GETTING THE MAIN IDEA

FINDING THE TOPIC

 Finding Topics
❖ To understand a paragraph, it’s important to find
the topic
❖ The topic is the idea to which all of the details in
the paragraph refer
❖ A topic is usually expressed as a word or phrase
 Can you find the topic?
Water is an amazing resource. Everyone in
the world depends upon it. Every creature
needs water to survive. Without water, we
would not last long. Water makes our world
beautiful.
 Can you find the topic?
Water is an amazing resource. Everyone in
the world depends upon it. Every creature
needs water to survive. Without water, we
would not last long. Water makes our world
beautiful.

Topic = WATER
❖ We could see that the
topic was water because it
was repeated again and
again
❖ This is a good way to help
us find a topic—looking
for repeated words or
phrases
 Now try this one!
Colonial Williamsburg is a great place to visit. In
Williamsburg, you can see how people lived in
colonial times. There are guides in costumes who
can show you to taverns, shops, and houses. You
can even sample some colonial food at the restored
taverns! One visit to Williamsburg will make you
feel as if you have been transported to the 1700s.
 Now try this one!
Colonial Williamsburg is a great place to visit. In
Williamsburg, you can see how people lived in
colonial times. There are guides in costumes who
can show you to taverns, shops, and houses. You
can even sample some colonial food at the restored
taverns! One visit to Williamsburg will make you
feel as if you have been transported to the 1700s.
❖ We could tell that the
topic of the paragraph is
Williamsburg because it
was repeated several times
 Finding the topic
❖ The topic of a paragraph is not always repeated
over and over in the same way
❖ Sometimes, you need to look for multiple
referents—that is, words or phrases that refer to the
same thing
 Looking for multiple referents
Here is the Williamsburg paragraph again. Notice how Williamsburg can be
replaced by other words or phrases:
Colonial Williamsburg is a great place to visit. In this
Virginia town, you can see how people lived in colonial
times. There are guides in costumes who can show you to
taverns, shops, and houses. You can even sample some
colonial food at the restored taverns! One visit to this
place will make you feel as if you have been transported
to the 1700s.
❖ Williamsburg is referred
to in several different
ways
❖ This Virginia town and
this place both refer back
to Williamsburg
❖ The topic is still
Williamsburg
Look for the topic in this paragraph
Mount Apo is the tallest mountain in the
Philippines. The King of all mountains is
located in Davao City. Many tourists find it
amazing for its beauty.
 Did you figure out the topic?
❖ Authors sometimes refer
to the same idea in
different ways
❖ “Mt. Apo” and “King of
all mountains” are the
same.
❖ When you are trying to
figure out a topic, look for
different ways of saying
the same thing
FINDING THE MAIN IDEA
 Using topics to find main ideas
❖ Once you have figured out the topic of a
paragraph, you need to find the main idea
❖ The main idea is the main point of the paragraph

