How to Find the Main Idea

What is the main idea?

The main idea of a paragraph is the point of the passage, minus all the details. It's the big
picture - the Solar System vs. the planets. The football game vs. the fans, cheerleaders,
quarterback, and uniforms. The Oscars vs. actors, the red carpet, designer gowns, and films.
The main idea is what you tell someone when they ask what you did last weekend. You might
say something like, "I went to the mall," instead of saying, "I got in my car and drove to the mall.
After I found a parking space near the main entrance, I went inside and got a coffee at
Starbucks. Then, I went into several shoe stores looking for a new pair of kicks to wear next
weekend when we go to the beach. I found them at Aldo's, but then I tried on shorts for the
next hour because I realized mine were all too small."
It's the brief, but all-encompassing summary. It covers everything the paragraph talks about,
but nothing in particular.
 How to Find the Main Idea
 Summarize the Passage
 After you've read the passage, summarize it in one sentence that includes the gist of
ever idea from the paragraph. A good way to do this is to pretend you have just ten
words to tell someone what the passage was about. You'd have to think broadly, so you
could included every detail in just a short statement.
 Look for Repetition of Ideas
 If you read through a paragraph and you have no idea how to summarize it because
there is so much information, start looking for repeated words, phrases, ideas or similar
ideas. Read this example paragraph:
 A new hearing device uses a magnet to hold the detachable sound-processing portion
in place. Like other aids, it converts sound into vibrations. But it is unique in that it can
transmit the vibrations directly to the magnet and then to the inner ear. This produces a
clearer sound. The new device will not help all hearing-impaired people - only those
with a hearing loss caused by infection or some other problem in the middle ear. It will
probably help no more than 20 percent of all people with hearing problems. Those
people who have persistent ear infections, however, should find relief and restored
hearing with the new device.
 What idea does this paragraph consistently repeat? A new hearing device. What's the
point about this idea? A new hearing device is now available for some hearing-impaired
people. And there is the main idea.
 Cause and Effect

What Is It?
A cause and effect analysis is an attempt to understand why things happen as
they do. People in many professions—accident investigators, scientists,
historians, doctors, newspaper reporters, automobile mechanics, educators,
police detectives—spend considerable effort trying to understand the causes
and effects of human behavior and natural phenomena to gain better control
over events and over ourselves. If we understand the causes of accidents,
wars, and natural disasters, perhaps we can avoid them in the future. If we
understand the consequences of our own behavior, perhaps we can modify
our behavior in a way that will allow us to lead happier, safer lives.
Cause Effect

Earthquakes
Erosion
Heavy Rain
Mudslides
Poor Drainage
Deforestation
Steep Terrain

Flooding
Mudslides Property Loss
Injury and Death
Strategies: predicting, skimming, scanning and
reading for detail
 Predicting content To familiarise yourself with a text, it is a good idea to make predictions by looking at
pictures and headings before you start to read. Think about the following questions before you read a
text:
 What do the pictures show?
 What do the headings and subheadings tell you? What topic might the article be about?
 What do you already know about this topic?

 Skimming
 Skimming involves reading quickly to get the main idea of a text. Reading topic sentences (usually the first
sentence of a paragraph) can be an effective way of understanding the main idea of the text.

 Scanning
 Scanning involves searching for numbers, symbols and long words in a text. This is a useful way of locating
answers in reading exams. You can scan the text for words or numbers from the question.

 Reading for detail or intensive reading

 We use this skill when we need to understand every work in a part of a text. This may be used when we
answer detailed reading questions in exams.
 Paraphrasing
involves putting a passage from source material into your own words. A paraphrase must also be
attributed to the original source. Paraphrased material is usually shorter than the original passage,
taking a somewhat broad segment of the source and condensing it slightly.
8 Steps to Effective Paraphrasing
1. Reread the original passage until you understand its full meaning.
2. Set the original aside, so it is out of sight, and write your paraphrase on a note card.
3. Jot down a few words below your paraphrase to remind you later how you envision using this
material in your essay.
4.At the top of the note card, write a key word or phrase to indicate the subject of your paraphrase.
5. Now, take out the original passage, and check your rendition with the original to make sure that
your version accurately expresses all the essential information in a new form.
6. Use quotation marks to identify any unique term or phraseology you have borrowed exactly from
the source.
7. Record the source (including the page) on your note card so that. you can credit it easily if you
decide to incorporate the material into your paper.
8. TIP: Some students like to read, highlight, and annotate the section to make sure that they
understand it. Then put the quote away, so it is out of sight, and begin writing the paraphrase.

 Summarizing
involve putting the main idea(s) into your own words, including only the main point(s). Once again, it
is necessary to attribute summarized ideas to the original source. Summaries are significantly shorter
than a paraphrase because summaries take a broader overview of the source material.