Main Idea & Supporting Details — Answer Key
Part A: Sort the Words
Sort each word or number into the correct category box.
1. Read each sentence. Sort it into the correct group: about dogs or not about dogs.
About Dogs
Dogs love to play fetch.Dogs can learn many tricks.Dogs wag their tails when happy. Not About Dogs
Cats like to nap in the sun.Birds build nests in trees.Frogs live near ponds. The first three sentences all tell facts about dogs and their behavior, so they belong in the 'About Dogs' group. The other sentences talk about cats, birds, and frogs, so they do not match the topic of dogs.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. The main idea tells what a passage is mostly about.
The word 'mostly' fits because the main idea is the biggest, central point of a passage, not every tiny fact inside it.
2. Supporting details give facts and examples about the main idea.
Supporting details share facts that prove the main idea is true, such as numbers, names, or real-life examples from the passage.
3. A good reader looks for the main idea at the beginning or end of a paragraph.
Writers often place the main idea at the very start to introduce it, or at the end as a wrap-up sentence, so 'end' pairs with 'beginning' here.
4. A sentence that does not match the main idea is called off-topic.
'Off' pairs with 'topic' to make the compound word 'off-topic,' meaning the sentence has wandered away from what the passage is really about.
5. The topic of a passage is the one-word subject, like dogs or cats.
A single word like 'dogs' or 'cats' names what the passage is about, and that short naming word is called the topic.
Part C: True or False?
Read each statement. Circle True or False.
1. The main idea and the topic of a passage are the same thing.
True False
The topic is just a short word like 'dogs,' while the main idea is a full sentence that tells what the passage says about dogs. They are close, but they are not the same.
2. A paragraph about dogs should only have sentences about dogs.
True False
Every sentence in a paragraph needs to connect to the same topic, so a paragraph about dogs should stick to dogs and leave out cats, birds, or other animals.
3. You can find the main idea by asking what the passage is mostly about.
True False
Asking 'What is this mostly about?' is one of the easiest tricks readers use to zoom in on the biggest message of a passage.
4. A passage can only have one supporting detail.
True False
Authors usually give two, three, or more supporting details so readers get plenty of facts and examples that back up the main idea.