Main Idea and Theme

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How do I determine the main idea and theme of a reading

passage?

Think about the last movie you watched…Did you get a chance to tell someone what the movie is about?

Take a moment and jot down what the movie is about in your notebook.

You just gave the main idea of the movie.

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Main Idea

Main Idea-What something is mostly about

What would be the main idea of The Tortoise and the Hare?

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Tip 1: Both fiction and nonfiction passages have main ideasFiction main idea- what happens in the story (fiction- a made-up story)

Example: In the story “The Tortoise and theHare,” theMain Idea is “The tortoise beats the hare in a race.”

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Reread the fable & fill in the blanks “The Gnat & The Lion”

As you read, think about how you would answer the question “What are the main idea and theme of the story?”

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Tip 1: ContinuedNonfiction main idea- the central point

that the author wants the reader to know (nonfiction- any writing that is not made-up like articles, reports, instructions, and biographies)

Example: In an article about horses in Kentucky the Main idea might be “Kentucky is a great place to raise horses.”

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Tip 2: As soon as you finish reading, tell yourself what the passage is mostly aboutMain ideas are not always stated directly

Most of the time, you’ll have to put them in your own words.

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Let’s practice Tips #1 and #2:In your notes, write one to two sentences that answer the following question:

What is the main idea of the story “The King and the Shirt”?

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Now, when answering multiple-choice questions about main idea… Tip 3: Find the answer choice that is closest to your statement of the main idea

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When taking a reading test, you will almost always see a question about main idea, so be prepared to think about the main idea with everything you read.

Then look for the answer that is the closest to the statement that you made about main idea.

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Let’s practice Tip # 3What is “The King and the Shirt mostly about”?

A. A king's son offers to buy a man's shirt.

B. A royal physician cannot cure his king.C. A great king lies in bed mysteriously ill.

D. An ill king's men search for a happy man.

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Tip 4: Don't mistake a detail for a main idea.Detail- a small part of the larger, whole passage.

Examples:The king's stallion is black.The happy man lives in a tiny hut.**Test questions about main idea usually include answer choices that are just details from the passage.

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Tip 4: ContinuedWhich of the answers are just details from the story?

A. A king's son offers to buy a man's shirt.

B. A royal physician cannot cure his king.C. A great king lies in bed mysteriously ill.

D. An ill king's men search for a happy man.

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Tip 5: Test questions about the title are questions about the main idea.You may see questions such as, “Why was the passage given this title?” or “What would be another good title for this passage?”

These are main idea questions in disguise.

A good title gives you clues about the main idea.

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Let’s Practice Tip # 5Which of the following would be another good title for this passage?

A. “The Source of Happiness”B. “Potions, Pills, and Lotions”C. “A Fortune in Fashion”D. “All the King's Men”

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Tip 6: Summarize what the author says.Summarize -- coming up with a shorter, simpler restatement of what you've read.

Write a summary of the main idea of paragraph 5.

Be careful not to include details such as the king's “aching head” or “eyes fogged with fever.”

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Tip 6: ContinuedKeeping paragraph five and the summary

that you just wrote in mind, answer the following question:

What is the main idea of paragraph five?A. The king is so sick that he falls asleep.B. The king has a headache and a fever.C. The king agrees with his advisor's idea.D. The king can barely see who has spoken

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Tip 7: Think about the theme of the passage.Theme is the lesson or message that the writer wants to get across in his or her story.

Themes usually relate to life or the way the world works.

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To find the theme, ask yourself: What lesson did the main character in the story learn or fail to learn?

Theme questions may be worded these ways:What is the theme of the passage?What is the moral of this story?What lesson is the author trying to teach?

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Common Themes

Too much pride can destroy a person

Crime does not payDon’t judge people until you have seen life from their point of view

It is better to tell the truth than to lie

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Let’s Practice Tip # 7Which sentence best states the

theme of “The King and the Shirt”?A. Planning ahead can save a lot of

work later.B. True friends are with you even in

the worst times.C. The things you own can never make

you happy.D. Stay loyal to those people who are

loyal to you.04/11/23

Summing Up:Fiction and non-fiction passages have main ideas.

As soon as you finish reading, tell yourself what the passage is mostly about.

Find the answer choice that is closest to your statement of the main idea.

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Don’t mistake a detail for a main idea.

Test questions about the title are questions about the main idea.

Summarize what the author says.

Think about the theme of the passage.04/11/23

The End!!

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