Main Idea & Supporting Details — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. A supporting detail gives more information.
The main idea carries more weight than any single detail because it ties them all together, so we call it the biggest part of the story.
2. The main idea is what a story is mostly about.
Unlike the one huge main idea, each supporting detail is just a little piece of information — that's why details are called the small parts of a passage.
3. We use details to support the main idea.
When every sentence in a story keeps coming back to the park, that park is the one subject the story is about — which we call the topic.
4. A detail about dogs might say they are loyal.
Hints like repeated words and picture details lead readers to the main idea, and those little hints together are called clues.
5. The big point of a story is its main idea.
A good title at the top of a story usually hints at the biggest thought inside, and the biggest thought is always called the main idea.
6. Clues in the text help us find the main idea.
Every small piece of information a writer adds gives more proof or description about the big idea, and each of those small pieces is a detail.
7. Each detail connects back to the topic.
A passage written about a subject like fish is called a story, and a fish story would naturally tell readers facts like where fish live.
8. Details can be found from a passage.
The little facts that back up a main idea with extra information are called supporting details, so the word that completes the phrase is details.
9. A paragraph has one main idea and many details.
Once you know what the biggest thought of a story is, the rest of the passage makes sense — that kind of making-sense is called understanding.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
The zoo has many animals.
→ A main idea about the zoo
A main idea about the zoo
We play at recess.
→ A main idea about school
A main idea about school
Books help us learn.
→ A main idea about reading
A main idea about reading
Winter is very cold.
→ A main idea about seasons
A main idea about seasons
Each supporting detail fits the topic it belongs with: reading happens at school, cows live on farms, lions live at the zoo, and snow falls in winter.