SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL- MAIN IDEA WRITING

What is a Main Idea?

The main idea is the central, or most important, idea in a paragraph or text. It states the purpose and
sets the direction of the paragraph or text.

Where is the main idea found in a reading text?

It is easy to identify a main idea that is directly expressed in the text. Main ideas are often found:

• at the beginning of paragraphs. The first sentence often explains the subject being discussed in the
passage.
• in the concluding sentences of a paragraph. The main idea can be expressed as a summation of the
information in the paragraph as well as a link to the information in the next paragraph.
• in any sentence of the paragraph. In some cases, the main idea may be found in any sentence of the
paragraph.
• in split forms. The first sentence of a paragraph may present a point of view, while the last sentence
presents a contrasting or opposite view.

Is the main idea always clearly stated in the text?

It is more difficult to identify a main idea when it is inferred or implied. It can be implied through
other words in the paragraph. An implied main idea can be found in several ways.

• Several sentences in a paragraph can imply the main idea by introducing facts about the topic before
actually stating the topic.
• Implied ideas can be drawn from facts, reasons, or examples that give hints or suggestions concerning
the main idea. These hints will be clues leading you to discover the main idea in the selected text.
• Try the passage below to see if you can pick out the main idea.

"To many parents, the infant's crying may be mainly an irritation, especially if it continues for long
periods. But crying serves important functions for the child as well as for the parents. For the child,
crying helps improve lung capacity and the respiratory system. Perhaps more important, the cry serves
as a signal of distress. When babies cry, they indicate that they are hungry or in pain, and this is
important information for parents."

Use the hints below to determine the correct main idea of this paragraph.
After reading a paragraph ask, "What point is the author making in this passage?"
Ask the following questions:

• Who - Does this passage discuss a person or group of people?

• When - Does the information contain a reference to time?
• Where - Does the text name a place?
• Why - Do you find a reason or explanation for something that happened?
• How - Does this information indicate a method or a theory?

Yes, the last sentence is the Main Idea:

When babies cry, they indicate that they are hungry or in pain, and this is important information for
parents.

How can the Main Idea of a Text be re-written?

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• The main idea a text should always be written in One Complete Sentence; not in
phrases/keywords or not in more than one sentence.
• The main idea should not be copied in its exact form from the reading text. Rather, strategies for
Paraphrasing should be utilized to make some changes in the re-written main idea:

Strategy no. 1: Use Synonyms: Famous=Renowned, Kindness=Generosity.

Strategy no. 2: Change Word Class/Parts of Speech type: Taste=Noun/Verb →Tasty=Adjective,
Significant=Adjective →Significantly=Adverb.
Strategy no. 3: Change Subject-Object order/Voice: (Active →Passive/ Passive →Active):
Social movements can disrupt society's peace, but only momentarily. (Active)
→Society’s peace can be disrupted by social movements, but only momentarily. (Passive)
Strategy no. 4: Change Sentence type: (2/3 Simple Sentences→ 1 Complex/Compound Sentence, 1
Complex/ Compound Sentence →1 Simple Sentence):
• It is preferable if multiple strategies can be incorporated in the main idea. For example:

Reading Text: Despite modern outcries for technology in schools, some skeptics believe technology
has no place in the modern classroom, and argue against it for several reasons. Some of the loudest,
most heavily researched arguments come from The Alliance for Childhood, an organization whose
mission involves supporting the rights of children globally. They have completed a report called,
“Fools Gold: A Critical Look at Computers and Childhood.” The document’s authors purport these:
(1) there are no conclusive statistics that prove technology’s helpfulness in school, and (2) kids need
hands-on, real-world learning, not computer training. Their research backs up their claims, which
heightens the debate about what real learning means.

Main Idea: Arguments against the usage of technology in modern educational institutions are made
by some groups of pessimists like ‘The Alliance for Childhood’.

Use of Synonyms: skeptics →pessimists, classroom →educational institutions

Change Word Class: argue (Verb) →arguments (Noun)
Change Subject-Object order/ Voice: was applied (Active →Passive)
Change Sentence type: was applied (Complex →Simple)

Sample Paragraphs with Main Ideas and Explanations (1-6)

Read and think about the following sample paragraphs, in which the main idea sentences are
underlined.

Paragraph 1

It is often said that lightning never strikes twice in the same place, but this is not true. Go ask the
forest rangers. Rangers who spend their summers as fire-fighters will tell you that every
thundershower brings several bolts of lightning to their lookout stations.

