The Main Idea

• The main idea is the key concept of a written work and stands above everything else as the central information the reader should take from the writing. Identifying a main idea can be a tough task, depending on the length or sophistication of the writing. The writer may make the main idea very clear in his writing or may challenge the reader to extrapolate it by writing in a dense style. No matter the writing style, however, any good piece of writing features a main idea that conveys the writer's main points.
  
  

Details

• The main idea consists of several pieces, or details, that explain to the reader the writing's key concept. Both major and minor details can help shape the main idea. Details relate information such as the who, what, where, when, why and how of a written piece. Not all of these details may always be available, but you should take note of those that are to help form the main idea. Other details can also include how much, how many or how long. This method of collecting details can be applied to nearly any type of writing.
  
  

Strategy

• Every paragraph should contain a main idea, no matter how insignificant it may appear to be to the larger, overall story. Main ideas can appear anywhere in a paragraph. Pay attention to when the author provides you with details in a paragraph. Take note of these details and write them down if you have to. If you are trying to grasp the main idea of a longer written piece, keep track of various main ideas that may appear. At some point, these main ideas can be combined to form a larger main idea and a theme, or topic, to the writing.
  
  

Summarizing

• You can summarize main ideas in various ways. After collecting the various details for the main idea or ideas, you can present them orally or in written form. The key to properly summarizing a main idea is to make the summary a fluid narrative. Avoid simply repeating the who, what, where, when, how and so on. Rather, focus on creating an engaging and insightful short story out of the summary that incorporates, to a certain degree, your personal interpretation of what the author is relaying.