How do I find main ideas?

Sometimes main ideas are confused with topics. “Air pollution” is a topic. “Air pollution is hurting specific bird populations by reducing fertility is a main idea. The main idea is a complete statement about a topic, while a topic only names what is being written about.

Finding the topic and the main idea is easy if you know where to look. In expository writing, main ideas, or clues about main ideas, are often found at the beginning or ending of a paragraph. For longer works, information about the main idea is often found in the first and the last paragraphs.

The main idea is not always stated directly. For these situations, you need to infer or decide the main idea from clues. Repeated words or phrases often serve as clues about the main idea. The organization of the facts and details also give clues about the main idea.

Skimming is a skill which is useful for quickly discovering the main idea. Skimming involves quickly reading the parts of sentences or paragraphs that usually contain clues. Title, diagrams, and tables usually offer clues about the main idea. Scanning is another useful skill. It involves looking for specific words, phases, or patterns. Remember repeated words, phrases, or ideas usually help you infer the main idea.