Main Idea Toolkit: Choosing the Right Strategy

Pick the right main-idea strategy for any paragraph or text you read.

You now have a full toolkit for main ideas, so the skill is choosing the right tool. Start by previewing the title, headings, and text features. Then read and look for a stated main idea at the start, middle, or end. If none appears, add up the details to infer one.

Check the text structure, since compare-and-contrast, cause-and-effect, problem-solution, and sequence texts each shape the main idea differently. Then test your statement: is it too broad, too narrow, or just right? Practice: 'Some people think deserts are empty. In fact, cactus flowers bloom after rare rains, lizards hide under rocks during the day, and owls hunt at night.

' The first sentence is a misconception, not the main idea. The details point to an implied main idea: 'Deserts are full of plant and animal life. '

• 1Preview titles, headings, and features first.
• 2Look for a stated main idea, or infer one.
• 3Use structure, then test for broad, narrow, or just right.