Sorting Key Details From Interesting Extras

Not every detail is equally important; key details directly support the main idea.

Authors sometimes include fun facts that are interesting but don't directly support the main idea. Key details prove the main point; extras just add flavor. When summarizing, you keep key details and drop extras. Read: 'Honeybees are essential for growing food. As they collect nectar, they carry pollen from flower to flower, which helps plants make fruit and seeds.

Farmers often rent hives to pollinate crops like apples and almonds. Honeybees beat their wings about 200 times per second. About one third of the food people eat depends on pollinators. ' The main idea is about food. Pollination, renting hives, and the one-third statistic are key details. The wing speed is fascinating, but it doesn't explain why bees matter for food, so it's an extra.

Ask: 'Would the main idea be weaker without this? '

• 1Key details directly support the main idea.
• 2Interesting extras add flavor but aren't essential.
• 3Ask: would the main idea be weaker without it?