Main Idea & Supporting Details — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. The main idea is the big point of a story.
The main idea is the most important part because it is the big message the author wants you to learn from the passage.
2. A detail tells more about the main idea.
"Dogs make great pets" is a detail because it gives one specific example that supports a bigger idea about pets.
3. Clues in a story help you find the topic.
Supporting details give facts, which are true pieces of information. These facts help explain and prove the main idea.
4. The title can give a clue about the main idea.
The title of a story can be a clue to the main idea because authors often put the big message right in the title.
5. A story about dogs has dogs as its topic.
A topic is what a group of sentences is all about. All the sentences work together to tell about one subject.
6. Supporting details are extra facts about the idea.
Details help the reader understand the main idea by giving extra information, examples, and facts.
7. The main idea is what the story is mostly about.
The main idea tells the big message of a story. It is the most important thought that everything else supports.
8. If a story tells about cats playing, playing is the main idea.
We can find the main idea by reading all the details. When you put the details together, they point to one big message.
9. You look for clues to know what a story is about.
A good title tells what the whole passage is about. It gives you a hint about the main idea before you start reading.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
A story about pets
→ Dogs and cats play
Dogs and cats play
A story about rain
→ Puddles form outside
Puddles form outside
A story about food
→ We eat lunch at noon
We eat lunch at noon
A story about bedtime
→ Kids brush their teeth
Kids brush their teeth
Each sentence is a detail that matches a topic. "Cats are fun" is a detail about pets, "apples are healthy" is about food, and so on.