Test Prep Resources for the English Basics

Many times throughout your education, you’ll be asked to find the main idea of a passage- the “big picture” or point/purpose of the story. While the main idea is frequently obvious and clearly stated, it occasionally takes a little detective work to suss it out. Here are three steps to follow to make sure you correctly identify the main idea of a story every time: 1. Look for the topic. What person, place or thing is discussed in the paragraph? This person, place, or thing is typically brought up repeatedly throughout the text. 2. Look for clues. Still confused what is being discussed? ...