What is an effective first step to determine the main idea of a short article?

What is an effective first step to determine the main idea of a short article?

• A. Read the first and last paragraphs' topic sentences.
• B. Memorize every sentence.
• C. Focus on catchy phrases.
• D. Scan for dates and numbers.

Answer: (D)

Understanding the main idea means pinpointing the big point the author wants you to take away. A strong first step is to look at the opening and closing parts of the article—the topic sentences in the first and last paragraphs. These sentences usually state or clearly signal the central idea, and checking them helps you see what all the details are supporting. Details like dates and numbers are useful for specifics, but they don’t usually define the main idea. Memorizing every sentence isn’t efficient for quickly finding the main point, and chasing catchy phrases can lead you away from the overall message. So start by identifying the sentence that states the main point at the beginning and the one that restates it at the end, then see how the rest of the article supports that idea.

Understanding the main idea means pinpointing the big point the author wants you to take away. A strong first step is to look at the opening and closing parts of the article—the topic sentences in the first and last paragraphs. These sentences usually state or clearly signal the central idea, and checking them helps you see what all the details are supporting.

Details like dates and numbers are useful for specifics, but they don’t usually define the main idea. Memorizing every sentence isn’t efficient for quickly finding the main point, and chasing catchy phrases can lead you away from the overall message. So start by identifying the sentence that states the main point at the beginning and the one that restates it at the end, then see how the rest of the article supports that idea.