The basic point the author wants to get across to the reader. In fictional literature we call thisIn writing we call this Remember that MAIN IDEA is different from TOPIC SpecificGeneral

Specific sentences/paragraphs that explain, detail, or support the main idea. These details help to make the author’s main idea stronger. MAIN IDEA Supporting details

5 paragraphs500 pages What was the author’s purpose? What is the passage/paragraph mostly about? Do the majority of the supporting details make my main idea clearer?

Growing up To understand someone you need to see things from his point of view. Walter Cunningham at dinner Boo Radley Mayella Ewell and her father’s treatment

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1. Which of the following words would best describe the author’s purpose in this passage? A. To entertain B. To inform C. To teach D. To persuade

2. Which sentence from the passage supports the idea that dreams are unique? A. “In the end, none of us can conclusively say what dreams mean.” B. “In a sense, dreams are our own private adventures.” C. “Some people find it difficult to write so early in the morning.” D. “Others complain they cannot remember their dreams.”

3. What is the main idea of paragraph two? A. Writing about dreams is easier at night than in the morning. B. Writing about dreams often requires many years of hard work. C. Writing about dreams is easier to do than most people think. D. Writing about dreams only works if you have a good memory.

4. What is the main idea of the passage? A. Most people’s dreams are not very memorable. B. It is very important to remember your dreams. C. Dreams are easy to remember with practice. D. You can learn a lot by writing about your dreams.

5. In which paragraph would the following supporting detail BEST fit? A. Paragraph two B. Paragraph three C. Paragraph four D. Paragraph five “Colors can also be very important details to take note of.”

6. Which paragraph would fit the main idea “You need a lot of data to see results”? A. Paragraph one B. Paragraph three C. Paragraph four D. Paragraph five

6. Which paragraph would fit the main idea “You need a lot of data to see results”? A. Paragraph one B. Paragraph three C. Paragraph four D. Paragraph five

7. Based on the information in the passage, a good title would be A. “What Do Dreams Really Mean?” B. “Searching for Sleep Patterns” C. “Tracking Your ‘Private Adventures’” D. “What Happens While We Dream?”