Question 109·Easy·Central Ideas and Details
During the early twentieth century, the introduction of inexpensive electric lighting transformed domestic life. Candles and oil lamps, once essential but hazardous and dim, were replaced by brighter, safer bulbs that could be switched on instantly. Extended evening illumination allowed families to read, sew, and socialize after dark with greater ease, and businesses could operate longer hours. Electric lighting thus reshaped daily schedules and increased productivity in homes and workplaces alike.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
For main idea questions, first read the passage with the goal of answering, “What is the author mostly trying to say overall?” Then, in your own words, summarize the passage in one simple sentence before looking at the choices. As you evaluate the options, cross out any answer that focuses on only one example, one place, or one group mentioned in the passage, or that adds a word like “primarily” or “only” that the passage does not support. The correct main idea choice will be broad enough to cover all key parts of the passage and will usually echo the idea found in the first and/or last sentence.
Hints
Find the topic and scope
Ask yourself: What is the passage mainly about overall? Is it about candles and oil lamps, electric lighting, or something more specific like business hours or family activities?
Pay attention to the beginning and the end
Look closely at the first sentence and the last sentence. How does the passage introduce electric lighting, and what broad effect does the last sentence say it had?
Separate main idea from supporting details
Identify which sentences give examples (like specific activities or specific places) and which sentence or idea ties all those examples together into one larger point.
Check for answers that are too narrow
For each answer choice, ask: Does this cover the entire passage, or just one part (like only homes, only businesses, or only one type of activity)?
Step-by-step Explanation
Recognize the question type
The question asks, “Which choice best states the main idea of the text?” That means you need the option that sums up what the entire passage is mostly about, not just one example or detail.
Restate the passage in your own words
Briefly paraphrase the passage: In the early twentieth century, inexpensive electric lighting replaced candles and oil lamps. The new lights were safer and brighter, could be turned on instantly, and allowed families to do more activities after dark. Businesses could also stay open longer. Overall, this new lighting changed daily schedules and increased productivity at home and at work.
Identify the big-picture focus
Notice that the passage:
- Mentions candles and oil lamps only to contrast them with electric lighting.
- Gives several examples: reading, sewing, socializing, and longer business hours.
- Ends by saying electric lighting “reshaped daily schedules and increased productivity in homes and workplaces alike.” These points show that the main focus is the overall impact of inexpensive electric lighting on everyday life, not any single example.
Eliminate choices that are too narrow or incomplete
Now compare each answer choice to your summary:
- One choice talks only about how unsafe and dim candles and oil lamps were.
- One focuses only on longer business hours.
- One focuses mainly on families’ leisure activities. Each of these captures only part of the passage or slightly misrepresents it. The best answer is the one that covers the full idea: that early twentieth-century inexpensive electric lighting greatly improved daily life both at home and at work by changing schedules and boosting productivity. That choice is: Inexpensive electric lighting in the early twentieth century significantly improved everyday life at home and at work.