What is the central idea of a nonfiction passage?

• A. The main point the author is making about the topic.
• B. A minor detail unrelated to the main point.
• C. The author’s background.
• D. The conclusion of the passage.

Answer: (A)

In nonfiction, the central idea is the main point the author is making about the topic. It’s the one overarching message or claim that everything in the passage is built to support. You find it by looking for the idea that the author keeps returning to and that ties together all the examples, evidence, and details.

Details, facts, dates, and descriptions are there to support that main point. They help prove or illustrate the central idea, but they aren’t it by themselves. The author’s background can influence perspective, but it isn’t the core message of the piece. The conclusion often reinforces the central idea, but the central idea itself is the main point the passage is trying to convey, not just the final sentence.