Review It
When you look for the central idea, you may find that different sections of the text have a central idea, all supporting the central idea or ideas of the whole text. Once you have identified the central idea, the reader should always look for the author’s evidence to support the central idea. Think “roof” and “walls.” The roof (central idea) will not protect the people in the house unless it has walls (evidence) to support it. The more “walls,” the stronger the house. It is the same with text; the more supporting evidence provided, the stronger the central idea or author’s claim.
The roof serves as the central idea of text and the walls are its supporting evidence.
To review this skill of identifying the central idea and supporting evidence, read a passage on Martin Luther and the 95 Theses from History.comopens in new window. Scroll down to down to the section called “The 95 Theses” and read the two paragraphs, beginning with, “Committed to the idea of salvation…” and ending with “…The other 93 theses, a number of them directly criticizing the practice of indulgences, supported these first two.”
What is the central idea of the first paragraph?
What is the central idea of the entire passage?
Identify evidence used to support the central idea.
