What is the Main Idea--preparation for Test 1

The main idea is the central point of a paragraph. 

Very often, the main idea appears in one sentence --a general sentence called the topic sentence.  The rest of the paragraph contains sentences made up of specific ideas and details that support and explain the main idea.

General Vs. Specific Ideas

The main idea in a paragraph is a general idea. In contrast, the supporting information in a paragraph is made up of specific ideas and details. To improve your skill at finding main ideas, you need to practice distinguishing between general and specific ideas.

First, try it on the three groups of words below.  Each group of words has one general idea and three specific ideas.

The general idea includes all the specific ideas.  

See if you can identify the general word in each group.

Then read the Answers and Explanations that follow:

Answers and Explanations

What is a Topic?

A paragraph's topic is the subject of the paragraph -- who or what the paragraph is about.  Finding the topic of a paragraph is the first step in finding out what the paragraph is trying to say to you. This simple question will help you find the topic of a paragraph:  In general, who or what is this paragraph about?

Your answer to this question will be the paragraph's topic.  Your answer must not be too broad nor too narrow.

Read the paragraph below. As you do so, ask yourself "In general, who or what is this paragraph about?" After you have chosen what you think is the topic, read the Explanation that follows:

      Each year, thousands of people are bitten by snakes. Here is what to do if you are a victim of a snakebite. First, keep still and warm. Next, remove rings and tight clothing. Wrap a bandage above the bite. Do not apply a tourniquet, as this may cut blood circulation. Also, do not try to remove snake venom. Finally, seek medical attention as soon as possible.

The topic of this paragraph is:

(a) snakebites

(b) things to do after a snakebite

(c) keeping still after a snakebite

Explanation

Now, read the next paragraph and look at the choices for the topic. One is too general, one is just right, and one is too specific. Think about which is which, then read the Explanation that follows.

       The cost of printing money and then destroying old ones has become too expensive for the government. As a result, serious efforts are being taken to replace the dollar bill with a dollar coin. The dollar coin will last far longer than a dollar bill. It could also be used in vending machines easier than a dollar bill. And it will help cities, too. Cities spend a lot of time counting bills placed in collection boxes. A dollar coin would change that.

The topic of this paragraph is:

(a) Using a dollar coin in a vending machine

(b) Reasons for a dollar coin

(c) A dollar coin

Explanation

Practice Exercise 1 - Topics

Here are three exercises to help you master the concept of "Topics." The exercises increase in difficulty.

There are five paragraphs below. After each paragraph are two questions about the topic of the paragraph. Read the paragraphs and answer the questions. The correct answers and explanation follow the five paragraphs.

A. A national contest to find the worst boss in the nation had some remarkable candidates. One person nominated a boss who had a sign on his desk saying "people are animals." Another named a boss who liked to choke and bite his employees. And the winner was a boss who would not let his employees go to a funeral unless they produced a death notice that was printed in the local paper.

1. As a topic of this paragraph, "A national contest" is

    a. too general b. just right c. too specific

2. As a topic of this paragraph, "A contest to find the worst boss in the nation" is

    a. too general b. just right c. too specific

B. Hot tubs have become popular places to relax and relieve muscle tension. However, if you use a hot tub, you should be careful. Dipping your body in hot water makes your heart beat faster. This can be a problem for people with high blood pressure. The hot water also raises your body temperature. This can cause a loss of important body fluids. And five to ten minutes in a hot tub burns off blood sugar. This can be harmful for people with diabetes.

3. As a topic of this paragraph, "Cautions for using a hot tub" is

    a. too general b. just right c. too specific

4. As a topic of this paragraph, "What five to ten minutes in a hot tub can do" is

    a. too general b. just right c. too specific

C. The highest military honor in the land is to be named as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Only a few military men have held this post. The first Chairman was General Omar Bradley, who was nominated by President Harry Truman. Other Chairs have included General Maxwell Taylor, Admiral William Crowe, and General Colin Powell, who became famous for his handling of the Gulf War.

5. As a topic of this paragraph, "General Colin Powell" is

    a. too general b. just right c. too specific

6. As a topic of this paragraph, "Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff" is

    a. too general b. just right c. too specific

D. There are currently 5.5 billion people living in the world today. Population is expected to grow rapidly in coming years. By the year 2000, this figure is expected to grow to 6.3 billion. Twenty five years later, it is estimated that over 8 billion people will inhabit the planet. And in sixty years, population will be over 10 billion.

