Main Ideas and Supporting Details

Identify central themes, main ideas, and supporting evidence

Main Ideas and Supporting Details (ACT Reading)

ACT Reading Format

4 passages, 10 questions each (40 questions total)

Passage types:

  1. Prose Fiction - literary narratives
  2. Social Science - psychology, sociology, economics
  3. Humanities - arts, literature, philosophy
  4. Natural Science - biology, chemistry, physics

Time: 35 minutes (≈ 9 minutes per passage)

Finding Main Ideas

Main Idea vs. Supporting Detail

Main Idea:

  • The central point of the passage
  • What the entire passage is about
  • Usually more general

Supporting Detail:

  • Specific facts or examples
  • Evidence for the main idea
  • Usually more specific

Where to Find Main Ideas

Check:

  1. First paragraph (often introduces main idea)
  2. Last paragraph (often summarizes)
  3. Topic sentences (first sentence of paragraphs)
  4. Repeated concepts throughout passage

Question Types

"The main idea of the passage is..."

  • Look for the big picture
  • Avoid answers that are too narrow or too broad

"According to the passage..."

  • Direct lookup - find it in the text
  • Don't rely on outside knowledge

"The author's primary purpose is to..."

  • Inform? Persuade? Entertain?
  • Describe? Explain? Argue?

Supporting Details

Detail Questions

"According to the passage, which is true?"

Strategy:

  1. Scan for keywords from the question
  2. Read the relevant section carefully
  3. Match to answer choices
  4. Eliminate wrong answers

"EXCEPT" Questions

"All of the following are mentioned EXCEPT..."

Strategy:

  1. Check each answer choice
  2. Find 3 that ARE in the passage
  3. The one NOT mentioned is the answer
  4. These take more time - do them last if needed

Inference Questions

"It can reasonably be inferred..." "The passage suggests..."

Tips:

  • Must be supported by text
  • Not stated directly, but logically follows
  • Avoid answers that go too far beyond the text

ACT Tips

  • Read the passage first (don't go to questions first)
  • Underline main ideas and key details
  • Skim difficult sections - you can return if needed
  • Prove every answer with text evidence
  • Eliminate obviously wrong answers first

📚 Practice Problems

1Problem 1easy

❓ Question:

What is the difference between a main idea and a supporting detail?

💡 Show Solution

Solution:

Main Idea:

  • The central point or theme
  • What the whole passage/paragraph is about
  • More general

Supporting Detail:

  • Specific facts, examples, or evidence
  • Supports or proves the main idea
  • More specific

Example:

Main Idea: "Dogs make excellent pets"

Supporting Details:

  • "They are loyal companions"
  • "Studies show they reduce stress"
  • "They encourage physical activity"

ACT Tip: Main idea is like an umbrella - details fit under it!

2Problem 2medium

❓ Question:

When a question asks "According to the passage...", what should you do?

💡 Show Solution

Solution:

This is a direct lookup question - the answer IS in the passage.

Strategy:

  1. Identify keywords in the question
  2. Scan the passage for those keywords
  3. Read that section carefully
  4. Match to answer choices
  5. Don't use outside knowledge!

ACT Tip: These are the most straightforward - make sure to get them right!

Time-saving: If you remember where you saw the info while reading, go straight there.

3Problem 3hard

❓ Question:

What's the best strategy for "All of the following are mentioned EXCEPT..." questions?

💡 Show Solution

Solution:

These are reverse questions - find what's NOT mentioned.

Strategy:

  1. Check each answer choice against the passage
  2. Mark the 3 that ARE mentioned (✓)
  3. The remaining one is your answer
  4. Be thorough - don't rush

Why they're hard:

  • Require checking 4 locations
  • Easy to miss one
  • Time-consuming

ACT Tip: Save these for last in each passage if you're running short on time. Do the quick lookups first!

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