Main Idea of a Picture - ESL worksheet by nailkka - Free Printable

Let’s go through each paragraph one at a time and find the main idea — that means, what is the *most important thing* happening in the story? We’re not looking for small details, but the big point.

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First Paragraph:

Brad is 16. He had his first driving lesson. His dad told him to back out carefully. Brad didn’t listen. He backed too fast, hit a curb, turned quickly, and hit another car. No one got hurt.

What’s the main idea here?

- Option a: “Brad’s father was angry.” → Maybe he was, but it doesn’t say that. Not the main point.
- Option b: “Brad has good driving skills.” → Nope! He crashed. So this is wrong.
- Option c: “Brad’s first driving lesson did not go well.” → YES! That’s exactly what happened — he messed up, even though no one got hurt.
- Option d: “Brad always drives poorly.” → We don’t know about “always” — this was his first time. Too strong.

✔ Correct answer for first paragraph: c

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Second Paragraph:

It’s Mother’s Day. Amy and Rob wake up early to surprise their mom with breakfast. They crack eggs into a bowl and stir them. Rob puts bread in the toaster. Then they realize — they forgot to wake Mom! And she quietly cooked so they wouldn’t wake her.

What’s the main idea?

- Option a: “Amy and Rob made too much noise.” → Not really — they were trying to be quiet, and actually failed to wake her.
- Option b: “Amy made scrambled eggs.” → True, but that’s just a detail.
- Option c: “Rob made toast.” → Also true, but again, just a detail.
- Option d: “Amy and Rob made breakfast for their mom.” → YES! That’s the whole point — they tried to make breakfast as a surprise for Mother’s Day.

✔ Correct answer for second paragraph: d

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Third Paragraph:

Ivy and Fern went bowling last Thursday. Ivy never bowled before. On her first turn, she knocked down one or two pins on most turns. She didn’t get strikes or spares. Fern said, “The score doesn’t matter as long as you are having fun.”

What’s the main idea?

- Option a: “Ivy is an excellent bowler.” → No, she only knocked down 1–2 pins. Not excellent.
- Option b: “Ivy and Fern will go bowling again.” → It doesn’t say that. Just guessing.
- Option c: “Ivy is a better bowler than Fern.” → We don’t know how Fern did. Can’t compare.
- Option d: “Ivy is not a good bowler.” → Well… she’s new, and didn’t do great. But the real point is Fern’s comment — it’s about having fun, not being good. Wait — let’s reread.

Actually, the paragraph ends with Fern saying the score doesn’t matter — which suggests the focus is on Ivy’s experience as a beginner who didn’t do well, but it’s okay. But among the choices, which best captures the main idea?

Option d says “Ivy is not a good bowler.” That’s factually true based on the description — she knocked down very few pins. The other options are either false or unsupported.

But wait — is that the *main idea*? Or is the main idea that she tried something new and had fun? Hmm.

Looking again at the options — none say “having fun matters more than scoring.” So we have to pick the best available.

Option d is the only one that matches what actually happened: Ivy didn’t bowl well. The rest are incorrect or not stated.

✔ Correct answer for third paragraph: d

Wait — let me double-check. Is there a trick?

Fern says: “The score doesn’t matter as long as you are having fun.” That implies Ivy might not be good, but it’s okay. So the main idea isn’t that she’s bad — it’s that she tried and enjoyed it. But since that’s not an option, and option d is the only one that reflects reality (she didn’t knock down many pins), and the others are clearly wrong…

Yes, d is still the best choice.

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Final Answers:

First paragraph: c
Second paragraph: d
Third paragraph: d

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Final Answer:
c, d, d