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

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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: 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 live underground.
  • B.Earthworms help keep soil healthy.
  • C.Leaves fall in the fall.
2.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.Arctic foxes are white.
  • B.Ice is slippery.
  • C.Arctic foxes are suited to the cold.
3.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.
4.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.Lava is hot.
  • C.Ash is gray.
5.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.
6.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.Bees are important for growing food.
  • B.Flowers have pollen.
  • C.Farmers keep hives.
7.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.Telephones have changed a great deal over time.
  • B.Walls hold phones.
  • C.Phones take photos.
8.A paragraph says: beavers fell trees with their teeth; they build dams of sticks and mud; their ponds give homes to fish and birds. What is its main idea?
  • A.Fish live in ponds.
  • B.Beavers change the places where they live.
  • C.Beavers have sharp teeth.

LessonPrint · RI.4.2 · Set 15 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Main Idea and Its Support

Set 15. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Earthworms help keep soil healthy.
  2. 2.Arctic foxes are suited to the cold.
  3. 3.Libraries offer many free services to a town.
  4. 4.Volcanoes behave in different ways.
  5. 5.Coral reefs are home to a great deal of sea life.
  6. 6.Bees are important for growing food.
  7. 7.Telephones have changed a great deal over time.
  8. 8.Beavers change the places where they live.

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.