Main Idea 4

4 Main Idea
• What is a main idea?

• What is a topic?
• How do you recognize the difference between general and specific ideas?
• What is a stated main idea?
• What is an unstated main idea?
Everyday Reading Skills: Selecting a Book
Copyright ©2010 by Pearson Education, Inc.
118 CHAPTER 4 Main Idea
What Is a Main Idea?

The main idea of a passage is the core of the material, the particular point the
author is trying to convey. The main idea of a passage can be stated in one sen-
tence that condenses specific ideas or details in the passage into a general, all-
inclusive statement of the author’s message. In classroom discussions, all of the
following words are sometimes used to help students understand the meaning of
the main idea.
thesis
main point
central focus
gist
controlling idea
central thought
Whether you read a single paragraph, a chapter, or an entire book, many experts
agree that your most important single task is to understand the main idea of
what you read.
Topic
Main
Idea
Major Major Major

Detail Detail Detail
Minor Minor Minor Minor Minor

Detail Detail Detail Detail Detail
Recognize General and Specific Words

The first step in determining the main idea of a selection is to look at the specific
ideas presented in the sentences and try to decide on a general topic or subject
under which you can group these ideas. Before tackling sentences, begin with
words. Pretend that the sentence ideas in a selection have been reduced to a
short list of keywords. Pretend also that within the list is a general term that
expresses an overall subject for the keywords. The general term encompasses or
categorizes the key ideas and is considered the topic of the list.
What Is a Main Idea? 119
EXAMPLE The following list contains three specific ideas with a related general topic.
Circle the general term that could be considered the subject of the list.
neral Topic
Ge
Detail Detail
Detail Detail
satin
wool
fabric
silk
EXPL ANATION Satin, wool, and silk are different types of fabric. Thus fabric is
the general term or classification that could be considered the subject or topic.
exercise 1 Circle the general term or subject for each of the following related groups of
ideas.
1. chimpanzees 2. cirrus 3. oats 4. Alps 5. shrimp

orangutans clouds wheat Appalachians crustacean
apes cumulus corn mountains crab
gorillas stratus grain Rockies lobster
Recognize General and Specific Phrases

Topics of passages are more often stated as phrases rather than single words.
The following list contains a phrase that is a general topic and three specific
ideas related to that topic. Circle the general topic that could be the subject.
EXAMPLE Turn on the ignition.

Press the accelerator.
Insert the key.
Start the car.
EXPL ANATION The first three details are involved in starting a car. The last
phrase is the general subject or topic.
exercise 2 Circle the phrase that could be the topic for each list.
1. totaling yearly income 3. picking up seashells

subtracting for dependents vacationing at the beach
filing an income tax return walking in the surf
mailing a 1040 form riding the waves
2. paying fees 4. pushing paper under sticks

buying books piling the logs
starting college building a fire
going to class striking a match
exercise 3 Read the lists of specific details and write a general phrase that could be the sub-
ject or topic for each group.
1. separate the white and dark clothes

add one cup of detergent
insert quarters into the machine
General topic?
2. dribble the ball

pass the ball down court
shoot a basket
General topic?
3. pull up alongside car

back into space
straighten out
General topic?
4. switch on power
select a program
open a file
General topic?
5. boil water in a large pot

add salt and oil
pour noodles into water
General topic?
Recognize the General Topic for Sentences

Paragraphs are composed of sentences that develop a single general topic. The
next practice exercises contain groups in which the sentences of a paragraph are
listed numerically. After reading the sentences, circle the phrase that best
expresses the topic or general subject of the sentences.
EXAMPLE 1. The law of demand is illustrated in an experiment conducted by the makers

of M&M candy.
2. For a twelve-month period, the price of M&Ms remained the same in 150
stores, but the number of M&Ms in a package increased, which dropped the
price per ounce.
3. In those stores, sales immediately rose by 20 to 30 percent.
Candy Maker’s Experiment
M&Ms Drop in Price
M&Ms Prove the Law of Demand
EXPL ANATION The first phrase is too broad. The second relates a detail that is
an important part of the experiment. The third links the candy with the purpose
of the experiment and thus most accurately states the topic of the sentences.
exercise 4 Circle the phrase that best describes the topic or subject for each group of sen-
tences.
Group 1
1. To provide a favorable climate for growing grapes, the winter temperature
should not go below 15° F, and the summers should be long.
2. During the growing season, rainfall should be light.
3. A gentle movement of air is required to dry the vines after rains, dispel fog,
and protect the vines from fungus disease.
Protecting Grapes from Disease
Appropriate Temperatures for Growing Grapes
Appropriate Climate for Growing Grapes
Group 2
1. For example, faced with fewer expansion opportunities within the United
States, Wal-Mart opened new stores abroad and foreign sales reached
$7.5 billion in three years.
2. As more and more companies engage in international business, the world is
becoming a single, interdependent global economy.
3. In a plan to become a global giant, Chrysler, one of America’s apple
pie auto companies, merged with Germany’s Daimler-Benz to become
DaimlerChrysler.
International Auto Mergers
A Global Economy
Wal-Mart Expansion
Group 3
1. Oprah Winfrey’s success has placed her in the top 0.5 percent of the popula-
tion that owns more than a quarter of the nation’s wealth.
2. Oprah’s entertainment enterprises earn her over $250 million a year.
3. Fortune magazine has listed Oprah as one of the 400 richest Americans.
Rankings of Wealth
The Richest Americans
Oprah’s Financial Success
Group 4
1. Salsa, the popular blend of Latin American music, is also the word for sauce.
2. According to stories, the expression was contributed to the music world by a
Cuban orchestra conductor.
3. While practicing a mambo that needed more life, the orchestra leader told
his musicians to “echale salsita” or “throw in the sauce.”
Latin American Salsa Music
The Naming of Salsa Music
Contribution of Salsa
Group 5
1. Simply drinking water is the best way to prevent dehydration from sweating.
2. Taking salt tablets before drinking water can dehydrate the body even more
by extracting water from body tissue.
3. Plain water is better than beverages containing sugar or electrolytes because
it is absorbed faster.
Salt Tablets versus Water
Value in Plain Water
Preventing Dehydration
exercise 5 Read a group of three sentences, then write a phrase that best states the subject
or general topic for the sentences.
Group 1
1. Psychologists conduct research with animals for several reasons.
2. Sometimes they simply want to know more about the behavior of a specific
type of animal.
3. In other instances they want to see whether certain laws of behavior apply to
both humans and animals.
General topic?
—Psychology: Themes & Variations, Sixth Edition,