7. As a topic of this paragraph, "Population" is

    a. too general b. just right c. too specific

8. As a topic of this paragraph, "The number of people in the world today" is

    a. too general b. just right c. too specific

E. People who don't brush their teeth regularly usually have bad breath. There are other causes of bad breath. A throat infection is one source of bad breath. A sinus problem can also cause bad breath. Even too much coffee or alcohol can cause bad breath. And a stomach problem resulting in acid buildup can be a contributor, as well.

9. As a topic of this paragraph, "Bad breath" is

    a. too general b. just right c. too specific

10. As a topic of this paragraph, "Causes of bad breath" is

    a. too general b. just right c. too specific

Practice Exercises 2 - Topics

There are five paragraphs below. After each paragraph are two questions about the topic of the paragraph. Read the paragraphs and answer the questions. The correct answers and explanation follow the five paragraphs.

A. Thanks to technology, a new kind of toll road is likely to become more popular in the future. The new toll roads will not have toll booths. As the driver approaches the toll road, an overhead sign will indicate the fare. A second sign at the entry to the toll road will contain a tiny electronic device that will record the driver's identification number that is attached to the car's rear-view mirror. The driver's account will then be billed automatically. If a car does not have an identification card, a camera will photograph the car's license number, and a fine will be sent to the violator by mail.

1. As a topic of this paragraph, "Toll roads" is

    a. too general b. just right c. too specific

2. As a topic of this paragraph, "A new kind of toll road" is

    a. too general b. just right c. too specific

B. For the past fifty years, the most powerful telescope in the world was the Hale telescope atop Mt. Palomar in rural southern California . Recently, it was replaced as the most powerful one by one installed in Hawaii . Plans are underway for even more powerful telescopes to be built around the globe. By the end of the decade, it is estimated that the Hale telescope will be only the seventh most powerful telescope in the world.

3. As a topic of this paragraph, "Telescopes" is

    a. too general b. just right c. too specific

4. As a topic of this paragraph, "The world's most powerful telescopes" is

    a. too general b. just right c. too specific

C. Making a home safe for toddlers requires careful planning. Here are ideas that experts have suggested. Appliances should have child locks so that children can't turn them on. Drawers in the bathroom and kitchen should have special latches that make it impossible for kids to open. All medicine and kitchen cleaning products should be stored in locked boxes such as fishing tackle boxes. Tables or counters with sharp edges should be rounded or fitted with thick vinyl pads. Electrical outlets should be covered with a spring-like mechanism that snaps shut when not in use. And gates that are screwed into the wall should be installed at the bottom and top of all flights of stairs.

5. As a topic of this paragraph, "Making a home safe for toddlers" is

    a. too general b. just right c. too specific

6. As a topic of this paragraph, "Covering electrical outlets" is

    a. too general b. just right c. too specific

D. A centenarian is a person who is at least 100 years old. Centenarians are honored by television shows such as NBC's Today show, where, each day, a person at least 100 is shown on the weather report. When this practice first started a number of years ago, there were days when no one was honored. Recently, however, the number of centenarians has increased do dramatically that those shown are selected in a random drawing. The last census reported that there were over 35,000 centenarians living in the United States , more than double the number ten years ago. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that within a hundred years, there will be more than one million centenarians in the country.

7. As a topic of this paragraph, "The growing number of centenarians" is

    a. too general b. just right c. too specific

8. As a topic of this paragraph, "Honoring centenarians on the Today show" is

    a. too general b. just right c. too specific

E. Publicists at the Disney Corporation are always on the lookout for natural yet unusual places where the image of Mickey Mouse's head and ears appear. So far there have been some extraordinary sightings of Mickey's silhouette in some remarkable places. A potato found in Nebraska looked just like Mickey. So does a tomato taken from New Jersey . A Texas longhorn cow has the familiar head and ears on its side. So does a pot-bellied pig in Chicago . A Michigan woman recently sent in a photo of her newborn baby's bottom. Clearly visible on the baby's backside is a birthmark that looks just like Mickey.

9. As a topic of this paragraph, "Mickey Mouse" is

    a. too general               b. just right                c. too specific

10. As a topic of this paragraph, "Unusual places where Mickey Mouse's image   has been found" is

    a. too general                b. just right               c. too specific

Practice Exercise 3 

There are five paragraphs below. After each paragraph are two questions about the topic of the paragraph. Read the paragraphs and answer the questions. The correct answers and explanation follow the five paragraphs.

A. One of the most famous native Americans was an Apache by the name of Goyanthlay. If you never heard of him, you will probably recognize him by the nickname given to him by Mexicans: Geronimo. During the 1860's and 70's, Geronimo led members of the Chiricahua Apache tribe against Mexican and American settlers in Arizona . He was arrested and placed on the San Carlos Indian Reservation. He escaped and continued his raids until 1886, when he surrendered. Geronimo was the last native American to surrender to U.S. troops. He spent his last days in Fort Sill , Oklahoma , where he posed for pictures and sold souvenirs to tourists. He died of pneumonias in 1909, at the age of 80. Five years after his death, the Chiricahua Apaches were set free.

