Main Idea & Supporting Details — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Anna waters the flowers. She pulls the weeds. She plants new seeds. What is the main idea?
A) Anna likes to cook.
B) Anna takes care of her garden.
C) Anna goes to school.
D) Anna plays with her cat.
Watering, pulling weeds, and planting seeds are all jobs a gardener does, so these three details work together to show that Anna takes care of her garden.
2. The park has swings and slides. Kids run and play there. Families have picnics. What is the main idea?
A) Kids like ice cream.
B) The park is a fun place for families.
C) Slides are tall.
D) Swings go high.
Swings, slides, running, playing, and picnics are all enjoyable family activities, so the details combine to show the park is a fun place for families.
3. Ben eats an apple for a snack. He drinks milk at lunch. He has carrots with dinner. Which is a supporting detail?
A) Ben likes to run.
B) Ben goes to bed early.
C) He drinks milk at lunch.
D) Ben has a pet fish.
The big idea is that Ben eats healthy foods throughout the day, and drinking milk at lunch is one specific example that supports that healthy-eating idea.
4. It is cold in winter. People wear coats and hats. Some kids build snowmen. What is the main idea?
A) Hats are warm.
B) People stay active in winter weather.
C) Snowmen are fun.
D) Coats come in many colors.
Wearing warm clothes and going outside to build snowmen show that people still do things even when it is cold, so the main idea is people stay active in winter weather.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. The main idea is the big point of a story.
Out of all the ideas in a story, the main idea is the largest and most important one, so we call it the big point of the story.
2. Supporting details explain the main idea.
Each supporting detail gives a fact or example that makes the main idea clearer and easier to understand, and making something clearer is called explaining it.
3. A title often gives a hint about the main idea.
The name printed at the top of a passage is called the title, and a smart writer picks a title that drops a hint about what the main idea will be.
4. You can find details by reading each sentence carefully.
Each individual line of a passage that ends with a period is called a sentence, and looking closely at every sentence is the best way to spot supporting details.
5. The main idea and details work together in a passage.
The main idea needs details to back it up, and details need a main idea to connect to — since they cooperate like teammates, they work together.