Main IdeasThis is the author’s idea about the topic

e.g. Topic: Cats

Possible main ideas:Cats are usually very clean animalsCats have very expressive facesCats eat fishCats are humans’ best friends So, main idea is what you want to say

about the topic

Where to find the main idea?

Oftentimes the main idea is expressed in the topic sentence

However, sometimes the main idea is not explicitly stated, so we have to infer from the text.

What is the topic?What is the main idea?

In some parts of the world, many people use bicycles for transportation. First of all, they are much cheaper than cars. They also do not need gas to make them go. And bicycles are easy and cheap to fix. In cities, bicycles don’t have to wait in traffic. They can always go around a traffic jam. Finally , bicycles don’t need parking spaces. They can be parked anywhere.

Answer

The topic is: bicyclesMain idea: a. Bicycles are good for transportationb. Bicycles are a problem in trafficc. Bicycles are cheaper than carsThe correct answer: bicycles are good for

transportation.Answer b is too generalAnswer c is too specific