Which strategy best helps identify a text's main idea?

• A. Reading the thesis or topic sentences and noting the central points.
• B. Skipping to the end and reading only the conclusion.
• C. Memorizing all vocabulary words.
• D. Reading random passages.

Answer: (A)

Finding the main idea comes from spotting the statement the author builds the piece around, which is often found in the thesis and in the topic sentences framing each paragraph. Reading the thesis or opening topic sentences and noting the central points helps you see that core message and how the supporting details fit together to reinforce it. Skipping to the end and reading only the conclusion might hint at a takeaway but won’t show how the entire text develops or supports the main idea. Memorizing vocabulary words isn’t related to understanding what the text is mainly about, and reading random passages breaks the flow and makes it hard to identify the overall purpose.