by Wayne Weiten
Group 2
1. Scientists think that a more reasonably defined danger level would mean that
only 50,000 homes have radon concentrations that pose a danger to occupants.
2. Scientists outside the EPA have concluded that the standards the EPA is
using are too stringent.
3. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regards 5 million
American homes as having unacceptable radon levels in the air.
General topic?
—Physical Geology, Fifth Edition,

by David McGeary et al.
Group 3
1. They resist accepting a warm pink body as a corpse from which organs can
be “harvested.”
2. The Japanese do not incorporate a mind–body split into their models of them-
selves; they locate personhood throughout the body rather than in the brain.
3. In Japan the concept of brain death is hotly contested, and organ transplants
are rarely performed.
General topic?
—Cultural Anthropology, Eleventh Edition,

by William A. Haviland et al.
Recognize General and Supporting Sentences

Read the sentences in each of the following groups. The sentences are related to
a single subject, with two of the sentences expressing specific support and one
sentence expressing the general or main idea about the subject. Circle the num-
ber of the sentence that best expresses the general subject. Then read the three
phrases and circle the one that best describes the subject of the sentences.
EXAMPLE 1. An accountant who prefers to work alone rather than as a team member may
be an important part of the organization but will not become a leader.
2. A CEO who steers a company into increased profits but exhibits poor people
skills by yelling at employees and refusing to listen will not keep her job.
3. Companies now demand of their top employees a high level of emotional
intelligence (EI), which refers to skills in adaptability, self-control, conflict
management, and teamwork.
IQ No Longer Matters
The Importance of Emotional Intelligence
Polite Changes in the Workplace
EXPL ANATION The third sentence best expresses the general subject. The other
two sentences offer specific supporting ideas. The second phrase, “The Im-
portance of Emotional Intelligence,” best describes the general subject of
the material. The first phrase is not really suggested, and the last phrase is one of
the details mentioned.
exercise 6 Circle the number of the sentence that best expresses the general subject, the
main idea. Then read the three topic phrases and circle the phrase that best
describes the subject of the sentences.
Group 1
1. African American and Hispanic teens are not as likely to use tobacco as
Caucasian adolescents.
2. Each day approximately three thousand teens start smoking, and eventually
one third of them will die from smoking.
3. Despite the proven danger, in the past decade tobacco usage among teens
has increased.
Tobacco Usage Among Teens
Dangers Face Teens
Harms of Smoking
Group 2
1. Berry Gordy, an ex-boxer and Ford auto worker, borrowed $700 from his
family and began to manufacture and sell his own records on the Hitsville
USA (later called Motown, for “motor town”) label.
2. The next year Smokey Robinson and the Miracles recorded “Shop Around,”
which was Gordy’s first million-copy hit.
3. Gordy signed an 11-year-old boy to record for him under the name of Stevie
Wonder.
Gordy’s Success
Stevie Wonder at Motown
The Recording Artists at Motown
Group 3
1. The czar’s wife believed that the devious and politically corrupt Rasputin,
known as the “mad monk,” was the only one who could save her son.
2. The son of Nicholas II was afflicted with hemophilia, a condition in which
the blood does not clot properly.
3. In Russia during the reign of Nicholas II, hemophilia played an important
historical role.
Rasputin’s Charm
Hemophilia
Influence of Hemophilia on Russia
Group 4
1. By 2000 the world’s population had moved past 6 billion people, and by 2050
it is expected to reach 9 billion.
2. The global statistics on population growth and the availability of food are
alarming.
3. Biotechnologists estimate that the land available for raising crops will
decrease by half in the next fifty years.
Biotechnology and Agriculture

Feeding the Poor
Population Growth and Food Production
Group 5
1. The success of Norman Rockwell’s illustrations is based on his simple for-
mula of drawing ordinary people doing ordinary things that make us laugh
at ourselves.
2. Rockwell used humor to poke fun at situations but never at people.

