Main Idea vs. Author’s Purpose

Main Idea Main Idea: A statement that expresses what the passage is about. Goldilocks Rule: Not to broad, not to narrow, just right. There should be details, but encompass the whole idea.

Author’s Purpose Author’s Purpose: The reason that he/she is writing the passage. Usually to inform, entertain, or persuade. Informative: Formal style, examples used, written in 3rd person. Entertain: Contains emotions, written in 1st person, can be informal writing style. Persuasive: Uses arguments, contains a certain attitude towards the subject, can be in 1st or 3rd person.

Question Stems Remember*** Main Idea questions deal with facts and details about the passage’s main point. Where author’s purpose deals with the purpose the author had for writing the piece and what the author is trying to accomplish. For the following page write down whether you think the question is author’s purpose or main idea.

Choose MI or AP According to the article, what is most likely to ____? In the author’s opinion, what should be done to__? What does the speaker in the poem believe about--? Which sentence gives the best summary of---? If the article needed a new title, what would it be? What does the author use to get their point across? Which sentence best characterizes?

Answers : MI or AP According to the article, what is most likely to ____? In the author’s opinion, what should be done to__? What does the speaker in the poem believe about--? Which sentence gives the best summary of---? If the article needed a new title, what would it be? What does the author use to get their point across? Which sentence best characterizes?

Main Idea Question Stems Which statement best expresses the main idea?  According to the article, who did _____?  Based on the text, you can infer that _____ will ____?  According to the article, ____ is _____?  Based on the text, which action will ______ most likely take?

Author’s Purpose Read the following sentence from the passage. Why does the author use this comparison? What was the author’s purpose in writing this passage/paragraph/chapter? The author of this article would most likely make the statement that______.

Marking the Text Read the article provided and follow the steps for marking the text. 1. Predict main idea off of the title 2. Number paragraphs 3. Highlight author’s claims 4. Review and change main idea if needed 5. Skirt Summary 6. Write down the author’s purpose and 3 pieces of evidence from the article. Write down the main idea and 3 pieces of evidence.