Finding and understanding the main idea of a text is an essential reading skill. When you look past the facts and information and get to the heart of what the writer is trying to say, that’s the main idea. This lesson will show you how to find the main idea from its supporting statements.
Imagine that you’re at a friend’s home for the evening. “Here,” he says, “let’s watch this movie.”
“sure,” you reply. “What’s it about?” You’d like to know a little about what you’ll be watching, but your question may not get you the answer you’re looking for. That’s because you’ve only asked about the subject of the film. The subject-what the movie is about-is only half the story. Think, for example , about all the alien invaders films that have been made. While these films may share the same general subject, what they have to say about the aliens (and about our response to invasion) may be very different. Each film has different ideas it want to convey about the subject.
Similarly, writer write because they have something they want to write about, and they have something they want to say about that subject. When you look beyond the facts and information to what the writer really wants to say about his or her subject, you’re looking for the main idea.