3. Rockwell painted the people and children of the neighborhood, first from
real life, then, in later years, from photographs.
Rockwell’s Neighborhood
The Subjects of Rockwell’s Paintings
Art from Photographs
exercise 7 For each group of sentences, write a phrase that states the topic; then circle the
number of the sentence that best expresses the main idea.
Group 1
1. Four hundred Navajos were recruited as marine radio operators, and the
codes based on the Navajo language were never broken by the enemy.
2. During World War II, over 25,000 Native Americans served in the armed
forces and made amazing contributions toward the war effort.
3. The most famous Indian GI was a Pima Indian, the marine Ira Hayes, who
helped plant the American flag on Iwo Jima.
General Topic?
Group 2
1. Germans view health as having several components.
2. Hard work, cleanliness, and staying warm aid in health maintenance.
3. Stress and germs as well as drafts, unhappiness, and a sedentary lifestyle are
believed to cause illness.
General topic?
—Culture in Rehabilitation,
edited by Matin Royeen
and Jeffrey L. Crabtree
Group 3
1. Logically, the probability of having a “good Samaritan” on the scene would
seem to increase as group size increases.
2. When it comes to helping behavior, many studies have uncovered a puzzling
situation called the bystander effect: People are less likely to provide needed
help when they are in groups than when they are alone.
3. Evidence that your probability of getting help declines as group size
increases was first described by John Darley and Bibb Latane, who were
conducting research on helping behavior.
General topic?
—Psychology: Themes & Variations, Sixth Edition,

by Wayne Weiten
exercise 8 Each of the following sentence groups contains three specific supporting sen-
tences. Write a general sentence that states the overall message for each group.
In addition, write a phrase that briefly states the general topic of that sentence.
Group 1
1. The battered woman does not want to believe the man she loves is violent.
2. She doesn’t want to face the possibility that he may be violent for the rest of
their lives together.
3. She wants to hold on to the hope that someday he will quit drinking and the
relationship will change.
—Marriages and Families in a Diverse Society,

by Robin Wolf
General sentence stating the main idea?
General topic?
Group 2
1. Decades before Jamestown was hailed as the first permanent settlement in
America, Pedro Menendez de Aviles founded St. Augustine in Florida.
2. Menendez brought 800 soldiers and colonists to establish this first European
settlement in America and to protect the land for Spain.
3. St. Augustine, so named because the landing occurred in the month of
August, became a permanent and prosperous Spanish settlement.
General topic?
Group 3
1. A big fear of banks and companies interested in introducing smart cards and
digital cash has been the supposedly unsophisticated U.S. consumer.
2. Since the late 1990s, however, elementary school children in Westport,
Connecticut, have been using smart cards to buy lunch at the school cafeteria.
3. Clearly, it doesn’t take grown-up smarts to use smart cards.
—Economics Today, 2001–2002 Edition,

by Roger Leroy Miller
General topic?
Differentiate Topic, Main Idea, and Supporting Details

We have said that a topic is a word or phrase that describes the subject or gen-
eral category of a group of specific ideas. Frequently, the topic is stated as the
title of a passage. The main idea, in contrast, is a complete sentence that states
the topic and adds the writer’s position or focus on the topic. The supporting
details are the specifics that develop the topic and main idea.
Read the following example from a textbook paragraph and label the topic,
the main idea, and a supporting detail.
EXAMPLE The Body Signaling Feeling

Some signals of body language, like some facial expressions, seem
to be “spoken” universally.
When people are depressed, it shows in their walk, stance, and head
position.
—Psychology, by Carole Wade and Carol Tavris

EXPL ANATION The first item is general enough to be the topic. The second
item is a sentence that expresses the writer’s point about the topic, and so it is
the main idea. The third item is a specific example, so it is a detail.
exercise 9 Compare the items within each group and indicate which is the topic (T), the
main idea (MI), and the specific supporting detail (D).
Group 1
1. Much in this American document comes from England’s Magna

Carta, which was signed in 1215.
2. British Roots in American Government
3. The American Constitution has its roots in the power of past
documents.
Group 2
1. Children are highly valued in African American families.
2. Valuing Children
3. Like Latinos, African Americans view “children as wealth,” believ-
ing that children are important in adding enjoyment and fulfill-
ment to life.
—Marriage and Families in a Diverse Society,

by Robin Wolf
Group 3
1. The Fate of Mexican Americans
2. Some conquered Mexicans welcomed the Americans; many others,
recognizing the futility of resistance, responded to the American
conquest with ambivalence.
3. The 80,000 Mexicans who lived in the Southwest did not respond
to the Mexican War with a single voice.
—America and Its People, Third Edition,

by James Martin et al.
Group 4
1. Her early research led to an understanding of how viruses infect
the plant and destroy its tissues.
2. Esau’s Early Career with Beets
3. Sugar beets played a major role in the career of Dr. Katherine Esau,
one of this century’s most productive plant scientists.
—Biology: Concepts and Connections, Fourth Edition,

