Main Idea and Supporting Details Flashcards

Grade 3 · English · Flashcards

Study the key concepts for finding main ideas and supporting details.

Flashcards

main idea: What the whole passage is MOSTLY about — the big umbrella idea
supporting detail: A fact, example, or reason that explains or proves the main idea
topic sentence: The sentence — often first — that directly states the main idea
implied main idea: A main idea not stated directly; must be inferred from all the details
summary: A short retelling using the main idea and key supporting details only
detail vs. main idea test: Ask: does this cover ALL the content, or just one part? If just one part, it's a detail.
paragraph structure: Topic sentence → supporting details → sometimes a concluding sentence
key details: The most important supporting details that directly relate to the main idea
irrelevant detail: A detail that doesn't connect to the main idea — good readers can spot these
main idea strategy: Read everything, then ask: what is ALL of this MOSTLY about?
topic: The subject of the text (example: wolves); different from main idea (what is SAID about wolves)
concluding sentence: The final sentence of a paragraph that wraps up or restates the main idea