Identify Main Idea

If a paragraph does not contain a main idea sentence, the reader must

• keep reading until the topic sentence is found.

• identify the topic of the paragraph and what the sentences are saying about it.

• read the first sentence in the paragraph.

• read the last sentence in the paragraph.

To identify the topic of a paragraph, a reader should

• read the first sentence because it always shows the main idea.

• read the last sentence because it sometimes shows the main idea.

• look for repeated words, phrases, and ideas.

• look for a sentence that contains unfamiliar words.

To identify the topic of a paragraph, look for repetition. Read the paragraph below. Which words or ideas are repeated the most?

• wrap

• aluminum foil

• veggies

• used

• water

To infer main idea, ask, "What are the sentences saying about the topic?" The answer is

• ____________________.

• The best aspect about aluminum foil is you can wrap meat and veggies in it, place it near a fire,and a few minutes later have a hot meal.

• __________, aluminum foil can also be molded into a bowl, cup, funnel, or a pot for boiling water.

• Before aluminum foil was invested, people used foil made out of tin.

• In addition, aluminum foil can be used to enhance an antenna, to sharpen scissors, to make sun boxes for small plants, to collect dew from trees, and - in the summer - it can be put in windows to keep the heat out.

For A, choose the best topic sentence to introduce this paragraph.

[A] ____________________. [B] The best aspect about aluminum foil is you can wrap meat and veggies in it, place it near a fire,and a few minutes later have a hot meal. [C] __________, aluminum foil can also be molded into a bowl, cup, funnel, or a pot for boiling water. [D] Before aluminum foil was invested, people used foil made out of tin. [E] In addition, aluminum foil can be used to enhance an antenna, to sharpen scissors, to make sun boxes for small plants, to collect dew from trees, and in the summer it can be put in windows to keep the heat out.

• Aluminum foil has many uses.

• People used tin foil before aluminum foil was invented.

• Aluminum foil can be used to cook and carry water.

• Aluminum foil is the greatest survival tool of all time.

• Small plants like to grow in sun boxes.

To infer main idea, ask, "What are the sentences saying about the topic?" The answer is

Every time you go to a Chinese restaurant or eat sushi, why not grab a few extra chopsticks? They will soon amass into a nice collection. ____________________. After using them as a utensil, you don't have to clean them because they have a new purpose: starting fires. Use them as kindling! __________, you can use chopsticks as barbecue skewers. Soak chopsticks in water for 15 minutes, then use them to spear meat and veggies, and place over your fire. In Japan and China alone, approximately 79 billion pairs of disposable chopsticks are produced yearly.

• Chopsticks can be used for starting fires.

• Billions of chopsticks are produced each year.

• Chopsticks can not only be used for eating, but also for building a fire and cooking.

• Chopsticks can be used for barbeque skewers.

• Grab extra chopsticks when you are at an Asian restaurant.

Another term for main idea sentence is

• topic

• topic sentence

• argument

• clincher

Supporting details make the main idea stronger.

• True

• False

To identify the topic of a paragraph, look for repetition. Read the paragraph below. Which words or ideas are repeated the most?

[1] Every time you go to a Chinese restaurant or eat sushi, why not grab a few extra chopsticks? [2] They will soon amass into a nice collection. [3] ____________________. [4] After using them as a utensil, you don't have to clean them because they have a new purpose: starting fires. [5] Use them as kindling! [6] __________, you can use chopsticks as barbecue skewers. [7] Soak chopsticks in water for 15 minutes, then use them to spear meat and veggies, and place over your fire. [8] In Japan and China alone, approximately 79 billion pairs of disposable chopsticks are produced yearly.

• grab

• fire, fires

• Chinese

• chopsticks

• rice

For sentence 3, identify a topic sentence that would best fit the underlined section.

[1] Every time you go to a Chinese restaurant or eat sushi, why not grab a few extra chopsticks? [2] They will soon amass into a nice collection. [3] ____________________. [4] After using them as a utensil, you don't have to clean them because they have a new purpose: starting fires. [5] Use them as kindling! [6] __________, you can use chopsticks as barbecue skewers. [7] Soak chopsticks in water for 15 minutes, then use them to spear meat and veggies, and place over your fire. [8] In Japan and China alone, approximately 79 billion pairs of disposable chopsticks are produced yearly.

• Chopsticks can be used for starting fires.

• Billions of chopsticks are produced each year.

• You can use chopsticks not only for eating, but also for building a fire and cooking.

• Chopsticks can be used for barbeque skewers.

• Grab extra chopsticks when you are at an Asian restaurant.