1. How do I determine the main idea and theme of a reading passage?
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2. Think about the last movie you watched…
Did you get a chance to tell someone what the movie is about? Take a moment and jot down what the movie is about in your notebook. You just gave the main idea of the movie.
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3. Main Idea Main Idea-What something is mostly about
What would be the main idea of The Outsiders?
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4. “The King and the Shirt” a fable by Leo Tolstoy adapted by J.M. Watson
Read the story at your desk.
As you read, think about how you would answer the question “What is the main idea of the story?”
As soon as you finish reading, tell yourself what the passage is mostly about
Write down the main idea.
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5. Tip 1: Both fiction and nonfiction passages have main ideas
Fiction main idea- what happens in the story (fiction- a made-up story)‏
Example:
In the story “The Tortoise and the
Hare,” the
Main Idea is “The tortoise beats the hare in a race.”
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6. Tip 1: Continued
Nonfiction main idea- the central point that the author wants the reader to know (nonfiction- any writing that is not made-up like articles, reports, instructions, and biographies)‏
Example: In an article about horses in Kentucky the Main idea might be “Kentucky is a great place to raise horses.”
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7. Now, when answering multiple-choice questions about main idea…
Tip 3: Find the answer choice that is closest to your statement of the main idea
When taking a reading test, you will almost always see a question about main idea, so be prepared to think about the main idea with everything you read.
Then look for the answer that is the closest to the statement that you made about main idea.
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8. Let’s practice Tip # 3 What is “The King and the Shirt mostly about”?
A. A king's son offers to buy a man's shirt.
B. A royal physician cannot cure his king.
C. A great king lies in bed mysteriously ill.
D. An ill king's men search for a happy man.
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9. Tip 4: Don't mistake a detail for a main idea.
Detail- a small part of the larger, whole passage.
Examples:
The king's stallion is black.
The happy man lives in a tiny hut.
**Test questions about main idea usually include answer choices that are just details from the passage.
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10. Tip 4: Continued Which of the answers are just details from the story?
A. A king's son offers to buy a man's shirt.
B. A royal physician cannot cure his king.
C. A great king lies in bed mysteriously ill.
D. An ill king's men search for a happy man.
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11. Tip 5: Test questions about the title are questions about the main idea.
You may see questions such as, “Why was the passage given this title?” or “What would be another good title for this passage?”
These are main idea questions in disguise.
A good title gives you clues about the main idea.
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12. Let’s Practice Tip # 5
Which of the following would be another good title for this passage?
A. “The Source of Happiness”
B. “Potions, Pills, and Lotions”
C. “A Fortune in Fashion”
D. “All the King's Men”
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13. Think about the theme of the passage.
Theme is the lesson or message that the writer wants to get across in his or her story.
Themes usually relate to life or the way the world works.
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14. Theme questions may be worded these ways:
To find the theme, ask yourself: What lesson did the main character in the story learn or fail to learn?
Theme questions may be worded these ways:
What is the theme of the passage?
What is the moral of this story?
What lesson is the author trying to teach?
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15. Too much pride can destroy a person Crime does not pay
Common themes:
Too much pride can destroy a person
Crime does not pay
Don’t judge people until you have seen life from their point of view
It is better to tell the truth than to lie
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16. Let’s Practice
Which sentence best states the theme of “The King and the Shirt”?
A. Planning ahead can save a lot of work later.
B. True friends are with you even in the worst times.
C. The things you own can never make you happy.
D. Stay loyal to those people who are loyal to you.
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17. Think About It…
What is one of the themes of The Outsiders?
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18. Summing Up: Fiction and non-fiction passages have main ideas.
As soon as you finish reading, tell yourself what the passage is mostly about.
Find the answer choice that is closest to your statement of the main idea.
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19. Don’t mistake a detail for a main idea.
Test questions about the title are questions about the main idea.
Summarize what the author says.
Think about the theme of the passage.
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20. The End!!
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