by Neil Campbell, et al.
Group 5
1. Discrimination Against Women in Higher Education
2. Harvard, for example, was one of the last to give up sex discrimina-
tion and began admitting women to its graduate business program
only in 1963.
3. In general, the more prestigious the educational institutions, the
more strongly they discriminated against women.
—Sociology, Third Edition,

by Alex Thio
Differentiate Distractors in Main Idea Test Items

To gain insight into recognizing a correctly stated topic, categorizing incorrect
responses to main idea questions can be helpful. When stating the topic or main
idea of a passage, it is easy to make the mistake of creating a phrase or a sen-
tence that is either too broad or too narrow. The same two types of errors occur
when students answer main idea questions on standardized tests. A phrase that
is too broad is too general and thus would suggest the inclusion of much more
than is stated in the passage. A phrase that is too narrow is a detail within the
passage. It may be an interesting and eye-catching detail, but it is not the subject
of the passage.
EXAMPLE After reading the following passage, decide which of the suggested titles is cor-
rect (C), too broad (TB), or a detail (D).
One interesting research finding shows that listeners can accurately judge the socioeco-
nomic status (whether high, middle, or low) of speakers from 60-second voice samples.
In fact, many listeners reported that they made their judgments in fewer than 15 sec-
onds. Speakers judged to be of high status were also rated as being of higher credibility
than speakers rated middle and low in status. Listeners can also judge with considerable
accuracy the emotional states of speakers from vocal expressions.
—Human Communication, Sixth Edition,

by Joseph DeVito
1. Importance of Voice
2. Speaking
3. Making Judgments by Voice
4. Emotional States of Speakers
EXPL ANATION The third response most accurately describes the topic of the
passage. The first two are too broad and would include much more than is in the
paragraph. The last response is a detail that is part of one of the experiments
with listeners.
exercise 10 Read the passage and label the suggested titles for the passage as correct (C), too
broad (TB), or a detail (D).
Passage 1
In California, Mexican Americans were outnumbered and vulnerable to discrimination.
During the early years of the Gold Rush, Mexican Americans were robbed, beaten, and
lynched with impunity. The 1850 Foreign Miners’ Tax imposed a $20 a month tax on
Mexican American miners, even though the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo had granted
them citizenship. Many Mexicans were forced to sell land to pay onerous taxes that fell
heaviest on the Spanish speakers.
—America and Its People, Third Edition,

by James Martin, et al.
1. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

2. Discrimination
3. Foreign Miners’ Tax During the Gold Rush
4. Discrimination Against Mexican Americans in California
Passage 2
Humpback whales strain their food from seawater. Instead of teeth, these giants have an
array of brushlike plates called baleen on each side of their upper jaw. The baleen is used
to sift food from the ocean. To start feeding, a humpback whale opens its mouth,
expands its throat, and takes a huge gulp of seawater. When its mouth closes, the water
squeezes out through spaces in the baleen, and a mass of food is trapped in the mouth.
The food is then swallowed whole, passing into the stomach, where digestion begins.
The humpback’s stomach can hold about half a ton of food at a time, and in a typical
day, the animal’s digestive system will process as much as 2 tons of krill and fish.
—Biology: Concepts and Connections, Fourth Edition,

by Neil Campbell, et al.
1. Humpback Whales
2. Baleen for Teeth
3. The Digestive System of the Humpback Whale
4. How Whales Filter Food
Passage 3
Tar and nicotine are not the only harmful chemicals in cigarettes. In fact, tars account for
only 8 percent of tobacco smoke. The remaining 92 percent consists of various gases, the
most dangerous of which is carbon monoxide. In tobacco smoke, the concentration of
carbon monoxide is 800 times higher than the level considered safe by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In the human body, carbon monoxide reduces
the oxygen-carrying capacity of the red blood cells by binding with the receptor sites for
oxygen. This causes oxygen deprivation in many body tissues.
—Health: the Basics, Fifth Edition,

by Rebecca J. Donatelle
Questioning for the Main Idea 131
1. Carbon Monoxide
2. Harmful Tars and Nicotine
3. Carbon Monoxide Dangers from Smoking
4. Tobacco and Smoking
Questioning for the Main Idea

To determine the main idea of a body of material, ask questions in the following
three basic areas. (The order may vary according to how much you already know
about the subject.) Usually, you decide on the general topic first, sometimes
from the title and sometimes by considering the details. If you are familiar with
the material, constructing a main idea may seem almost automatic. If the mater-
ial is unfamiliar, however, you may need to connect the key thoughts to formu-
late a topic and then create your main idea statement.
1. Establish the Topic

Question: Who or what is this about? What general word or phrase identi-
fies the subject? The topic should be broad enough to include all the ideas, but
narrow enough to focus on the direction of the details. For example, identifying
the topic of an article, such as “College Costs,” “Change in College,” or
“Changing to Cut College Costs,” might all be correct, but the last may be the
most pointed and descriptive for the article.
2. Identify the Key Supporting Terms

Question: What are the important details? Look at the details that seem
significant to see if they point in a particular direction. What aspect of the sub-
ject do they address? What seems to be the common message? In a passage on
college costs, the details might describe benefits of larger classes, telecommuni-
cation networks, and video instruction. A common thread is that each idea
relates to changes targeted at cutting the costs of college instruction.
3. Focus on the Message of the Topic

