HESI A2 - Reading Comprehension/11 Questions and Answers

Identifying the Main Idea First identify the topic by asking "What is the passage about?" Once this question is answered, then ask "What point is the author making about this topic?" The majority of paragraphs will include information about the main idea. Stop and summaries, and visualize as you read. HESI Hint: Main Ideas Main ideas can be found in the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a paragraph or passage. Always check the introduction and conclusion for the main idea. Topic Sentence A sentence that expresses the main idea of the paragraph. Can be stated in one or two sentences, and are often found at the beginning of paragraphs. Identifying Supporting Details These are details that the writer uses to give a description, a background, or simply more information to support the main idea. They may be examples, facts, or statistics. Often the author's main idea can be confused with the examples or reasons that support the main idea