ACT Preparation / Unit 16 ACT 1510 short lesson, about 20 seconds
The Central Idea of a Passage
Captions available
The idea
The central idea is the main point of the whole passage, developed by every paragraph; it may be stated or left for the reader to assemble.
In practice
Paragraphs on a bakery's history, its recipes and its regulars can share one central idea: the bakery anchors the neighborhood.
Where people slip
Test a central idea against every paragraph, not only the first.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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