Question: What main idea is the author trying to convey about the topic?
This statement should be:
• A complete sentence
• Broad enough to include the important details, and

• Focused enough to describe the author’s slant
In the example about cutting college costs, the main idea might be “Several col-
leges experiment with ways to cut costs.”
Stated Main Ideas

Research shows that readers comprehend better when the main idea is directly
stated, particularly when it is stated at the beginning of a passage. Such an ini-
tial main idea statement, thesis statement, or topic sentence is a signpost for
readers, briefing them on what to expect. This thesis or main idea statement pro-
vides an overview of the author’s message and connects the supporting details.
Read the following example and use the three-step method to determine the
main idea.
EXAMPLE Polygraph tests have been viewed as an invasion of privacy and criticized on ethical, legal, and
scientific grounds. The physiological changes thought to reveal deception could result from
anxiety about being interrogated, anger at being asked to take the test, or fear from ponder-
ing the consequences of “failing” the test. You might react in any of these ways if you were
“hooked up” to a polygraph.
—Psychology, by Stephen F. Davis

and Joseph J. Palladino
1. Who or what is the topic of this passage?

2. Underline the key terms.
3. What point is the author trying to make?
EXPL ANATION The topic of this passage is “Polygraph Tests.” The details give
specifics about how physiological changes caused by anxiety, anger, or fear can
show up the same way on a polygraph test as a lie response. The author states
the main idea in the first sentence.
Textbook authors do not always state the main idea in the first sentence.
Stated main ideas may be the beginning, middle, or concluding sentence of
a passage. Therefore, do not think of stating the main idea only as a search for
a particular sentence. Instead, rely on your own skill in answering the three
questions about topic, details, and focus. Connect the details to form your own
concept of the main idea, and, if a specific sentence in the paragraph restates it,
you will recognize it as the main idea.
exercise 11 Apply the three-question technique to identify the topic, key terms, and main
idea of the following passages, all of which have stated main ideas.
Passage 1
To gain a better idea of what social structure is, think of college football. You probably
know the various positions on the team: center, guards, tackles, ends, quarterback, run-
ning backs, and the like. Each is a status; that is, each is a social position. For each of these
statuses, there is a role; that is, each of these positions has certain expectations attached
to it. The center is expected to snap the ball, the quarterback to pass it, the guards to
block, the tackles to tackle or block, the ends to receive passes, and so on. Those role
expectations guide each player’s actions; that is, the players try to do what their particu-
lar role requires.
—From James M. Henslin,

Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach, 7th ed.
© 2007 (excerpt from page 96). Reproduced by
permission of Pearson Education, Inc.

Passage 2
Many foods and beverages are produced with the help of microbial fermentation. Lactic
acid bacteria are used in the production of acidophilus milk, yogurt, pickles, olives, and
sauerkraut. Several types of bacteria are used to produce cheese. Bacteria are involved in
making fermented meats such as salami and in the production of vinegar, soy sauce,
chocolate, and certain B vitamins (B12 and riboflavin). Bacteria are also used in the pro-
duction of citric acid, a compound added to candy and to most soft drinks.
—From Solomon, Berg, and Martin,
Biology (with InfoTrac), 6th ed,
© 2002 Brooks/Cole, a part of Cengage Learning, Inc.
Reproduced by permission. www.cengage.com/permissions

Passage 3
Today, many prosecutors, judges, and even mental health experts believe in the need for
a verdict of “guilty but insane.” Under this provision, if a person uses the insanity defense
but a judge or jury finds the evidence insufficient for legal insanity, they can return a ver-
dict of guilty but mentally ill. This indicates that the defendant is suffering from an
emotional disorder severe enough to influence behavior but insufficient to render him or
her insane. After such a finding, the court can impose any sentence it could have used on
the crime charge. The convicted defendant is sent to prison, where the correctional
authorities are required to provide therapeutic treatment. If the mental illness is cured,
the offender is returned to the regular prison population to serve out the remainder of
the sentence.
—Introduction to Criminal Justice, Ninth Edition,

by Joseph J. Senna and Larry J. Siegel
Passage 4
From the very beginning television ratings have been criticized for factors other than the
small number of homes used in their computation. More important questions have to do
with what ratings are measuring in the first place and how the results are used.
Audimeter ratings did not measure whether anyone was actually watching at a given
time. Its replacement technology, the peoplemeter, also has limitations. Punch-in proto-
cols for nonfamily members are sufficiently complex that many users simply fail to
acknowledge the presence of additional viewers, or they substitute a family member’s

code for the guest code. The diary is flawed as well; its value is dependent on the active
involvement of viewers. Lack of interest, forgetfulness, and lying can and do occur.
Equally important, diaries offer viewers no opportunity to comment on likes and dislikes.
—From Stanley J. Baran, Introduction to Mass Communication, Third Edition.

Copyright © 2004 by The McGraw-Hill Companies. Reprinted
by permission of The McGraw-HIll Companies.

