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Grade 3 Main Idea & Supporting Details Worksheet with Answers

Grade 3 (US) · Year 4 (UK) · Class 3 (India) · English

Unit 5: Reading Informational TextMain IdeaCCSS RI.3.2

Finding the main idea of a short passage and the details that support it. This free upper elementary worksheet has 11 questions and a full answer key. Print it or save it as a PDF — every answer is checked by code, not guessed.

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Main Idea & Supporting Details

Grade 3 · English

Score___ / 11

Name

Class

Date

Learning goal: Main Idea · CCSS RI.3.2

Directions: This worksheet has 2 parts. Read the instructions at the start of each part.

RememberMain idea and details

Main idea: what the whole text is mostly aboutDetail1Detail2Detail3Details hold up the main idea, like legs hold up a table.
Part A

Read each short text. What is the main idea?

  1. 1

    Apples can be red, green or yellow. Some are sweet and some are sour. There are many kinds of apples.

  2. 2

    Recycling saves trees, uses less energy and keeps trash out of landfills.

  3. 3

    Bees make honey. They also carry pollen that helps plants grow. Bees are very helpful insects.

  4. 4

    Penguins cannot fly, but they swim very fast. Their wings work like flippers in the water.

  5. 5

    Sleep helps your body grow, your brain remember and your mood stay calm.

  6. 6

    Dogs can guard homes, guide people who are blind and find lost hikers. Dogs do many important jobs.

  7. 7

    Some volcanoes erupt with fiery lava. Others release ash clouds. A few sleep for thousands of years before waking.

  8. 8

    The Great Wall stretches over 13,000 miles. Workers built it over many centuries to protect China from invaders.

Part B

Answer each question. Use full sentences where you can.

  1. 9

    Which sentence is a supporting detail for the main idea 'Exercise keeps you healthy'? (a) Exercise strengthens your heart. (b) My shoes are blue.

  2. 10

    What is the difference between the main idea and a supporting detail?

  3. 11

    Where is the main idea of a paragraph often found?

★ Challenge corner for fast finishers

What is full of holes but still holds water?

How did I do?

Teacher's comments

Free printable worksheets with answer keys · aethelsystems.com/worksheets/english/3/main_idea

Answer key (click to show)
  1. 1.there are many kinds of apples
  2. 2.recycling helps the environment
  3. 3.bees are helpful insects
  4. 4.penguins are fast swimmers even though they can't fly
  5. 5.sleep is important for your body and mind
  6. 6.dogs do many important jobs
  7. 7.volcanoes behave in different ways
  8. 8.the Great Wall is huge and was built over centuries for protection
  9. 9.(a) Exercise strengthens your heart.
  10. 10.the main idea is the most important point; details explain or prove it
  11. 11.in the topic sentence, often the first sentence
  12. ★a sponge (challenge corner)

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How to use this worksheet

  • Use it as a 10–15 minute warm-up or homework task rather than a long drill.
  • Ask students to show their working so you can see where a mistake started, not just that it happened.
  • Mark it with the answer key together, then print a fresh version of the same topic to practise the questions they missed.

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