Main Idea and Supporting Details

Which sentence is a supporting detail that recycling is important?

• There are many landfills available for waste.
• Recycling paper saves trees from being cut down.
• Clean jars before recycling them.
• Separate your paper, cans, and glass jars before recycling.

Yesterday was my birthday. When I woke up, I noticed my brother Josh hung up a big sign that said,"Happy Birthday, Charles!" Mom made spaghetti for dinner.

It's my favorite food in the whole world. My friend Dave came over and handed me a wrapped gift. I wondered what it was. It was a new basketball! I had a great day.

What is the main idea of this paragraph?

• Josh got lots of gifts.

• Charles got lots of gifts.

• Charles had a great birthday.

• Josh had a great birthday.

The Statue of Liberty is visited by thousands of people every year. The Statue of Liberty is a 151 foot tall statue of a woman holding a book and a torch. It was a gift of friendship from the people of France. It has become the universal symbol for freedom.
Which of the following is NOT a supporting detail? 

• The Statue of Liberty is an amazing statue
• The Statue of Liberty is 151 feet tall
• Thousands of people visit the Statues of Liberty each year
• It was a gift of friendship from France

Matilda Excerpt
By Roald Dahl
By the time she was three, Matilda had taught herself to read by studying newspapers and magazines that lay around the house. At the age of four, she could read fast and well and she naturally began hankering after books. The only book in the whole of this enlightened household was something called Easy Cooking belonging to her mother, and when she had read this from cover to cover and had learnt all the recipes by heart, she decided she wanted something more interesting. "Daddy," she said, "do you think you could buy me a book?" "A book,” he said. "Whatd' you want a flaming book for?" "To read, Daddy." "What's wrong with the telly, for heaven's sake? We've got a lovely telly with a twelve-inch screen and now you come asking for a book! You're getting spoiled, my girl!"
What is the main idea?

• Matilda can read fast.
• Matilda is eager to learn and read more.
• Matilda is interested in cookbooks.
• Matilda’s dad won’t buy her a new book.

Some people say that the White House has ghosts.  The most famous ghost is Abraham Lincoln.  He is often seen standing in his room looking out the window.  Even Eleanor Roosevelt said that she saw him.  There is a legend that old Abe walks back and forth all night before something terrible is about to happen.  This paragraph mainly tells:

• what Lincoln's ghost is like
• when Eleanor Roosevelt's ghost walked
• hwo many ghosts the White House has
• how ghosts show when something will happen

What is this selection mainly about?

Someday we will all have robots that will be our personal servants. They will look and behave much like real humans. We will be able to talk to these mechanical helpers and they will be able to respond in kind! Amazingly, the robots of the future will be able to learn from experience. They will be smart, strong, and untiring workers whose only goal will be to make our lives easier.

• Someday we will have robots that will be our personal servants.

• We will be able to talk to robots and they will be able to respond.

• Robots will look and behave much like real humans.

• Amazingly, the robots of the future will be able to learn from experience.

Why is it important to locate a main idea? How will it help you?

• Locating the main idea will help you comprehend a text better.
• It will help you learn more about a subject.
• It does not really help you much.
• None of the answers fit the question.

4. Which of the following is a supporting detail of this paragraph?
Robots are being used in sumo wrestling contests. Sumo wrestling is a sport that started in Japan. It takes place in a ring. Two players try to score points by holding each other down or pushing each other out of the ring. Robot sumo uses robots instead of humans. The robot that scores the most points wins.

• Robots are being used in sumo wrestling contests
• Robots sumo contests are better than human sumo contests.
• Robot sumo uses robots instead of humans.
• Watching robot sumo is boring.

Main Idea and Theme are both used for Informational texts.

• True

• False

What are supporting details?

• Useless

• Details from the text that tell you how the character is feeling

• Details about the text that tell you about the setting

• Details from the text that develop the main idea