Title & Main Idea Questions Guide | Reading Comprehension | EverExams.com

Title & Main Idea Questions Guide

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📝 Types of Reading Comprehension Questions

Reading comprehension questions in entrance exams fall into specific categories. Identifying the type helps you adopt the right strategy for accuracy.

1. Title Question
2. Main Idea Question
3. Tone Question
4. Specific Detail Question
5. Vocabulary Question
6. Implied Idea Question
💡 Key Strategy

Always identify the question type first! For Title and Main Idea questions, focus on the passage’s overall theme rather than specific details.

🏷️ 1. Title Questions

A common question in entrance exams where you choose the most appropriate title from given options.

Key Points to Remember:
  • You’re choosing the most appropriate title, not necessarily the perfect one
  • Use the elimination technique to narrow down options
  • Title should cover the core idea and express the author’s tone
  • Avoid choosing based on catchiness or brevity alone
  • Title should be neither too broad nor too narrow
  • A title is a summary, not a conclusion
Example Passage:

“Coffee is one of the most popular hot drinks in the world… About 7 million tons of coffee is produced every year… The United States is the biggest coffee consumer…”

Question:

Which is the best title for the passage?

Options:

A. Coffee — a popular hot drink
B. Coffee — the main consumers
C. Coffee — the main producers
D. Coffee — the amount of production

Correct Answer: A

The first and last sentences both emphasize popularity, making A the most comprehensive title.

💡 Title Selection Strategy

Scan the first and last sentences – the title often reflects the opening and closing themes. The title should be supported by every paragraph, not just parts of the passage.

🎯 2. Main Idea / Central Idea Questions

The central idea refers to the theme of the passage – the important points the author wishes to convey.

How to Identify Central Idea:
  • Look for the recurring theme throughout the passage
  • Identify what all paragraphs are trying to support
  • Consider the author’s purpose and tone
  • Note what is emphasized through examples and evidence
Example Passage (Roads):

“Almost all roads present benefits, problems, and risks… Roads provide motorized access… Road systems create changes to the local landscape…”

Question:

What is the main idea in this passage?

Options:

A. Roads present several advantages and disadvantages.
B. Road systems affect forest integrity and fish populations adversely.
C. Road systems affect both land and water resources adversely.
D. Road systems usually involve important tradeoffs in the environment.

Correct Answer: D

Option D captures the broader theme of tradeoffs, while A is too general and B/C are too specific.

💡 Main Idea Strategy

Spend more time understanding the passage than analyzing options. The main idea is never in the details but in what those details collectively support. Ask: “What is every paragraph trying to prove or emphasize?”

🔀 3. Title vs. Main Idea: Key Differences

Aspect Title Questions Main Idea Questions
Format Usually short phrases (2-5 words) Complete sentences summarizing content
Focus Concise representation of entire passage Detailed summary of author’s main points
Tone Must reflect author’s tone Must reflect author’s tone and purpose
Scope Neither too broad nor too narrow Comprehensive but not overly detailed
Common Mistakes Choosing catchy or shortest option Choosing a conclusion instead of summary
Common Pitfalls to Avoid:
  • Too Broad: Options that are vague generalizations
  • Too Narrow: Options focusing on only part of the passage
  • Conclusion vs. Summary: Choosing what could be inferred rather than what is stated
  • Tone Mismatch: Selecting options with wrong emotional tone
💡 Elimination Technique

Systematically eliminate wrong options: 1) Too broad 2) Too narrow 3) Wrong tone 4) Conclusion instead of summary 5) Contains information not in passage. What remains is likely correct!

📋 4. Practice Examples & Analysis

Example 1: Freemasonry Passage

Passage Excerpt: “In grave problems of history… There is no need for absolute question of the truth or falsity of the legend. The object of the masonic legends is not to establish historical facts, but to convey philosophical doctrines.”

Question:

Choose an appropriate title for the paragraph.

Options & Analysis:

A. Freemasonry legends – Too broad ✗
B. False legends of the Freemasons – Wrong tone ✗
C. Objective of masonic legends – Correct ✓
D. Historical facts vs legends – Too narrow ✗

Example 2: Exercise Passage

Passage Excerpt: “You have made a commitment, joined a gym… Your body will thank you later by helping to prevent any possibility of an injury from occurring.”

Question:

Choose the best title for the above passage.

Options & Analysis:

A. Know Your Body – Supported but incomplete ✗
B. Avoid Workout Injuries – Correct (covers all points) ✓
C. The Importance of Exercise – Not supported ✗
D. The Right Way to Exercise – Too narrow ✗

💡 Memorization Tip

Remember the acronym T.M.I. for reading comprehension strategies: Title checks tone, Main idea checks message, Inference checks implication.

📝 Practice MCQs (Interactive)

1. What is the primary purpose of a title in reading comprehension?
A. To provide entertainment value
B. To concisely represent the passage’s main theme
C. To list all topics mentioned in the passage
D. To predict future developments related to the topic
A title should concisely represent the passage’s main theme and reflect the author’s tone, not just list topics or entertain.
2. Which of these is a characteristic of a good main idea statement?
A. It focuses on minor details from the passage
B. It summarizes the author’s primary message comprehensively
C. It is always the first sentence of the passage
D. It includes the reader’s personal opinion
A good main idea statement comprehensively summarizes the author’s primary message without focusing on minor details or adding personal opinions.
3. When evaluating title options, what should you avoid?
A. Considering the author’s tone
B. Checking if it covers the entire passage
C. Choosing based on catchiness or brevity alone
D. Using the elimination technique
You should avoid choosing a title based solely on catchiness or brevity. These are subjective and not reliable indicators of appropriateness.
4. What does it mean when a title is “too broad”?
A. It could apply to many different passages on similar topics
B. It uses too many words to express the idea
C. It focuses on a specific example from the passage
D. It includes technical jargon
A “too broad” title is vague and could apply to many passages on similar topics, not specifically to the given passage.
5. How can you distinguish between a summary and a conclusion?
A. A summary is longer than a conclusion
B. A summary states what is in the passage, while a conclusion infers from it
C. A conclusion is always in the future tense
D. There is no difference between them
A summary states what is directly in the passage, while a conclusion makes inferences or predictions based on the passage’s content.

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