Finding the Main Idea

What are we learning today?

You will learn to find the main idea of a short text, even when some words are new.

Explanation

• The main idea is what the text is mostly about.
• You do not need to know every word.
• Use the context. Context means the words and sentences around a new word.
• Read the sentence. See what happens. Then choose the meaning.
• The title and the place of the story can help you.

Examples

1. "Some blankets in a corner showed me where he slept." Blankets are things for sleeping and keeping warm.
2. "Cooking pots and a bucket of water." Pots are for cooking.
3. "I saw an enormous castle." Enormous means very big.

Remember!

• Use the words around a new word.
• Do not give up on the whole text because of one word.
• One object is not the main idea.

Check yourself

1. What do you do with a word you do not know?
2. Which words help you understand "pots" in the second example?