Main Idea & Supporting Details — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Sam loves fruit. He eats apples, grapes, and bananas every day. What is the main idea?
A) Sam loves fruit
B) Sam loves toys
C) Sam eats bananas only
D) Sam does not like food
Sam eats apples, grapes, and bananas, and all of those are fruit, so the main idea is that Sam loves fruit. The other choices only name one fruit or do not match what Sam does.
2. The dog runs, jumps, and plays fetch. What is this mostly about?
A) A cat sleeping
B) A dog playing
C) A bird flying
D) A fish swimming
The dog runs, jumps, and plays fetch, and those are all play actions, so this is mostly about a dog playing. The other animals are not in the story.
3. Which is a supporting detail for: We had fun at the park?
A) We slid down the slide
B) We went to sleep
C) We read a book
D) We took a bath
Sliding down the slide is something fun you do at a park, so it supports the idea of having fun there. Sleeping, reading, and taking a bath are not park activities.
4. Lily waters her flowers and pulls weeds. What is the main idea?
A) Lily eats lunch
B) Lily takes care of her garden
C) Lily rides a bike
D) Lily plays with a ball
Watering flowers and pulling weeds are both things you do in a garden, so the main idea is that Lily takes care of her garden. The other choices are not about the garden work she does.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. The main idea tells what something is mostly about.
What something is mostly about is its main idea, so the missing word is idea. The main idea ties all the details together.
2. A detail gives more information to support the main idea.
Information that backs up the big thought is called a detail. Details give the main idea its support.
3. The topic of a passage is its big message.
The big message of a passage is its topic, so topic fits here. The topic is what the passage is centered on.
4. You can use clues in the text to find the main idea.
Hints in the text are clues that point you toward the main idea. Good readers gather clues to find the main thought.
5. Every paragraph has one main idea and many details.
Each paragraph is built around one main idea with details to back it up, so the missing word is idea. The details all connect to that one big thought.