CRITICAL READING FOR COLLEGE AND BEYOND: CH 5 MAIN IDEAS

CRCB: CH 5 MAIN IDEA

A stated main idea is a sentence that has the major point an author makes about a topic using supporting ideas (details). A topic is a word or short phrase that summarizes general ideas and help identify main idea. Strategies for recognizing main ideas are:

· Question yourself

· Look in the usual spots

· Notice clue words

· Categorize and author’s points

Recognizing the main idea in a test can be very helpful. Some strategies you can use to help you while taking a test are:

· Skim exam

· Read carefully

· Don’t skip unfamiliar words

· Read as is

· Makes sure multiple choice answer, answers question

· Skip questions you don’t know and then return to it

· Note grammar

· Most multiple choice tests include main idea questions