask yourself: What exactly about exercise is the author discussing?
The main idea of this passage is: Exercising has many physical and emotional benefits.
Here are some pointers:
- Only one sentence can be the stated main idea in a paragraph.
- Avoid choosing a sentence just because it interests you or you think it sounds important.
- Be sure you understand the sentence.
- The main idea is never a question.
- Examples are details that support the main idea, so examples cannot be the main idea.
- Watch for word or phrases authors use to signal their main idea. The point is, It is important, Thus, etc.
- Read the entire paragraph before you decide if there is a stated main idea.
- Longer selections (such as textbook sections, essays, articles, and editorials) can have overall stated main ideas.
- Locating the main idea is a skill that underlies several important study skills, such as marking a text, outlining, making concept maps and writing summaries.
Watch this video to learn more about locating the main idea in a paragraph:
CC Licensed Content, Shared Previously
Content adapted from an open course from Broward, licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license.
Content adapted from “Reading and Writing in College,” section 1.1 from the book Successful Writing (v. 1.0), licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license.
Video Content
“Location of the main idea sentence” by Snap Language
