The central idea is the most relevant content of a text or work.
In order to perfectly understand the meaning of the term central idea that we now have before us, it is necessary, beforehand, to undertake the determination of its etymological origin. To do this you have to see where the two words that make it up come from:
• Idea comes from the Greek word “idea”, which can be translated as “form”.
• Central, for its part, comes from Latin and is made up of two clearly delimited components: the noun “centrum”, which is synonymous with “center”, and the suffix “-al”, which is used to indicate that something is “relative to”.
What is a central idea
An idea is considered to be the first of the acts of understanding , limited to the simple knowledge of something. An idea, therefore, is a mental image of an object or rational knowledge that is generated from the natural conditions of understanding.
The notion of central , on the other hand, has various uses. It can be the space where coordinated actions converge and what is the basic or essential of something .
Its characteristics
The central idea , therefore, is the most important content of a work , a proposal , a project , etc. Without that central idea, the work would not be understood or would lose its value .
For example: “The central idea of Little Red Riding Hood is that you should not disobey your parents,” “I liked the movie, but I don't agree with its central idea,” “Mr. candidate, people want to know what the central idea is.” of his proposal to reduce unemployment levels,” “My central idea is to tear down this wall and enlarge the living room.”
To access the central idea of a text, you must follow a series of steps.
Steps to discover the central idea of a text
When you want to determine the central idea of a text in question, it is important to be clear about the steps that must be carried out. Specifically, these are:
• You must read each paragraph, section or chapter of the document, which must be analyzed and with respect to that part ask yourself questions such as the following: “What does it say? Or how does what is expressed fit with the rest of it?”
• It is important to write down all the answers obtained from each paragraph or section. In this sense, the best thing to do is write a sentence for each of these parts.
• Once the entire text in question has been read and the “summary” sentences of each part have been noted, we must proceed to analyze them and see them as a whole.
• From there, having thoroughly read all the statements written on the paper, a conclusion will be drawn, that is, the central idea of the document will be obtained.
The relevant and the secondary
It can be said that the central idea is the most relevant thing in a text or other manifestation of thought. If we take the specific case of texts , we will notice that they are composed of various thoughts or ideas.
Many of these ideas are secondary or accessory : they help create a context and reinforce what is essential, but they can be dispensed with without altering the meaning of the text. The central idea, on the other hand, is the basis that the author supports and that allows him to tell what he wants.