Which of the following best describes the difference between a topic and a central/main Idea? (1 point)
A central idea includes many important details about the topic.
A central idea is the subject and is usually short, whereas the topic gives the reader lots of extra information
A topic is the subject, whereas the central idea is what the author wants the reader to know about the topic
A topic helps to introduce the central idea
A topic is the subject, whereas the central idea is what the author wants the reader to know about the topic.
The difference between a topic and a central/main idea is that a topic is the subject being discussed, while the central/main idea is what the author wants the reader to know about that topic. Thus, the best description is: "A topic is the subject, whereas the central idea is what the author wants the reader to know about the topic."
To determine the best answer, let's break down the question and carefully analyze each option.
Option 1: "A central idea includes many important details about the topic."
This option suggests that a central idea encompasses essential details about the topic. While this may be true, it doesn't necessarily describe the key difference between a topic and a central idea.
Option 2: "A central idea is the subject and is usually short, whereas the topic gives the reader lots of extra information."
This option contrasts a central idea as a short subject with a topic that provides additional information. While it highlights some characteristics of a central idea and a topic, it fails to explain the key difference between the two.
Option 3: "A topic is the subject, whereas the central idea is what the author wants the reader to know about the topic."
This option encapsulates the distinction between a topic and a central idea. It correctly identifies the topic as the subject while emphasizing that the central idea reflects what the author intends for readers to understand about the topic. This aligns with the typical definitions of topic and central idea.
Option 4: "A topic helps to introduce the central idea."
This option describes the relationship between a topic and a central idea, highlighting how a topic serves to introduce the central idea. While it is accurate, it doesn't specifically address the difference between a topic and a central idea.
Based on the analysis, the best answer is Option 3: "A topic is the subject, whereas the central idea is what the author wants the reader to know about the topic." This option succinctly explains the difference between a topic and a central idea.