The main idea is the overall idea of the paragraph.
It is supported
by details throughout the paragraph much like the frame of a
house supports the roof.
Topic
Main Idea
Supporting Supporting Supporting
Detail Detail Detail
Florida Vegetation
Florida is full of beautiful scenery, but the vegetation is exceptionally exquisite.
Hibiscus Though it has a
The royal palm plants, with harsh sounding
is one of the their name, the saw
most majestic picturesque palmetto works
types of flowers, are a well as a buffer
vegetation in pleasing between roads
Florida. addition to any and residences.
landscape.
Florida is full of beautiful scenery, but the vegetation is exceptionally exquisite. Shopping plazas,
residential areas, and highway medians are often elaborately decorated with grand palm trees and tropical plants. Of
the many types of vegetation found in Florida, one of the most majestic is the royal palm. Growing to nearly ninety
feet tall, it towers over many shopping centers and hotels with splendor. Hibiscus plants, with their picturesque
flowers, are a pleasing addition to any landscape. Adorned with pink, red, or orange flowers, the hibiscus sets a
tropical scene to homes and businesses alike. Finally, the saw palmetto, though it has a harsh sounding name, works
well as a buffer between roads and residences.
Finding the Main Idea
May 2009; ASC Eng/Read
Main Idea Practice Exercises
Read the passages and answer the questions.
1
Fire ants are painful and destructive pests. 2The fire ant earned its name because of its
venom. 3The insect uses a wasp-like stinger to inject the venom, which causes a painful burning
sensation and leaves tiny, itching pustules. 4The ants will swarm over anyone or anything that
disturbs their nests. 5In addition to causing pain, fire ants damage many crops by eating the
plants and by protecting other insects that damage crops. 6Fire ants are attracted to soybeans,
eggplant, corn, okra, strawberries, and potatoes.
1. What is the topic of the passage?
a. Ant bites c. Farming
b. Fire ants d. Pests
2. What does the author want you to know about the topic?
a. Fire ants have a wasp-like stinger.
b. Fire ants swarm.
c. Fire ants are pests to farmers.
d. Fire ants are painful and pesky.
3. Which sentence contains the main idea?
a. 1 c. 4
b. 2 d. 5
1
Rosa Parks was an African American woman who worked hard as a seamstress in a
department store in the early 1960s. 2One day, tired from work, she refused to give up her seat
on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, and became a national hero. 3She was arrested and placed in
jail for her refusal to move to the back of the bus, where African Americans were forced to sit in
those days. 4The way she was treated garnered national attention. 5Some people say her refusal
to give up her seat launched the civil rights movement. 6Rosa Parks proved that one brave
person can make a difference.
4. What is the topic of the passage?
a. Rosa Parks c. Brave People
b. Civil Rights d. National Heroes
5. What does the author want you to know about the topic?
a. Rosa Parks was a hard working woman.
b. Brave people deserve special attention.
c. Stubborn people always get their way.
d. Brave people can make a difference.
6. Which sentence contains the main idea?
a. 1 c. 5
b. 2 d. 6
Finding the Main Idea
May 2009; ASC Eng/Read
1
Few of us could swim in the ocean comfortably after seeing filmmaker Steven
Spielberg’s terrifying movie Jaws. 2In his hit movie E.T. the Extraterrestrial, Spielberg
created a sweet, funny film about a being from outer space. 3In 1985, he gave us The Color
Purple, a moving picture about a black family in the South that earned him a Best Director
nomination. 4Steven Spielberg has created some of the most successful and popular films of the
1970s and 1980s.
7. Sentence 1 is a
a. Main Idea b. Supporting Detail
8. Sentence 2 is a
a. Main Idea b. Supporting Detail
9. Sentence 3 is a
b. Main Idea b. Supporting Detail
10. Sentence 4 is a
a. Main Idea b. Supporting Detail
Read the following passage. Fill in the chart using information from the paragraph.
1
Reggae music is a complex mix of message and style. 2Originating in Jamaica in the
1960s, reggae evolved from folk music that protested racism and corruption.
3
Reggae also has a religious side that is based on the Bible from the view of black culture.
4
Some critics say that the serious messages of reggae are easier to accept because of its powerful
dance beat.
