FinishHigh · 1-page summary
Find the main idea and the details that prove it
Main idea: the one big point, proved by details
Key points
- The topic is what it is about. The main idea is what the writer says about it.
- Read the first and last sentences first.
- Ask: what do most sentences talk about?
- Details are facts, numbers, examples and quotes that back it up.
- Not stated? Put the clues together in your own words.
Worked example
1. Fewer children walk to school than in the past.
2. Many roads near schools have no sidewalks.
3. Towns that added sidewalks saw more children walking again.
Main idea: missing sidewalks are a big reason fewer children walk.
Try it
Which choice is too small to be the main idea of the sidewalk passage: (a) Some roads have no sidewalks. (b) Missing sidewalks keep children from walking to school.
Answer: (a) is just one detail. (b) covers the whole passage.
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