Main Idea and Text Structure

In a text with a sequence text structure, the author...

• describes a topic and its characteristics.

• tells about events in the order they happened.

• explains how things are similar and different.

• describes a problem and then explains how someone solved it.

Answer explanation

In a text with a sequence text structure, the author tells about events in the order they happened. This choice correctly describes the characteristic of a sequence text structure where events are presented in a chronological order.

In a text with a compare and contrast text structure, the author...

• explains something that happened and the reasons why.

• tells about events in the order they happened.

• explains how things are similar and different.

• describes a problem and then explains how someone solved it.

Answer explanation

In a compare and contrast text structure, the author explains how things are similar and different.

In a text with a cause and effect text structure, the author...

• 
  explains something that happened and the reasons why.

• tells about events in the order they happened.

• describes a topic and its characteristics.

• describes a problem and then explains how someone solved it.

Answer explanation

In a cause and effect text structure, the author explains something that happened and the reasons why.

Identify the main text structure used in the passage below: 

 

Many students in the US say that they've been bullied at school. Natalie Hampton is a high school student who was bullied a lot in middle school. She often had no one to sit with at lunch. So she created a phone app called "Sit With Us." This app lets students sign up and post when there are free seats at their lunch tables. These students have promised to be kind to those who come sit with them. Hampton hopes her app will help students find people to sit with without fear of being bullied.

• Problem and solution

• Cause and effect

• Compare and contrast

• Description

Answer explanation

The main text structure used in the passage is problem and solution. The passage presents the problem of students being bullied at school and introduces the solution of Natalie Hampton's app, 'Sit With Us,' which aims to help students find people to sit with without fear of being bullied.

Identify the main text structure used in the passage below:

 

The Greenland shark can grow to be around 16 feet long. It’s an apex predator, an animal that is at the top of the food chain. No other creatures prey on apex predators. The Greenland shark can live to be about 400 years old, making it the the longest-living vertebrate animal.

• Problem and solution

• Description

• Sequence

• Compare and contrast

Answer explanation

The main text structure used in the passage is Description. It provides information about the Greenland shark's size, status as an apex predator, and lifespan.

Which of the following is an example of a main idea of a book?

• Sparky, a dog who fights fires

• I read a story about Duke, a police dog.

• Slap Jake is my favorite comic book hero.

• Superpup is a brave beagle that fights crime in New York.

Answer explanation

A main idea is one complete sentence that states what the author is trying to prove or show about the topic, in this case, Superpup.

The main idea of a book is "plants need sunlight to grow." Which of these is a detail that supports the main idea?

• My favorite kind of plant is the Venus fly trap.

• There are many species of plants on earth.

• Plants that get more sunlight grow taller than plants that sit in the dark.

• Jessica sat in the sun and looked at her garden.

Answer explanation

Plants that receive more sunlight grow taller, supporting the main idea that plants need sunlight to grow.

Which sentence gives you the best clue about the main idea of this paragraph?

 

Insects are called "bugs" because they bother people. Some bugs are very helpful to farmers and other people. Some farmers buy ladybugs for their farms. Ladybugs eat other insects that eat crops. Farmers want the crops to grow. Some spiders also eat bugs that eat plants. Another bug that helps people is the honeybee. They don't eat plant-eating bugs, but bees pollinate flowers so that they grow. They also make honey, a natural sugar that many people love to eat.

• Insects are called "bugs" because they bother people.

• Some bugs are very helpful to farmers and other people.

• Some farmers buy ladybugs for their farms.

• Another bug that helps people is the honeybee.

Answer explanation

The sentence 'Some bugs are very helpful to farmers and other people.' gives the best clue about the main idea of the paragraph as it highlights the positive role of bugs in benefiting farmers and people.

Which sentence best describes the main idea of this paragraph?

 

July 20, 1969 was an exciting day. This was the day the first astronauts stepped onto the moon. As the Apollo rocket circled the moon, a craft called the Eagle landed. The world watched on TV as the doors opened. Astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped down the ladder onto the dusty surface of the moon. "That's one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind," he said. With these famous words, the first man took the first steps on the surface of the moon.

• The surface of the moon is dusty.

• 
  The Apollo rocket circled the moon.

• Armstrong became the first man on the moon in 1969.

• The world likes to watch astronauts on television.

Answer explanation

The main idea of the paragraph is that Armstrong became the first man on the moon in 1969.

Identify the main text structure used in the passage below:

 

John was always late for school. His mother tried to wake him up early, but he would just turn over and go back to sleep. One day, his mother had an idea. She bought an alarm clock and set it to ring at 6:00 AM. The next day, John woke up on time and was never late for school again.

• Problem and solution

• Cause and effect

• Compare and contrast

• Description

Answer explanation

The main text structure used in the passage is problem and solution. The passage presents the problem of John being late for school and his mother's solution of buying an alarm clock to wake him up on time.