How would you best differentiate between the main idea and the topic in a paragraph?

• A. The topic is the subject; the main idea is what the author says about that subject.
• B. The topic is the subject; the main idea is a broader theme that doesn't appear in the sentences.
• C. The main idea equals the overall length of the passage.
• D. The topic and main idea are always the same.

Answer: (B)

Understanding the difference between a paragraph's topic and its main idea helps you see what the subject is and what the author is saying about that subject. The topic is the subject of the paragraph—the thing being discussed. The main idea is the central point the author makes about that subject; it ties together the details and examples in the sentences and can be stated or inferred from the text. It comes from the content the author communicates about the topic, not from any broader theme outside the paragraph. So the best description is that the topic is the subject, and the main idea is the author’s message about that subject. Describing the main idea as a broader theme that doesn’t appear in the sentences isn’t accurate, because the main idea should be supported by the sentences themselves. Also, main idea isn’t tied to the paragraph’s length, and the topic and main idea aren’t always the same.