Understanding Theme and Main Idea

What is the theme of a story?

• The big message or lesson the author wants to share

• The central point or most important event

• The main character's actions

• The setting of the story

How is the main idea different from the theme?

• The main idea is more specific than the theme

• The main idea is a broad concept

• The main idea is the underlying message

• The main idea is not important for understanding the story

What does understanding both the theme and main idea help readers do?

• Appreciate the story better

• Identify the main characters

• Focus only on the plot

• Ignore the deeper meaning

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

• A brave dog saving its owner

• Friendship

• Courage

• Love

Why is the theme not always stated directly in a story?

• Readers need to think about it

• It is not important

• It is always obvious

• Authors forget to include it