Main Idea and Evidence

The main idea is what a passage is mostly about, not just one interesting detail. If a paragraph explains how bees carry pollen between flowers, its main idea may be that bees help flowering plants reproduce. The color of one bee is a detail, not the whole point.

To find the main idea, ask what most sentences have in common. Then look for details that support it. A detail should actually be in the passage. If you add a fact you know from somewhere else, say it is outside knowledge rather than pretend the author wrote it.

A useful summary names the main idea in your own words and includes two or three strong details. It leaves out tiny facts that do not change the reader's understanding. A fair summary also keeps the author's meaning, even if you disagree.