Main Idea

Main Idea is an important information that tells more about the overall idea of a paragraph or section of a text. The main idea is basically the overall idea of a paragraph.The main idea of a paragraph is the point of the passage, minus all the details.

How to Find the Main Idea

Summarize the Passage

After you've read the passage, summarize it in one sentence that includes the gist of ever idea from the paragraph. A good way to do this is to pretend you have just ten words to tell someone what the passage was about. You'd have to think broadly, so you could included every detail in just a short statement.

Look for Repetition of Ideas

If you read through a paragraph and you have no idea how to summarize it because there is so much information, start looking for repeated words, phrases, ideas or similar ideas.

Summary

Finding the main idea can be challenging, but if you use the tools above and practice, you'll be well on your way to the score you want on the verbal or reading sections of those standardized tests.