Main idea: what the text is mostly about
The main idea is the most important point of a paragraph or passage , what it is mostly about. It's usually stated or strongly implied, and the other sentences (the details) support it. Ask: 'What is this mostly telling me?'
Theme: the deeper message
The theme is the underlying message or lesson, usually about life, that you have to infer , it's rarely stated outright. A story about a tortoise beating a hare has the main idea 'a tortoise and hare have a race', but the theme is 'slow and steady wins the race'.
Summary: a short retelling
A summary is a brief retelling of the key points in your own words, in order, leaving out the small details. If the main idea is one sentence, a summary is a few.
A quick way to remember
- Main idea = what it's mostly about (stated).
- Theme = the life lesson (inferred).
- Summary = the short retelling (in order).