AVID: Main Ideas Review Tier 3

AVID: Main Ideas

Main Idea Review

LEARN IT: Main Idea
Every piece of writing is about something. The main idea of a piece of writing is
the answer to the question “What is it about?” The main idea can be a topic, such
as a person, place, or thing. It can also be an argument, which is a statement the
author is trying to prove. Everything in a piece of writing should be related to its
main idea; every detail should help support it. Sometimes a main idea is stated
directly, and sometimes it is implied, or left for the readers to infer.

Stated Main Idea
A main idea that is stated is very clear. It might be the topic sentence in a
paragraph; topic sentences are usually found at the beginning, or sometimes the
end, of the paragraph. The first sentence in the opening paragraph of a piece of
writing, therefore, is likely to contain the main idea of the whole passage.

Implied Main Idea
Sometimes a paragraph or even a whole passage won’t have a specific sentence that
states the main idea. Instead, the main idea is implied by the author. In such cases,
you can use the details that appear in the paragraph or passage to determine the
general topic or subject and then state it in your own words.

Redo the assignment until you earn all the points!!