Passage 5
Six Flags is a world-renowned theme park. The company owns and operates thirty-eight
different parks spread out over North America, Latin America, and Europe. Locations
include Mexico City, Belgium, France, Spain, Germany, and most major metropolitan
areas in the United States. In fact, having a park in forty of the fifty major metropolitan
areas in the United States has earned Six Flags the title of world’s largest regional theme
park company. Annually, more than 50 million visitors are reported to entertain them-
selves at Six Flags theme parks worldwide. The company prides itself in claiming that 98
percent of the U.S. population is within an 8-hour drive to any one of the numerous Six
Flags theme parks.
—Introduction to Hospitality, Fourth Edition,

by John R. Walker

Passage
Colleges and universities are denying access to third party credit card marketers in
increasing numbers. There were 22 campuses that disallowed the practice in 1988. That
number has increased dramatically and is expected to cross 400 in the next couple of
years. Private sources that monitor college credit card marketing (College Marketing
Intelligence) contend that the number is much higher, estimating that 750 to 1000 col-
lege campuses have already banned on-campus credit card marketing.
—Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in

Marketing, edited by Barton Macchiette and Abhijit Roy

Unstated Main Ideas

Research shows that only about half of the paragraphs in textbooks have
directly stated main ideas. This should not be a problem if you understand the
three-question technique for locating the main idea. The questions guide you
in forming your own statement so that you are not dependent on finding a line
in the text.
When the main idea is not directly stated, it is said to be implied, which
means it is suggested in the thoughts that are revealed. In this case, the author
has presented a complete idea, but for reasons of style and impact has chosen
not to express it concisely in one sentence. As a reader, it is your job to systemat-
ically connect the details and focus the message.
In the following passage the main idea is not stated, but it may be deter-
mined by answering the three questions that follow.
EXAMPLE In Australia and Belgium, nonvoters are subject to fines; not only the fine itself but the clear
expectation that everyone is legally required to vote helps generate 90+ percent turnout rates.
In Italy, nonvoters are not fined, but “Did Not Vote” is stamped on their identification papers,
threatening nonvoters with the prospect of unsympathetic treatment at the hands of public
officials should they get into trouble or need help with a problem.
—The New American Democracy, Election Update Edition,

by Morris Fiorina and Paul Peterson

(This gives you the general topic or heading.)
2. What are the key terms or details?
3. What idea is the author trying to convey about nonvoting?
(This is the main idea the author is trying to communicate.)
EXPL ANATION The sentence stating the main idea might very well have been
the first, middle, or last sentence of the paragraph. Having it stated, however,
was not necessary for understanding the passage. In many cases, readers spend
time searching for a single sentence that encapsulates the meaning rather than
digesting the information and forming ideas. Instead, answer these three ques-
tions: “Who or what is this about?” “What are the key terms?” and “What point is
the author trying to make?” This passage is about penalties for not voting. The
key terms are “giving fines in Australia and Belgium, and stamping ‘Did Not Vote’
on identification papers in Italy.” The author’s main idea is that in “some coun-
tries nonvoters are penalized to encourage voting.” Apply the three-question tech-
nique to determine the main idea.
exercise 12 Passage 1
Marilyn, a Southwest Airlines flight attendant, takes the mike as her plane backs away
from the Houston terminal. “Could y’all lean in a little toward the center aisle please?”
she chirps in an irresistible Southern drawl. “Just a bit, please. That’s it. No, the other way,
sir. Thanks.”
Baffled passengers comply even though they have no idea why.
“You see,” says Marilyn at last, “the pilot has to pull out of this space here, and he
needs to be able to check the rearview mirrors.”
Only when the laughter subsides does Marilyn launch into the standard aircraft
safety speech that many passengers usually ignore.

—Business Essentials, Third Edition,
by Ronald Ebert and Ricky Griffin

Passage 2
Children have more taste buds than adults do, which may explain why they are often so
picky about eating “grown-up” foods. Even among adults, individuals differ in their
sensitivity to taste. Indeed, recent studies have shown that people can be divided into
one of three groups: nontasters, medium tasters, and supertasters. Compared to most,
supertasters use only half as much sugar or saccharin in their coffee or tea. They also suf-
fer more oral burn from eating the active ingredient in chili peppers. Using videomi-
croscopy to count the number of taste buds on the tongue, researchers have found that
nontasters have an average of 96 taste buds per square centimeter, medium tasters have
184, and supertasters have 425.
—Psychology, Second Edition, by Saul Kassin

Passage 3
If the person is extremely important, you had better be there early just in case he or she is able
to see you ahead of schedule. As the individual’s status decreases, it is less important for you
to be on time. Students, for example, must be on time for conferences with teachers, but it is
more important to be on time for deans and still more important to be on time for the presi-
dent of the college. Teachers, on the other hand, may be late for conferences with students
but not for conferences with deans or the president. Deans, in turn, may be late for teachers
but not for the president. Business organizations and other hierarchies have similar rules.
—Human Communication, Sixth Edition,

by Joseph DeVito

Passage 4
In his book Bridges, Not Walls, John Stewart dramatically illustrates the case of the famous
“Wild Boy of Aveyron,” who spent his early childhood without any apparent human contact.
The boy was discovered in January 1800 while digging for vegetables in a French village gar-
den. He showed no behaviors one would expect in a social human. The boy could not speak
but uttered only unrecognizable cries. More significant than this absence of social skills was
his lack of any identity as a human being. As author Roger Shattuck put it, “The boy had no
human sense of being in the world. He had no sense of himself as a person related to other
persons.” Only after the influence of a loving “mother” did the boy begin to behave—and,
we can imagine, think of himself as a human.
In 1970, authorities discovered a twelve-year-old girl (whom they called “Genie”)

who had spent virtually all her life in an otherwise empty, darkened bedroom with almost
no human contact. The child could not speak and had no sense of herself as a person
until she was removed from her family and ”nourished” by a team of caregivers.
—Understanding Human Communication, Eighth Edition,

by Ronald B. Adler and George Rodman

Passage 5
A mother had a son who threw temper tantrums: lying on the floor, pounding his fists,
kicking his legs, and whining for whatever he wanted. One day while in a supermarket he
threw one of his temper tantrums. In a moment of desperation, the mother dropped to
the floor, pounded her fists, kicked her feet, and whined, “I wish you’d stop throwing
temper tantrums! I can’t stand it when you throw temper tantrums!” By this time, the
son had stood up. He said in a hushed tone, “Mom, there are people watching! You’re
embarrassing me!” The mother calmly stood up, brushed off the dust, and said in a clear,
calm voice, ”That’s what you look like when you’re throwing a temper tantrum.”
Sometimes, traditional approaches such as bribing, threatening, ignoring, or giving in

seem so natural that we overlook the possibility that something different, such as embar-
rassment, might work too.
—The Creative Problem Solver’s Toolbox,
by Richard Fobes

exercise 13 In some of the following passages the main ideas are stated. In others they are
implied. Avoid simply searching for a sentence that states the main idea. Instead,
apply the three-step method that you have learned and practiced throughout this
chapter to determine the author’s main point.
Passage 1
God’s message to Muhammad in the form of the Qur’an (a “reciting”) was clear: The
Prophet is to warn his people against worship of false gods and all immorality, especially
injustice to the poor, orphans, widows and women in general. At the end of time, on
Judgment Day, every person will be bodily resurrected to face eternal punishment in hell-
fire or eternal joy in paradise, according to how he or she has lived. The way to paradise
lies in gratitude to God for the bounties of creation, his prophetic and revelatory guid-
ance, and his readiness to forgive the penitent. Social justice and obedient worship of the
one Lord are required of every person. Each is to recognize his or her creatureliness and
God’s transcendence. The proper response is “submission” (islam) to God’s will, becom-
ing muslim (“submissive” or surrendering”) in one’s worship and morality.
—The Heritage of World Civilizations Combined Edition,

Sixth Edition, by Albert Craig, William Graham,
Donald Kagan, Steven Ozment, and Frank Turner
1. Who or what is the topic of this paragraph?
2. Underline the key details.

3. Select the best statement of the main idea of the passage.
a. The word “Qur’an” means a reciting, and “islam” means
submission.
b. God warned people against worship of false gods.
c. Muhammad was a prophet who received a message from God
that became known as the Qur’an.
d. God’s message to Muhammad was that he must tell people that
the way to paradise is to live with concern for justice and
submission to God.
Passage 2
The two most prominent centers of civilization—and the focus of this chapter—were
Mesoamerica, in what is today Mexico and Central America, and the Andean region of
South America. Both regions have a long, rich history of civilization that reaches back
thousands of years. At the time of the European conquest of the Americas in the sixteenth
century both regions were dominated by powerful expansionist empires—the Aztecs, or
Mexica, in Mesoamerica, and the Inca in the Andes. In both regions Spanish conquerors
obliterated the native empires and nearly succeeded in obliterating native culture. But in
both, Native American traditions have endured overlaid and combined in complex ways
with Hispanic culture, to provide clues to the pre-Hispanic past.

—The Heritage of World Civilizations Combined Edition, Sixth Edition,
by Albert Craig, William Graham, Donald Kagan,
Steven Ozment, and Frank Turner


a. The important, ancient cultures centered in Mesoamerica and
the Andean region of south America produced recognizable
traditions that are still visible today.
b. The European conquest destroyed the Aztec and Inca civilizations.
c. Mesoamerica was what is known as Mexico and Central America
today.
d. The Aztecs lived in Mesoamerica.
Passage 3
One hallmark of Chinese history is its striking continuity of culture, language, and geog-
raphy. The Shang and Chou dynasties were centered in north China along the Yellow
River or its tributary, the Wei. The capitals of China’s first empire were in exactly the same
areas, and north China would remain China’s political center through history to the pre-
sent. If Western civilization had experienced similar continuity, it would have progressed
from Thebes in the valley of the Nile to Athens on the Nile; Rome on the Nile; and then,
in time, to Paris, London, and Berlin on the Nile; and each of these centers of civilization
would have spoken Egyptian and written in Egyptian hieroglyphics.
—The Heritage of World Civilizations Combined Edition, Sixth Edition,
by Albert Craig, William Graham, Donald Kagan,
Steven Ozment, and Frank Turner

