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One of the things the GED test asks you to do is find the main idea of something you’re reading. But here’s a hint… it doesn’t necessarily say, “What’s the main idea?” You have to look at the question and realize that they want you to figure out what’s the main idea of what you read. To understand the main idea of a GED reading, you need to read the entry and then think about what it’s trying to say overall. What’s the most important thing? What’s the big picture?

Here’s an example of a GED question that asks about main idea… but instead of asking for a main idea (or a summary), it asks you what would be a good title. Well, why is that asking about a main idea? A title gives an overview of what you’re going to read. It picks out the most important idea or topic. So, the title is like the main idea. The passage comes from The Study Guide Zone. It’s pretty long… but a main idea means understanding the whole thing! Here’s a hint though… the first and last paragraphs are usually the most important, and can give you a main idea. You can even try just reading the first and last sentences of the paragraphs, and skimming through them. Here’s the first and last paragraphs to look at:

The Second Continental Congress was held May 10, 1775 in Philadelphia. George Washington became the commander of the Americans, mainly because it was felt he would be able to bring the Southern colonies into the fold. This Congress also drew up the Olive Branch petition, a peace offering made to the King of England. The Articles of Confederation were drawn up here; their emphasis on states’ rights proved to be a poor setup for organizing a comprehensive military strategy. This Congress created the Committees of Safety, a system for training community militias. This Congress created a bureaucracy for the purpose of organizing a navy and raising money. Finally, it was here that the colonists formally declared independence.

(…middle paragraphs removed…)

The issuing of the Declaration of Independence had effects both on the Revolutionary War and on world history at large. As far as its immediate effects, it changed the war in America from a war for liberty to a war for independence, by rhetorically emancipating America from Britain. It also opened a path for the French Revolution a few years later, a revolution motivated by the principles expressed in the Declaration. Revolutions in South America, Africa, and Asia have also used the Declaration of Independence as inspiration. In the subsequent history of the United States, the document would be used by abolitionists as an argument against slavery, and by suffragists as an argument for the right of women to vote.

And here’s the sample GED question that asks about the title… and is really asking for the main idea:

10. What would be the best title for this passage?
A: ‘George Washington and the Second Continental Congress’
B: ‘The Founding Fathers Smack Down King George II’
C: ‘The Three Parts of the Declaration of Independence’
D: ‘The Second Continental Congress and the Declaration of Independence’This question is asking you what title fits the passage best…and that means, it has the same main idea. So you need to pay attention to what the paragraphs are mostly about! What’s the point?

Answer A says George Washington and the Second Continental Congress. Well, if you just read the first paragraph, it talks about both those things…right away, so you might think this was the right answer. But if you skim through the whole thing, instead of reading just the beginning… let’s say I read the first and last sentences of the first and last paragraphs. I get:

The Second Continental Congress was held May 10, 1775 in Philadelphia.  … Finally, it was here that the colonists formally declared independence. …  The issuing of the Declaration of Independence had effects both on the Revolutionary War and on world history at large. … In the subsequent history of the United States, the document would be used by abolitionists as an argument against slavery, and by suffragists as an argument for the right of women to vote.

Hmmm!! It talks about the Continental Congress, and about the Declaration of Independence, but not about George Washington at all. If I skim the whole reading, I see that George Washington is really only mentioned once at the beginning. So, he’s not too important to the main idea! (With a little practice, you can quickly look through a reading looking for capital letters to find  names like “George Washington.”)

Answer B is “The Founding Fathers Smack Down King George II.” Well, the problem with saying that would be tone. Or point of view. I mean, would the writer really say “smack down”? It sounds like a pretty interesting title, maybe, but it doesn’t match the boring writing! I mean, straightforward writing. I don’t think the writer would ever say “SMACK DOWN.”

Answer C is “The Three Parts of the Declaration of Independence.” The reading doesn’t really talk about three parts of the Declaration… you can skim through looking for “Declaration of Independence,” to see if there’s anything that talks about three parts… I sure don’t see anything.

Answer D says “The Second Continental Congress and the Declaration of Independence.” Those are the things in those sentences I picked out, the first and last sentences of the paragraphs. Coincidence? No way! This one is what it’s about. And, it’s BORING (I mean, straightforward), just like the writing. So Answer D is right!

For more information on the GED test and GED test preparation, visit The GED Academy at http://www.passGED.com.

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