What is the most important thing the author wants me to know about this topic?
What is this paragraph mostly talking about?
the main idea is often found in the first or last sentence of the paragraph.
Look for Clues
Main Idea:
Elephants are the largest land animals.
What is the most important thing the author wants us to know about elephants?
They are the largest land animals.
Ask Two Simple Questions
If the paragraph is about cats, and it talks about how they purr, sleep, and play, the main idea is: 'Cats do a lot of interesting things.
What is the Main Idea?
What is this paragraph mostly about?
Elephants
Elephants are the largest land animals. They have long trunks and big ears. Elephants live in groups and eat a lot of food every day.
The main idea is the most important thing the paragraph is talking about. It’s like the umbrella that covers all the other ideas underneath.