Main Idea, Tone and Author's Purpose

Introduction

Main-idea, title, tone and purpose questions ask about the passage as a whole. They are the most common RC question types and, once you have a one-line summary, the quickest to answer.

Key concepts

Main idea and title

The main idea is what the whole passage is about – broad enough to cover every paragraph, narrow enough to be specific. A good title captures the main idea in a few words.

• Too narrow: covers one example or one paragraph.
• Too broad: could describe many other passages.
• Distorted: uses passage words but changes the claim.

Tone and attitude

Author's purpose

Ask *why* the passage was written: to explain, describe, argue, criticise, compare or warn. Look at the verbs: 'shows', 'argues', 'suggests', 'warns'.

The role of a sentence or example

Some questions ask why the author mentions something. Usually it is to support a claim, to illustrate a point, to introduce a contrast or to anticipate an objection.

Solved examples

Example 1

The new policy, announced with much fanfare, promises universal access within a year. One hopes the funds, the staff and the buildings will appear with equal speed.

The author's tone is best described as:

(a) Sceptical (b) Angry (c) Enthusiastic (d) Neutral

Example 2

Village health workers walk long distances, keep careful records and are often the first to notice an outbreak. Their contribution deserves far greater recognition and fairer pay.

The author's attitude towards village health workers is:

(a) Indifferent (b) Critical (c) Appreciative (d) Sarcastic

Example 3

This report sets out the rainfall data for the past decade, explains how the averages were calculated and lists the stations used.

The primary purpose of the passage is to:

(a) Criticise weather forecasts (b) Argue for a new policy (c) Tell a story about farmers (d) Describe the data and method of a report

Example 4

Cities often treat street vendors as obstacles. Yet vendors supply cheap food, keep streets lively and safe, and earn livelihoods. Planning for vendors, rather than evicting them, serves everyone better.

Which title best suits the passage?

(a) Evicting Vendors Safely (b) Making Room for Street Vendors (c) The Dangers of Street Food (d) Why Cities Need Malls

Example 5

Some say technology will solve climate change on its own. Technology matters, but without policies that price pollution and help people adapt, new inventions will spread too slowly.

The author's main point is that:

(a) Policy alone is sufficient (b) Climate change cannot be solved (c) Technology is useless (d) Technology must be supported by policy

Example 6

It is remarkable how many committees have studied this problem, how many reports have recommended the same steps, and how few of those steps have been taken.

The tone of the passage is:

(a) Celebratory (b) Purely factual (c) Ironic and critical (d) Hopeful

Example 7

Traditional water tanks once stored monsoon rain for the dry months. Many have silted up or been built over. Reviving them is cheap compared with new dams and would recharge groundwater.

The author is primarily:

(a) Advocating the revival of traditional tanks (b) Criticising farmers (c) Explaining how silt forms (d) Describing the history of dams

Example 8

Data can mislead. A district may show high average incomes because a few very rich households lift the average, while most families remain poor. The median often tells a truer story.

The passage mainly warns against:

(a) Studying districts (b) Relying on averages that hide inequality (c) Using the median (d) Collecting income data

Practice set

Attempt all 10 questions (about 90 seconds each), then check the worked solutions below.

Q1. For decades the river was treated as a drain. Today, after sewage plants and public campaigns, fish have returned to stretches once declared dead – proof that rivers can recover if we let them.

The tone of the passage is:

(a) Pessimistic (b) Hopeful (c) Indifferent (d) Satirical

Q2. The new app was meant to speed up applications. Instead, applicants now upload documents online and then carry printed copies to the office anyway.

The author's tone towards the app is:

(a) Mildly critical (b) Admiring (c) Furious (d) Neutral and technical

Q3. This passage explains how a bill becomes law: introduction, committee scrutiny, debate, voting in both Houses and the President's assent.

The purpose of the passage is to:

(a) Compare countries (b) Criticise Parliament (c) Explain a process (d) Persuade readers to vote

Q4. Cooperatives work best when members trust each other and the rules are clear. Where elites capture the board, the poorest members are often left out of the benefits.

Which title best fits?

(a) Trust and Fairness in Cooperatives (b) The End of Cooperatives (c) How to Join a Board (d) The Rich and the Poor

Q5. Every year we are told that this monsoon will be different, that drains have been cleaned and pumps installed. And every year the same streets flood.

The author's attitude is best described as:

(a) Optimistic (b) Scientific (c) Indifferent (d) Disillusioned

Q6. Small grants to schools, controlled by parent committees, have improved toilets, drinking water and libraries in several states. Local control helped money reach real needs.

The main idea is that:

(a) Parents should run all schools (b) Local control helped school grants meet real needs (c) States spend too little on education (d) Libraries are the most important need

Q7. Critics call the scheme a waste of money. Yet its audit shows most beneficiaries received payments on time and used them for food and school fees.

The author's purpose in citing the audit is to:

(a) Argue for higher school fees (b) Describe how audits work (c) Counter the critics' claim with evidence (d) Show that the scheme is corrupt

Q8. Honey bees pollinate many crops. Their decline, linked to pesticides and habitat loss, threatens yields of fruits, vegetables and oilseeds.

Which title best suits the passage?

(a) How Bees Make Honey (b) Why the Decline of Bees Matters for Farming (c) Oilseeds in India (d) Pesticides Are Safe

Q9. Some called the reform bold; others called it reckless. Both may be right, depending on whether the government has prepared for the transition.

The author's position is:

(a) Uninterested in the reform (b) Fully supportive of the reform (c) Completely opposed to the reform (d) Balanced – the outcome depends on preparation

Q10. Language shapes attention. Communities with many words for snow or rice varieties notice differences that outsiders miss.

The author's main point is that:

(a) Vocabulary can direct what people notice (b) Rice has many varieties (c) Outsiders are careless (d) Snow is important everywhere