Key Ideas and Details in Literary and Informational Texts
What the questions ask
Key-ideas questions ask what a text is mostly about, which detail supports an idea, how a character responds to a problem, or what lesson a story teaches. Details questions ask for explicit facts, a sequence of events, or a cause-and-effect link.
Concepts to know
- Topic vs. main idea: the topic is a word or phrase ("a violin contest"); the main idea is a full sentence ("Daily practice helped Mia play confidently").
- Supporting details: facts, examples, or events that prove the main idea.
- Theme: a message about life or people that a story suggests; it is not the topic.
- Summary vs. retelling: a summary is brief and includes only key events and ideas.
Traps
The most common trap is choosing a detail that is true and interesting but too small to be the main idea. Another is picking a theme that is one word ("friendship") or a topic ("practicing") instead of a complete message. Watch for answer choices that repeat words from the passage but state the wrong relationship, such as reversing cause and effect. Also check whether a question asks what the text says (explicit) or what you can tell (inference).
Worked example
Passage: Mia practiced violin twenty minutes every day. At first the notes squeaked. By the recital, she played smoothly and smiled. Question: What is the main idea?
- A. Mia's notes squeaked. (detail)
- B. Mia practiced twenty minutes a day. (detail)
- C. Steady practice improves skill. (main idea) Choice C covers the whole passage. The details support it.
Rule of thumb
For main idea, ask: "What do all the details point to?" For theme, ask: "What does this story say about people or life?" Answer in a full sentence and check it against the whole text, not one line.