The Outsiders
Chapter 1-4
______________________
Name
hour
IDENTIFYING MAIN IDEAS AND SUPPORTING DETAILS
Read the following sentences carefully, and then determine which sentence is the main idea (MI),
which are the supporting details (SD), and which are irrelevant (IR) and should not be included in
the paragraph.
_____ The Dingo is a popular hangout for the greasers in Ponyboy’s town.
_____ I have never been to the drive-in in our town, but my friends say it’s a fun time.
_____ Sometimes trouble breaks out here when kids have been drinking.
_____ Many of the characters in The Outsiders do not have strong family ties, and as a
result, they spend a lot of time away from home.
_____ Johnny’s parents don’t seem to care much about their son’s well-being.
_____ Each member of the gang seems to have his own unique family history.
_____ The Soc girls usually don’t like to talk with the greasers.
_____ The Curtis boys spend more time with the gang now that their parents are gone.
_____ Two-Bit is always cracking jokes, but that ‘funny guy’ image is probably hiding a
painful home life.
_____ The greasers really take pride in the way they look.
_____ Denim, black leather jackets, hair oil are popular with greasers,
_____ Most greasers wear their hair longer than other kids their age.
_____ Long hair is popular these days with kids from all social classes.
_____ Dressing like others in the group gives them some identity and a sense of
belonging.
_____ Bob was a handsome Soc.
_____ The eerie description of the park was the perfect setting for the fight Johnny
and Ponyboy had with the Socs.
_____ The tall elm trees made the park shadowy and dark.
_____ By the time Ponyboy and Johnny saw the Socs, there was little they could do to
escape.
_____ The setting foreshadow something bad was about to happen.