Shopping cart
Hello There!
Welcome to GattPrep, your Guide for Life and Learning
Information
Follow Us
Welcome to GattPrep, your Guide for Life and Learning
In WASSCE summary writing, your main goal is to condense a longer passage into a few key points using your own words. But how do you know what to keep and what to leave out?
The first step is learning to distinguish between:
Main Ideas (the central message of a paragraph or passage)
Supporting Details (the examples or explanations that back up the main idea)
If you can confidently identify the main ideas in any paragraph, you’re already halfway to writing an excellent summary. In this lesson, you’ll learn strategies for spotting main ideas quickly and clearly, then separating them from supporting details.
A main idea is the most important concept in a paragraph. It’s what the entire paragraph or section is about.
🟨 Think of the main idea as the “topic sentence” or the paragraph’s “headline.”
Examples of Main Ideas:
Climate change is affecting weather patterns across the globe.
Education is a powerful tool for reducing poverty.
Regular exercise improves both physical and mental health.
Supporting details are facts, examples, reasons, or explanations that prove or explain the main idea.
Supporting Detail Examples:
Climate change → More frequent hurricanes and longer droughts.
Education → Literacy rates improve in communities with free schools.
Exercise → Reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, and improves sleep.
🟨 If the main idea is the “meat,” supporting details are the “spices” that add flavor.
| Tip | Strategy |
|---|---|
| 🔍 Skim | Read the first and last sentences of a paragraph |
| ❓ Ask | “What is this mostly about?” |
| 🧽 Remove | Eliminate examples and digressions—what’s left is likely the core idea |
| 🚨 Look for Signal Words | “In conclusion,” “The main reason,” “Most importantly” often point to main ideas |
| Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Stated (directly written) | “Water pollution is a major environmental issue.” |
| Implied (you infer it) | If a paragraph discusses dirty rivers, toxic fish, and sick communities—you infer the main idea: “Water pollution is harmful.” |
“Many young people today are unemployed. Despite finishing school, they find it difficult to get jobs due to limited work experience and few available positions. This has led to frustration, migration, and even crime in some areas.”
Step 1: Ask “What’s this paragraph mostly about?”
✔️ Youth unemployment
Step 2: Identify the main idea.
Main Idea: Many young people today are unemployed.
Step 3: Pick out supporting details.
Lack of work experience
Limited job openings
Results: frustration, migration, crime
“Reading widely helps students build vocabulary. Books expose them to new words and sentence structures. This improves their writing and speaking skills. In contrast, students who rarely read may struggle to express themselves clearly.”
Main Idea: Reading widely helps students build vocabulary.
Supporting Details:
Books introduce new words
Writing and speaking skills improve
Non-readers struggle with expression
Read the following and choose the best main idea.
“Trees play a crucial role in preserving the environment. They absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, provide homes for wildlife, and prevent soil erosion. Cutting down trees without replacement leads to deforestation and climate problems.”
Which is the main idea?
A. Trees release oxygen
B. Trees help the environment
C. Trees prevent erosion
D. Deforestation causes climate problems
✅ Answer: B
Explanation: The paragraph is about the overall importance of trees, not just one function.
“Plastic waste has become a major global issue. It clogs waterways, harms marine life, and takes centuries to decompose. While recycling efforts exist, they are not yet enough to tackle the problem effectively.”
Main Idea:
Plastic waste is a major global issue.
Supporting Details:
Clogs waterways
Harms marine life
Takes centuries to decompose
Recycling efforts are insufficient
“In the mornings, buses are overcrowded. Traffic is slow, and passengers often arrive late to work. The roads are filled with honking cars, and tempers flare.”
Implied Main Idea:
Commuting in the morning is stressful and inefficient.
🟨 Note: No sentence says this directly, but it is clearly the writer’s message.
In this lesson, you learned:
✅ The difference between main ideas and supporting details
✅ How to locate topic sentences and use signal words
✅ How to infer implied ideas and remove irrelevant information
✅ That this skill is the first step in accurate, focused summary writing
Think of something you read today—a story, a news article, or a social media post.
What was the main message?
What facts or details helped support that message?
Could you summarize it in one sentence?
GattPrep is built to inspire students, challenge curious minds, and unlock their full academic potential through engaging, focused learning.
