Skip to content
LessonPrint

Main Idea and Its Support is a free printable Grade 4 English worksheet on working out a main idea from the details that support it, aligned to Common Core standard RI.4.2. It prints 8 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 12 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

Next setLesson plan

One paper per student

12345678910111213141516171819202122232425

Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Main Idea and Its Support

RI.4.2

NameDate

Circle the right answer.

1.A paragraph says: Arctic foxes grow a thick white coat in winter; their small ears lose little heat; fur on their paws stops them slipping. What is its main idea?
  • A.Ice is slippery.
  • B.Arctic foxes are suited to the cold.
  • C.Arctic foxes are white.
2.A paragraph says: lighthouses warn ships away from rocks; each one flashes its own pattern; sailors use the pattern to tell where they are. What is its main idea?
  • A.Rocks are dangerous.
  • B.Lights can flash.
  • C.Lighthouses keep ships safe and help them find their way.
3.A paragraph says: coral reefs cover a tiny part of the sea floor; a quarter of all sea creatures live on them; many fish lay their eggs there. What is its main idea?
  • A.Coral reefs are home to a great deal of sea life.
  • B.Coral reefs are very small.
  • C.Fish lay eggs.
4.A paragraph says: honeybees carry pollen from flower to flower; without them many fruits would not grow; farmers rent hives for their orchards. What is its main idea?
  • A.Farmers keep hives.
  • B.Bees are important for growing food.
  • C.Flowers have pollen.
5.A paragraph says: earthworms tunnel through soil and let air in; they drag dead leaves underground; their waste makes the soil richer. What is its main idea?
  • A.Earthworms help keep soil healthy.
  • B.Earthworms live underground.
  • C.Leaves fall in the fall.
6.A paragraph says: early phones were fixed to the wall; later phones had no cord; today's phones fit in a pocket and take photos. What is its main idea?
  • A.Phones take photos.
  • B.Walls hold phones.
  • C.Telephones have changed a great deal over time.
7.A paragraph says: libraries lend books for free; many offer computers anyone can use; they run reading clubs for children. What is its main idea?
  • A.Libraries offer many free services to a town.
  • B.Computers are useful.
  • C.Children like clubs.
8.A paragraph says: some volcanoes pour out rivers of lava; others explode in clouds of ash; some have been quiet for thousands of years. What is its main idea?
  • A.Volcanoes behave in different ways.
  • B.Ash is gray.
  • C.Lava is hot.

LessonPrint · RI.4.2 · Set 12 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Main Idea and Its Support

Set 12. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Arctic foxes are suited to the cold.
  2. 2.Lighthouses keep ships safe and help them find their way.
  3. 3.Coral reefs are home to a great deal of sea life.
  4. 4.Bees are important for growing food.
  5. 5.Earthworms help keep soil healthy.
  6. 6.Telephones have changed a great deal over time.
  7. 7.Libraries offer many free services to a town.
  8. 8.Volcanoes behave in different ways.

More practice for RI.4.2

State the main idea, show the details behind it, and summarize.

Teaching this next? The Main Idea and a Summary is the 40-minute plan for it, with the misconceptions to expect.

All Grade 4 worksheets

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to RI.4.2 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.