FINDING THE
MAIN IDEA IN THE
PARAGRAPH

Paragraph
A group of sentences organized
around a topic, a main idea
about the topic, and details that
support the main idea.

Topic
The overall subject of a
paragraph.

Main Idea
A statement that tells the author’s
point about the topic.
The main idea provides the
message of a given paragraph or the
argument that is being made about
the topic.

Main Idea
Main idea can also be called
the general sentence.

Details
The specific information
about the main idea or
support for the main idea.
Details can also be called
supporting sentences.

Main Idea = Topic +
Author’s Point about the
Topic

How to Find the Topic
Ask yourself the question:
What or who is this
paragraph about?

How to Find the Main Idea
Ask yourself the question:
What is the overall message being
made by the author about the topic of
this paragraph?

How to Find Supporting Details
Turn the main idea into a
question by asking who, what,
when, where, why, or how? The
answer will give a set of details.

Hints
 Boldfaced headings or titles may contain the topic
and/or main idea
 First and last sentences in the paragraph are usually
helpful
 Look for repeating words, these often indicate the
topic

Remember:
Topics, main ideas, and supporting
details work together. The main idea
tells the author’s point about the topic,
and the details offer support for the
main idea.

Mother gorillas do a lot for their
babies. Specifically, they nurse their
babies. They protect them from
danger. And they teach the tiny
gorillas how to get along with other
gorillas.

GORILLAS
Mother gorillas do a lot for
their babies.
They nurse
their babies.
They protect
them from
danger.
And they teach
the tiny gorillas
how to get
along with other
gorillas.

1.Summer is a wonderful time to spend at West
Beach. It is a beach with light- colored, soft
sand. The coastline goes on for a long way and
many people enjoy walking along it. Children
like to play in the surf and walk along the rocks
that are visible at low tide. This is a fun beach
for people of all ages.

2.The movie Apollo 13 was a blockbuster for
the summer of 1995. It is an exciting story
about space exploration. In the movie, the
astronauts get in trouble while they are
trying to return to Earth. People in the
audience are on the edge of their seats
waiting to see what happens. What makes it
even more exciting is that it is a true story.

The use of renewable energy is essential for a
sustainable future. Renewable energy sources
are clean and do not produce harmful
greenhouse gas emissions, unlike fossil fuels.
This helps us not rely on things like oil and gas
that are running out. It also makes jobs and
helps the economy grow in the long run.
Choosing renewable energy can help us deal
with climate change and make the planet
better for people who come after us.

3.Robots are being used in sumo wrestling
contests. Sumo wrestling is a sport that started
in Japan. It takes place in a ring. Two players try
to score points by holding each other down or
pushing each other out of the ring. Robot sumo
uses robots instead of humans. The robot that
scores the most points wins

4.Students compete in robot sumo contests.
They learn how to build their own robots.
They compete against their classmates and
students from other schools. To win,
students must be creative. They must have a
good plan for defeating other robots.

5.Pizza is a favorite food in the United States.
Pizza is from Italy in the late 1800s. It became
popular in the United States after World War II.
People like to add toppings on pizza. Some
toppings are pepperoni, sausage, and
vegetables. These toppings give pizza more
flavor. Pepperoni is America’s favorite topping.

6. Hurricanes are large storms. They begin over the
ocean. They gather heat and energy from the water.
Hurricanes move slowly to land as they grow
stronger. Hurricanes are dangerous because of their
size. They are also dangerous because of high winds
and big waves. Hurricanes can bring flooding,
power outages, and tornadoes.