1. As a topic of this paragraph, "Native Americans" is

    a. too general b. just right c. too specific

2. As a topic of this paragraph, "A famous native American" is

    a. too general b. just right c. too specific

B. The "Star Trek" television series and motion pictures are exciting to watch, but they violate several key laws of physics. The first is the speed that the spaceships travel. The Enterprise and other spaceships travel faster than the speed of light, which is physically impossible. A second impossibility is the way stars pass. When the crew looks out the windows of the spaceships, the stars appear much as they do when we look at them in the sky. In reality, the speed that the spaceships are traveling would make the stars appear as a blinding light show, with stars spread out in a rainbow of colors. Finally, the placement of the spaceship Enterprise 's engines would not propel the ship in a straight line. This is because they are not centered near the ship's center of gravity. With the engines placed where they are, a "Full speed ahead" command from Captain Kirk or Picard would actually catapult the ship backwards in a series of somersaults.

3. As a topic of this paragraph, "Laws of physics" is

    a. too general b. just right c. too specific

4. As a topic of this paragraph, "How "Star Trek" violates laws of physics" is

    a. too general b. just right c. too specific

C. A growing number of people are expected to know how to use computers to satisfy the demands of their job. Without proper training, workers are prone to injuries of the hand, wrist, and back. Working at the computer demands proper angles. The top of the monitor should be at eye level, so that the center of the screen is viewed slightly downward. The keyboard should be on a flat surface, with one's arms relaxed, loose, and at a ninety degree angle. Forearms and hands should be parallel to the floor. The back should be angled slightly to the rear to increase blood circulation and reduce compression of the spine. The chair should fit the curve of the lower back, with the seat angling forward slightly to reduce pressure on the spine.

5. As a topic of this paragraph, "Computers on the job" is

    a. too general b. just right c. too specific

6. As a topic of this paragraph, "Tips for using a computer on the job" is

    a. too general b. just right c. too specific

D. "Summer Slide-back" is a term that applies to school children who do not keep their minds active during summer vacation. It is not unusual for children who do not read during the summer to have a reading level six months lower than what it was at the beginning of the summer. There are a number of things that parents can do to ensure that "Summer Slide-back" does not occur. First, limit the amount of television that children watch. Second, set up a daily reading time for children. Try to make it an activity that is fun and educational. Third, show an interest in what your child is reading by asking questions about what they have read or by taking turns reading out loud. Fourth, be a role model by reading novels, newspapers, and magazines. Leave them around the house so children can see them. Fifth, remember that writing and reading go hand in hand. Leave notes for your child that require a written response. Or buy a notebook for children to write a journal that shows their activities and thoughts.

7. As a topic of this paragraph, "Summer Slide-back" is

    a. too general b. just right c. too specific

8. As a topic of this paragraph, "What to do to avoid 'Summer Slide-back'" is

    a. too general b. just right c. too specific

E. Sports attire is big business. Each year Americans spend over $2 billion on caps, t-shirts, jacket, banners and the like showing the team they root for. While team attire sells best in the city where the franchise resides, some teams sell better than others. In basketball. Chicago Bulls attire is most popular, even after the retirement of their most famous player, Michael Jordan. In baseball, the Colorado Rockies sell more t-shirts than anyone else. Their research showed that people would buy a shirt that featured purple, silver, and black colors. They may have followed the advice of marketing experts who advised them to follow football's number one seller, the Raiders, whose "silver-and-black" venue have attracted fans for decades.

9. As a topic of this paragraph, " Chicago Bulls attire" is

    a. too general                  b. just right                   c. too specific

10. As a topic of this paragraph, "Sports attire as big business" is

    a. too general                  b. just right                   c. too specific

Review

To review what you have learned in this tutorial, answer each of the following questions. Then check your answers below.

1. True or False       In a paragraph, supporting details are always more specific than the main idea.

2. When the main idea is stated in one sentence of a paragraph, that sentence is called the

    a. topic                 b. topic sentence              c. central point

3. To find the main idea of a paragraph, you should first look for the ____.

    a. topic                 b. topic sentence              c. supporting details

4. The question to ask when looking for a paragraph's topic is:

    a. What details support the main idea?

    b. What meaning is the author trying to get across?

    c. In general, who or what is the paragraph about?

5. The topic of a paragraph should be

    a. neither too general nor too specific.

    b. explained at the beginning of the paragraph.

    c. explained by all of the sentences in a paragraph: