Which statement best helps identify the main idea of a paragraph?

Which statement best helps identify the main idea of a paragraph?

• A. The first sentence of the paragraph.
• B. The sentence that summarizes the overall point of the paragraph.
• C. The last sentence of the paragraph.
• D. The number of sentences in the paragraph.

Answer: (B)

Finding the main idea means figuring out the one central point the paragraph is making. The best sentence to identify is the one that summarizes the overall point of the paragraph—the line that would tell you the paragraph’s purpose if you read just that sentence. All the other sentences provide details, examples, or clues that support that main point, but they don’t by themselves state the whole idea. The opening sentence might introduce the topic, the ending sentence might wrap things up, and simply counting how many sentences there are doesn’t reveal what the paragraph is really trying to say. A quick check is to see if you could remove the other sentences and the paragraph would still convey the main point with that one summary sentence. If so, that sentence is the best indicator of the main idea.

Finding the main idea means figuring out the one central point the paragraph is making. The best sentence to identify is the one that summarizes the overall point of the paragraph—the line that would tell you the paragraph’s purpose if you read just that sentence. All the other sentences provide details, examples, or clues that support that main point, but they don’t by themselves state the whole idea. The opening sentence might introduce the topic, the ending sentence might wrap things up, and simply counting how many sentences there are doesn’t reveal what the paragraph is really trying to say. A quick check is to see if you could remove the other sentences and the paragraph would still convey the main point with that one summary sentence. If so, that sentence is the best indicator of the main idea.