Topic:
Main Idea:
Supporting Detail: Supporting Detail: Supporting Detail:
Finding the Main Idea
May 2009; ASC Eng/Read
MAIN IDEAS
EXERCISES: Each paragraph is followed by four statements. Select the statement that
best expresses the main idea. Circle the letter of that statement.
1. People often refer to taxes in terms of their being much too high. In reality, they are
probably even higher than you think, because in addition to the federal income tax we are
now studying, there are many other Federal, State, and local taxes, including sales taxes,
inheritance taxes, state income taxes, personal property taxes, real estate taxes, and others.
These are just some of the most obvious ones.
a. Taxes are much too high.
b. We pay more taxes than we may realize.
c. Inheritance taxes and real estate taxes are unfair.
d. Some taxes are hidden.
2. The fact that electronic computers are now used for data processing has led the general
public to believe that it is a mysterious, complicated science and that the computers are
giant brains. Both of these ideas are false. A computer is basically just a high-speed adding
machine that performs the functions it is told to. If the input data are varied even a little,
the computer is unable to operate until it is programmed to accept the variations. The
business operations it performs are impressive only because of the extremely high speed of
manipulation, but most of these operations have been used for decades. Unlike man, the
computer performs repetitive calculations without getting tired or bored.
a. A computer is a high-speed adding machine.
b. A computer is a mysterious giant brain.
c. A computer is impressive because of its high speed.
d. A computer is superior to man in many ways.
3. The Louisiana Purchase proved to be one of the shrewdest business pacts in the entire
history of the United States. The purchase doubled in the area of the country and provided
territory from which fourteen new states were created either wholly or in part. It also gave
us control over the mouth of the Mississippi River and opened up the way to foreign trade.
Prior to the purchase, the waterway had been blocked by the Spanish, probably with the
approval of Napoleon. The land that was bought was rich in timber, minerals, and natural
resources of many kinds. Finally, the cost of the transaction was unbelievably low; the
total of $15 million amounted to about four cents an acre.
a. The Louisiana Purchase was a very good business deal for the U.S.
b. The land bought by the Louisiana Purchase was rich in minerals.
c. The land bought by the Louisiana Purchase was very cheap.
d. Most Americans were very pleased with the purchase.
READING – Main
Ideas Rev.
MAIN IDEAS (Continued)
4. There is a common belief that while the dog is man’s best friend, the coyote is his worst
enemy. The bad reputation of the coyote traces back to his fondness for small animals; he
hunts at night and is particularly destructive to sheep, young pigs, and poultry. Yet it is
sometimes wise to encourage coyotes. Provided valuable farm animals are protected, the
coyote will often free the property of other animals, like rabbits, which are ruinous to
crops and certain trees. He is especially beneficial in keeping down the rodent population.
Where coyotes have been allowed to do their work without molestation, ranchers and fruit
growers have found them so valuable that they would no more shoot them than they would
shoot their dogs.
a. Under certain conditions the coyote is helpful to man.
b. The coyote is feared because of his fondness for small animals
c. Modern ranchers would no sooner shoot coyotes than they would shoot dogs.
d. The coyote usually prefers rabbits and other rodents to sheep and poultry.
5. In earlier days those who had overseas business which they believed should be
discussed personally, took ship and set out across the briny deep. Once aboard they
transacted their affairs, engaging in commercial and social matters or conducting
government business. Today ships and passengers continue to sail the seven seas, and
airplanes soar overhead. But above them all, words speed through the sky – telephone
conversations quickly bring together in the most personal fashion people who are
separated by thousands of miles.
a. Overseas telephone service today is ruling out all need for overseas travel.
b. Nothing can take the place of person-to-person conversation in settling business,
social, and government problems.
c. Many conversations which once required overseas travel can now be conducted by
telephone.
d. Even with modern overseas telephone service people continue to travel abroad by
ship or by plane.
6. The attitudes of Americans toward gambling are amazingly contradictory. You may
find, for example, that horse racing is legal in your state, but that you cannot legally
play poker for money on your front porch; bookies may be prosecuted by state law, but
they are supposed to purchase a federal license nonetheless; one church condemns
gambling, while another raises money by sponsoring Bingo games. Gambling laws are
inconsistent from state to state or even from town to town and are very difficult to
enforce.
a. Americans have negative attitudes toward gambling.
b. Gambling laws are difficult to enforce
c. Gambling laws are inconsistent from community to community.
d. Churches do not have uniform ideas about gambling.
READING – Main
Ideas Rev.
