Main Idea Quiz

Example Questions From the Test

• 1A draft paragraph originally focuses on the health benefits of walking. The writer then adds several sentences about how walking instead of driving can reduce fuel use and emissions. Which revised main idea best includes both parts?
  • Walking is the fastest way to travel through every community.
  • Choosing to walk can benefit personal health and the environment.
  • People should walk only when they are unable to drive.
  • Fuel use is the main cause of all personal health problems.
• 2Which sentence is most likely a supporting detail for the main idea “Regular reading can expand a student’s vocabulary”?
  • Encountering unfamiliar words in context can help readers learn their meanings.
  • Reading has been part of human culture for centuries.
  • Vocabulary consists of the words a person knows and uses.
  • Some students prefer mysteries, while others choose biographies.
• 15Which statement best defines the main idea of a passage?
  • The most surprising fact included by the author
  • The general subject named in one or two words
  • The central point that the passage develops or communicates
  • The final sentence, regardless of its role