MAIN IDEA = Topic + a statement about the topic

Topic + a statement about the topic = MAIN IDEA

 Can you find the main idea?
Water is an amazing resource. Everyone in
the world depends upon it. Every creature
needs water to survive. Without water, we
would not last long. Water makes our world
beautiful.
 Can you find the main idea?
Water is an amazing resource. Everyone in
the world depends upon it. Every creature
needs water to survive. Without water, we
would not last long. Water makes our world
beautiful.
 Did you find the main idea?
❖ The first sentence is the
main idea
❖ Water is an amazing
resource
❖ The topic = water
❖ The main point about the
topic = it’s an amazing
resource
 Now try this one!
Colonial Williamsburg is a great place to visit. In
Williamsburg, you can see how people lived in
colonial times. There are guides in costumes who
can show you to taverns, shops, and houses. You
can even sample some colonial food at the restored
taverns! One visit to Williamsburg will make you
feel as if you have been transported to the 1700s.
 Now try this one!
Colonial Williamsburg is a great place to visit. In
Williamsburg, you can see how people lived in
colonial times. There are guides in costumes who
can show you to taverns, shops, and houses. You
can even sample some colonial food at the restored
taverns! One visit to Williamsburg will make you
feel as if you have been transported to the 1700s.
Did you find the main idea?
❖ Once again, the main idea
is in the first sentence
❖ Topic = Williamsburg
❖ Main point about the
topic= it’s a great place to
visit
 Now try this one
What a gorgeous view! Kings Gap State Park is a
great place to see the Cumberland Valley. This is
because the park was built on top of a mountain.
From the mountain top, the fields and farms of the
valley stretch out far below. The Doubling Gap, a
mountain that curves like the letter s, can also be
seen.
How do we find the main idea?
❖ Start by finding the topic
❖ Then look at each sentence
in the paragraph
❖ Look for the sentence that
states the topic and gives a
main point about the topic
❖ Once you think you have
found it, match it against
the rest of the sentences
 Finding the topic
What a gorgeous view! Kings Gap State Park is
a great place to see the Cumberland Valley. This is
because the park was built on top of a mountain.
From the mountain top, the fields and farms of the
valley stretch out far below. The Doubling Gap, a
mountain that curves like the letter s, can also be
seen.
 Finding the topic
What a gorgeous view! Kings Gap State Park is
a great place to see the Cumberland Valley. This is
because the park was built on top of a mountain.
From the mountain top, the fields and farms of the
valley stretch out far below. The Doubling Gap, a
mountain that curves like the letter s, can also be
seen.
Finding the topic
❖ The topic, then, is Kings
Gap State Park
❖ To find the main idea, we
need to understand what
the paragraph is saying
about Kings Gap State
Park
 Let’s try the first sentence
What a gorgeous view! Kings Gap State Park is
a great place to see the Cumberland Valley. This is
because the park was built on top of a mountain.
From the mountain top, the fields and farms of the
valley stretch out far below. The Doubling Gap, a
mountain that curves like the letter s, can also be
seen.
Not the main idea
❖ The first sentence, What a
gorgeous view, does not
state the main idea
❖ It does not state the topic
of the paragraph
 What about the second sentence?
What a gorgeous view! Kings Gap State Park is
a great place to see the Cumberland Valley. This is
because the park was built on top of a mountain.
From the mountain top, the fields and farms of the
valley stretch out far below. The Doubling Gap, a
mountain that curves like the letter s, can also be
seen.
Better!
❖ The second sentence,
Kings Gap State Park is a
great place to see the
Cumberland Valley,
includes both a topic and a
main idea
Do the rest of the sentences relate?
What a gorgeous view! Kings Gap State Park is
a great place to see the Cumberland Valley. This is
because the park was built on top of a mountain.
From the mountain top, the fields and farms of the
valley stretch out far below. The Doubling Gap, a
mountain that curves like the letter s, can also be
seen.
The rest of the sentences do relate back to the second sentence.
It’s the main idea.
Let’s try another
 I went through a difficult period after my
father died. I was moody and sullen at home. I
spent most of the time in my bedroom listening
to music on the radio, which made me feel even
worse. I stopped playing soccer after school with
my friends. My grades in school went down. I
lost my appetite and seemed to get into
arguments with everybody. My mom began to
look worried, but I couldn’t bring myself to
participate in an activity with any spirit. It
seemed life had lost its joy for me.
 I went through a difficult period after my
father died. I was moody and sullen at home. I
spent most of the time in my bedroom listening
to music on the radio, which made me feel even
worse. I stopped playing soccer after school with
my friends. My grades in school went down. I
lost my appetite and seemed to get into
arguments with everybody. My mom began to
look worried, but I couldn’t bring myself to
participate in an activity with any spirit. It
seemed life had lost its joy for me.
 What have we learned?
❖ What is the topic of a text?
The topic is the word or phrase that all of the
sentences in a paragraph refer to
❖What is a main idea?
The main idea of a paragraph is the topic, plus
a feeling or attitude about the topic
❖What is a topic sentence?
States the main idea of the paragraph and the
most general sentence of the paragraph.
 What have we learned?
❖ Isthe main idea of a paragraph always the first
sentence?
No! Sometimes the main idea appears in other parts
of the paragraph

❖How do we find the topic sentence?

We need to think about the topic, and look for a
sentence that includes the topic plus a main point
about the topic