Finding the Main Idea Jerry Johns "Improving Reading Strategies" *What is the paragraph mostly about? *What is the most important idea given about the topic? *Look for details that tell about the main idea. If you can't locate any details, you probably don't have the main idea. *Remember that the main idea is sometimes right in the passage. Other times you have to use details to figure out the main idea. 1. Look for the topic. -Read the passage -Ask yourself: What is the entire paragraph or passage about, or to what does most of what I read seem to refer? The answer to these questions will give you the TOPIC. 2. Next, find the Main Idea or central theme -Ask yourself: What is the most general statement made about the topic? -Go back and examine each sentence -What seems to be repeated, hinted at, or emphasized in most sentences? -Is there one general idea in the passage which is repeated? -If so, that is probably the MAIN IDEA -If not, then you have to infer what the main idea is, because it is not stated 3. If the strategies in step 2 didn't work, try these: -Think of each sentence in the passage as a factor in an addition problem. For example, try to figure out what each of the specific statements made in the passage add up to, or where they lead: (A specific statement) + (A specific statement) + (A specific statement) = Total: The Main Idea (A General Statement) -All of the sentences in a passage might not add up to the main idea. Only add up those that are connected by the same idea. -Ask yourself: In what direction does each of these specific points seem to lead? The answer gives you the MAIN IDEA -Ask yourself: Is there a general statement that applies to most of these idea? The answer gives you the MAIN IDEA