Reasoning Through Language Arts

The main idea is the central point or overall message the author wants you to take away. It is broader than any single detail and is supported by the supporting details in the text.

It is frequently stated in the topic sentence, often the first or last sentence of a paragraph. Sometimes it is implied and must be inferred from the details.

Supporting details are the facts, examples, statistics, reasons, and descriptions that explain, prove, or develop the main idea.

A stated main idea appears directly in a sentence of the text; an implied main idea is not written out and must be inferred by combining the supporting details.

An inference is a logical conclusion drawn from evidence in the text combined with reasoning, going beyond what is stated explicitly while staying supported by the passage.

Question words like 'suggests,' 'implies,' 'most likely,' 'the author would probably agree,' and 'you can conclude' signal that you must infer rather than locate a stated fact.