Which term describes the central message of a paragraph?

Which term describes the central message of a paragraph?

• A. Draw Conclusion
• B. Central Idea
• C. Context Clues
• D. Articles

Answer: (B)

The central idea is the main message a paragraph is trying to convey. It’s the point that all the details and examples in the paragraph support, giving you the overall takeaway. Sometimes you’ll see it stated in a topic sentence; other times you have to infer it from how the sentences work together. Drawing a conclusion is about making an inference from the information, not identifying the paragraph’s overarching message. Context clues are used to figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words, not the paragraph’s main point. Articles refer to types of writing or to the small words a/an, and don’t describe the paragraph’s message. So the central idea best captures the paragraph’s overall point.

The central idea is the main message a paragraph is trying to convey. It’s the point that all the details and examples in the paragraph support, giving you the overall takeaway. Sometimes you’ll see it stated in a topic sentence; other times you have to infer it from how the sentences work together. Drawing a conclusion is about making an inference from the information, not identifying the paragraph’s overarching message. Context clues are used to figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words, not the paragraph’s main point. Articles refer to types of writing or to the small words a/an, and don’t describe the paragraph’s message. So the central idea best captures the paragraph’s overall point.