(Notice that the first sentence tells what the paragraph is about; the sentences that follow support the
idea stated in the first sentence.)
Paragraph 2

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Costs were low that year and the output high. There was a good person for each job and the market
remained firm. There were no losses from fire. All in all it was the best years in the history of the
company.

(Note that the first three sentences give details to explain why it was the best year in the company’s
history.)

Paragraph 3

There are great numbers of deer around here. This whole area is great country for hunters and
fishermen. There are bears, mountain lions, and coyotes. To the east there are streams full of trout,
and there are ducks and geese.

(The author begins and ends with examples. The main idea is stated in the second sentence.)

Paragraph 4

Advertising affects our lives everyday. Brand names are common household words. We start each
day using the toothpaste, soap, and breakfast foods promoted by advertisers. Ads have made the cars
we drive signs of our success. Our choices of food, dress, and entertainment are swayed by ads. Not
one aspect of American life is untouched by advertising.

(The main idea is stated at the beginning of the paragraph and then restated at the end.)

Paragraph 5

Penicillin is one of the greatest of the wonder drugs. It has saved thousands of lives already and
will save many more in the future. Unfortunately, it has no effect at all on most of the ills of mankind.
Penicillin is a very good drug, but it is certainly not a cure-all.

(The author has split the main idea. This paragraph begins with positive comments on penicillin. The
word but signals a shift in thought, and the paragraph ends with a statement of its limitations.)

Paragraph 6

Do you wear glasses? Make sure your glasses fit well. The earpieces should be at eye level. Do not try
to adjust the earpieces yourself. Take your glasses for adjustments to the place you bought them. Keep
your glasses in a case when you are not wearing them. This will prevent scratches. Keep the lenses
clean. A soft cloth is best for cleaning.

(The main idea is implied. All of the sentences in the paragraph give details about a main idea. In this
paragraph the implied main idea is that taking care of your glasses involves many steps.)
MAIN IDEA EXERCISES

A. Each paragraph is followed by four statements. Select the statement that best expresses the main
idea. Encircle the letter of that statement:

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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.

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.

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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.

B. Write MAIN IDEA of each paragraph of the text in ONE COMPLETE SENTENCE:

The Amazon should be saved

i. Bright-colored toucans and other exotic birds fly among the forest. Emerald tree boas curl up on
branches to stalk prey. Endangered jaguars slink through the thick brush in search of food. These
are just a few of the thousands of animal species that call the Amazon rain forest home.
ii. The Amazon, in South America, is the largest rain forest in the world. Yet the Amazon’s future is
grim. Farmers are rapidly destroying this lush landscape. Deforestation has been a huge problem
in the Amazon since the 1960s. Deforestation occurs as farmers and loggers cut down trees to
make room for farms, homes, and roads. Until recently, scientists thought the rain forest was
losing about 5,800 square miles a year. However, using the latest satellite technology,
researchers have discovered that the Amazon is shrinking at about twice that rate.
iii. Deforestation is the cause of loss of habitats of different animal species. As a result, it also
reduces the rain forest’s biodiversity, or the variety of plants and animals in a particular area. The
Amazon is one of the richest areas of the world in animal and plant diversity. It is home to the
biggest flower in the world, a bird-eating spider, and a monkey about the size of a
toothbrush.Scientists estimate that they have identified only a small number of all species that
live in the rain forest. As loggers and farmers destroy the forest, animals and plants may become
extinct before they are discovered. Moreover, deforestation affects people too, as any of the
foods, spices, and medicines we need come from the rain forest.The Amazon is also called the
"lungs of the world." The trees of the Amazon clean the air by taking in carbon dioxide and
releasing oxygen. Carbon dioxide, being a greenhouse gas, traps the sun’s heat close to Earth.

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Without the trees in the rain forest, the Earth’s climate would become much hotter by less
absorption of carbon dioxide.
iv. Stopping the destruction of the rain forest is not an easy task. Brazil’s government created two
national parks in the Amazon rain forest. The government’s efforts placed 3.7 million acres of
rain forest off-limits for development. But the specialists think that it is not enough. "The single
most important factor contributing to forest loss is population growth in Brazil," scientist Jim
Bowyer of the University of Michigan told Weekly Reader. "People make the forest their home.
All these people need land for farming and wood for heat and cooking. They are looking for a
way to survive." Scientists estimate that if deforestation continues at its current rate, the rain
forest may survive only another 40 to 50 years. "We need to address the real causes of
deforestation, like poverty and population growth," says Bowyer, "solutions need to involve the
very people who destroy the forest."

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Paragraph ii:
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Paragraph iii:
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Paragraph iv:
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