a. Western civilization began in Thebes in the valley of the Nile.
b. China’s first imperial capitals were in North China along the
Yellow River and the Wei River.
c. Chinese history has been amazingly consistent in its geography.
d. Chinese and Western civilizations have developed in much the
same way.
Passage 4
One of the most important things to realize about the restaurant industry is that you
can’t do it alone. Each person in your operation has to work together for you to be suc-
cessful. The most important ingredient in managing people is to respect them. Many
words can be used to describe a manager (coach, supervisor, boss, mentor), but what-
ever term is used, you have to be in the game to be effective. Managing a kitchen is like
coaching a football team—everyone must work together to be effective. The difference
between a football team and a kitchen is that chefs/managers cannot supervise from the
sidelines; they have to be in the game. One of my favorite examples of excellent people
management skills is that of the general manager of a hotel who had the ware-washing
team report directly to him. When asked why, he indicated that they are the people who
know what is being thrown in the garbage, they are the people who know what the cus-
tomers are not eating, and they are the people most responsible for the sanitation and
safety of an operation. There are many components to managing people—training, eval-

uating, nurturing, delegating, and so on—but the most important is respect.
—Introduction to Hospitality, Fifth Edition,

by John Walker

a. Managing a kitchen is like coaching a football team.
b. To be successful a restaurant manager must develop a team in
which respect is the key ingredient.
c. The people with the least-skilled jobs often know what the
customers like and don’t like.
d. One hotel manager had the ware-washing team report directly
to him.
Passage 5
Employability traits are those skills that focus on attitude, passion, initiative, dedication, sense
of urgency, and dependability. These traits are not always traits that can be taught, but a
good chef can demonstrate them by example. Most of the employers with job opportunities
for students consider these skills to be more important than technical skills. The belief is that
if you have strong employability traits, your technical skills will be strong.
—Introduction to Hospitality, Fifth Edition,

by John Walker

a. Attitude is an important employability trait.
b. Employability traits are often more important than technical skills.
c. A good chef can teach by example.
d. Employers like to employ students.
Getting the Main Idea of Longer Selections

Because of the great quantity of material included in a book, understanding the
main idea of longer selections such as chapters and articles seems more difficult
than understanding a single paragraph. Longer selections have several major ideas
contributing to the main point and many paragraphs of supporting details. To
pull the ideas together under one central theme, an additional step is necessary:
Simplifying the material by organizing paragraphs or pages into manageable sub-
sections and then deciding how each subsection contributes to the whole.

Main Idea 4

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4 Main Idea

• What is a main idea?

What Is a Main Idea?

Major Major Major

Minor Minor Minor Minor Minor

Recognize General and Specific Words

1. chimpanzees 2. cirrus 3. oats 4. Alps 5. shrimp

Recognize General and Specific Phrases

EXAMPLE Turn on the ignition.

1. totaling yearly income 3. picking up seashells

2. paying fees 4. pushing paper under sticks

1. separate the white and dark clothes

2. dribble the ball

3. pull up alongside car

5. boil water in a large pot

Recognize the General Topic for Sentences

EXAMPLE 1. The law of demand is illustrated in an experiment conducted by the makers

—Psychology: Themes & Variations, Sixth Edition,

—Physical Geology, Fifth Edition,

—Cultural Anthropology, Eleventh Edition,

Recognize General and Supporting Sentences

Biotechnology and Agriculture

2. Rockwell used humor to poke fun at situations but never at people.

—Psychology: Themes & Variations, Sixth Edition,

—Marriages and Families in a Diverse Society,

General sentence stating the main idea?

—Economics Today, 2001–2002 Edition,

General sentence stating the main idea?

Differentiate Topic, Main Idea, and Supporting Details

EXAMPLE The Body Signaling Feeling

—Psychology, by Carole Wade and Carol Tavris

1. Much in this American document comes from England’s Magna

—Marriage and Families in a Diverse Society,

—America and Its People, Third Edition,

—Biology: Concepts and Connections, Fourth Edition,

—Sociology, Third Edition,

Differentiate Distractors in Main Idea Test Items

—Human Communication, Sixth Edition,

—America and Its People, Third Edition,

1. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

—Biology: Concepts and Connections, Fourth Edition,

—Health: the Basics, Fifth Edition,

Questioning for the Main Idea

1. Establish the Topic

2. Identify the Key Supporting Terms

3. Focus on the Message of the Topic

• Broad enough to include the important details, and

Stated Main Ideas

“hooked up” to a polygraph.

—Psychology, by Stephen F. Davis

1. Who or what is the topic of this passage?

—From James M. Henslin,

1. Who or what is the topic of this passage?

2. Underline the key terms.

1. Who or what is the topic of this passage?

—Introduction to Criminal Justice, Ninth Edition,

1. Who or what is the topic of this passage?

2. Underline the key terms.

3. What point is the author trying to make?

acknowledge the presence of additional viewers, or they substitute a family member’s

—From Stanley J. Baran, Introduction to Mass Communication, Third Edition.

1. Who or what is the topic of this passage?

2. Underline the key terms.

—Introduction to Hospitality, Fourth Edition,