main
Use “main” for things that are important or the central focus.
- Where is Main Street?
- What is the main idea?
- What is the main verb in this sentence?
Main Street
a. main = central or important
Let’s start with the most common use for “good.” The word “good” is the opposite of “bad.”
- The main course for dinner tonight is fish.
- After some appetizers and a delicious bowl of soup, the server brought out the main course.
- The main reason for visiting Chicago was to attend a meeting.
- The main event at the conference was the unveiling of a new product.
- What is our main objective?
- What is the main goal?
- My main concern right now is the environment.
- The increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere should be the main concern of everyone on the planet.
- Air pollution is our main concern.
- For the main course, we had salmon.
The main course is the central part of a meal.
b. Using "main" when talking about English grammar
Teachers ask students who are studying English grammar to identify the main verb.
- What is the main verb?
- In this sentence, “They take the bus to school, ” the main verb is “take.”
- What is the difference between the main verb and the helping verb?
The main clause in a sentence is where you can find the central idea. The main clause is often supported by additional clauses.
- Before I left for work, I ate breakfast. (“I ate breakfast” is the main clause)
- The woman who lives next door is pregnant. (“The woman is pregnant” is the main clause.)
- This is the best guitar that I have ever played. (is the best)
The main idea in a paragraph or in an essay it the idea that the writer is trying to communicate to the reader.
- What is the main idea in this paragraph?
- The teacher asked the students to identify the main idea.
- The main idea from the article was that we need to improve our educational system in order to strengthen democracy.
- The teacher asked his students to identify the main verb in each of the sentences.
- the main idea in the poem, “The New Colossus,” is that the United States welcomes immigrants from all over the world, regardless of how poor or desperate they may be.
c. Use "main" when talking about short stories, novels, and movies.
When you study literature in school, the teacher will ask you to identify the main character or the main plot.
- Who is the main character in the Harry Potter series?
- Who’s the main character in “The Necklace”?
- The main character in that short story is Mathilde Loisel.
- Can you identify with the main character?
- The main character in the movie saved the lives of millions of people.
- Charlie Chaplin played the main character in most of his films.