Skill 1
Find the Main Idea in a Sentence in the Passage

On the ASVAB you might be asked to identify the main idea of a paragraph. The main idea is the thought or set of words that best describes the meaning of the paragraph. It’s the main message that the author wants to convey. As you read a paragraph, your goal is to decide what the paragraph is generally about—to identify the main idea.

Often the author will state the main idea in the first sentence and then provide supporting ideas and facts later in the passage. So when you are looking for the main idea of a passage, be sure to look closely at the first sentence. However, sometimes an author will provide the supporting information first, and then end with a sentence that gives the main idea. Other times you will find the main idea elsewhere in the passage.

Example

Read the paragraph and answer the question.

Solution: It’s easy to be fooled into thinking that the first sentence is the main idea because it lists various ways that you can dispose of a computer. But this is a case in which the main idea is not in the first sentence of the paragraph. The main point of this paragraph is to warn you that your computer can hold personal information that you might not want others to see. Then there are smaller, supporting ideas about wiping the hard drive clean, logging off for the last time, and recycling and donating your computer; but these are secondary to the main idea.

Test Yourself!

Read the following paragraph and answer the question. Circle the letter of your choice.

Increased intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products are likely to have important health benefits for most Americans. While protein is an important nutrient in the diet, most Americans are already currently consuming enough and do not need to increase their intake. Associations have been identified between specific food groups (like fruits and vegetables) and reduced risk for chronic diseases. The strength of the evidence for the association between increased intake of fruits and vegetables and reduced risk of chronic diseases is variable and depends on the specific disease, but an array of evidence points to beneficial health effects.

Which sentence in the paragraph best represents the main idea?

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Read the following paragraph and answer the question. Circle the letter of your choice.

As students use primary sources, they begin to view their textbook as only one interpretation, and its author as an interpreter of evidence, not as a messenger of truth. For example, as students read personal letters from distressed farmers to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, look at reports on economic conditions across America, or listen to recordings of government-produced radio dramas, they compare the importance of these sources against such generalizations as found in their textbook. For instance, author Miles Simpson states, “The most urgent task that Roosevelt faced when he took office was to provide food, clothing, and shelter for millions of jobless, hungry, cold, despairing Americans.” Students begin to understand that such generalizations are interpretations of past events, but not the only interpretation. They become aware that the text has a point of view that does not make it incorrect, but does render it subject to question. Primary sources force students to realize that any account of an event, no matter how impartially presented it appears to be, is essentially subjective.

Which sentence in the paragraph best represents the main idea?

1

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