The main idea is what the writer says about the topic, in one full sentence. Each paragraph then has a job: to set up, to give an example, to show a result, or to conclude.
This lesson is part of modern-text comprehension. The passage and answers are in Chinese, with English explanation.
How do you find the main idea?
Follow three checks in order.
- Look for a signal sentence. Words such as “由此可见”, “可见”, “因此” and “所以” often mark a conclusion.
- Write your own sentence. Say what the writer claims about the topic.
- Test it. Does it cover every paragraph? A detail from one paragraph fails this test.
Worked example: a three-paragraph passage
“上个月，我们社区设立了一个旧衣回收箱。起初没有人注意它，箱子里只躺着两件外套。
后来，居民协会在箱子旁贴了一张告示，写明每件旧衣会送给哪些家庭。三个星期内，回收箱满了三次。
由此可见，人们并不是不愿意捐赠，只是想知道自己的东西去了哪里。”
Paragraph roles.
| Paragraph | Role | Clue |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Background and starting situation | “设立了”, “只躺着两件外套” |
| 2 | Change and result | “后来”, “满了三次” |
| 3 | Conclusion | “由此可见” |
Main idea. The signal phrase “由此可见” points to paragraph 3. A full sentence: “让人们知道捐赠的去向，会提高他们捐赠的意愿。” It covers paragraph 1 (little response), paragraph 2 (the notice, then a full box) and paragraph 3 (the conclusion).
The mistake that costs marks
The common slip is picking a detail from paragraph 1 as the main idea, such as “社区设立了旧衣回收箱”. It is true, but it only describes the setting.
| Answer | Problem |
|---|---|
| “社区设立了旧衣回收箱。” | A detail from paragraph 1 only. |
| “旧衣回收。” | A topic label, not a statement. |
| “告示说明了旧衣的去向。” | The cause, but not the claim it supports. |
| “让人们知道捐赠的去向，会提高捐赠意愿。” | Covers the whole passage. |
If a question asks for the role of paragraph 2, answer with the function: “说明改变做法后的结果，也为结论提供证据。”
Check yourself
“每年夏天，这个小镇都缺水。
社区在每排屋子装了一个雨水桶，下雨时接水，用来浇花和洗车。
一个月后，居民每月的水费少了RM12。”
State the main idea, and the role of paragraph 3.
Answer
Main idea: the rainwater barrels ease the town’s water shortage and save residents money. A model answer: “装雨水桶可以缓解缺水，也为居民省下水费。”
Paragraph 3 gives a result with a number: the monthly water bill dropped by RM12. Its role is to show the result and prove that the solution works. There is no signal word like “由此可见”, so you must build the main idea yourself and test it against all three paragraphs.
What to study next
Once you can state the main idea, practise supporting an inference from the text in supporting an inference with text evidence. Use the claim evidence and explanation revision desk to tidy any answer where the claim and the quote do not match.
If you want a teacher to go through paragraph roles on your own passages, see online one-to-one Chinese tuition.