Ask yourself: Why is the author telling me this? Why is he selecting the specific facts and drawing the specific conclusions that he is? And sometimes: What is the author's axe to grind? What is the author's agenda?

It may not be to overthrow the world, but there's always some reason the author wrote the passage. Often essays will have a policy idea or a suggestion to fix a problem described in the essay. Sometimes, the author might simply want to educate people about a subject or clear up a misconception. And other times, there will be a more political/ideological motive for the claims made.

Academic camouflage — confusing, assertive, or jargon-intensive writing — will often disguise the main idea. Writers try to sound objective, but don't let that fool you. There is always something the author wants to convince you of, or at least, get you to learn from the passage.

4. Find the Big Idea

IV: Question Types