Finding the Main Idea

🔍 Inference: Use Clues to Find Meaning

Inference means finding the main idea from the author's clues. The exact meaning of a text is not always stated directly. This is called an implied meaning. Good readers use all available information to guess the main idea.

"Imagine reading about a camping trip. The campers bring with them heavy sleeping bags, extra blankets, and materials to make a fire."

💡 You might infer that the camping trip will be in a cold place.

📋 Two Steps to Making Inferences

Understand What Each Sentence Adds

Understand what each sentence adds to the whole passage.

For example: Each sentence of a paragraph is about healthy food.

Think About What They Imply Together

Think about what all the sentences together imply, or show, about a topic.

For example: People should eat healthy food to lose weight and feel well.

❓ Inference Questions

Ask specific questions to help you infer, or guess, the main idea. Inference questions are WH questions (what, why, where, when).

What do all of the sentences have in common?
What does the author believe?
Why is the author stating this information?

🎯 Analyze the Beginning

The main idea is often in the first lines or first paragraph. Start making inferences immediately if the main idea is not clearly stated in the beginning.

🧩 Use Context Clues

Context means the larger meaning of a text. Use context clues to help you quickly guess the meaning of difficult words.

The elderly man is still agile enough to play football.

💡 From the context, you can guess that "agile" means active or lively.

Understanding the vocabulary can help you infer the main idea.

💭 Remember

It is not necessary to know every word in a passage. You may skip some difficult words and still infer the correct main idea.