B1 long texts: main idea, structure and opinion
Read longer B1 articles for the main idea, see what each paragraph does, and find the writer's intention and opinion.
Level B112 minLesson 6 of 6
After this lesson you can
- Find the main idea of a long text quickly
- Name the function of a paragraph (example, cause, contrast, conclusion)
- Recognise the writer's intention: inform, persuade, advise or warn
- Spot opinion words and separate opinion from fact
Long texts need a different plan
At B1 you meet articles of a page or more, often about work, health, education or society. You can't scan your way through those questions. Questions like Wat is de belangrijkste boodschap? or Wat vindt de schrijver van…? need you to understand the structure of the text.
Finding the main idea
The main idea is the one sentence that sums up the whole text. To find it fast:
- Read the title and intro (often in bold).
- Read the first sentence of every paragraph. In Dutch articles, this sentence often carries the paragraph's point.
- Read the last paragraph. Writers like to repeat or conclude their message there (Kortom…, Al met al…, Daarom…).
Now try to say the message in one sentence. For a main-idea question, the right option covers the whole text, not only one paragraph. Options that are too narrow (one detail) or too broad (bigger than the text) are wrong.
What does this paragraph do?
Exam questions sometimes ask about the function of a paragraph or sentence: Wat doet de schrijver in alinea 3? Signal words tell you:
| Function | Signal words |
|---|---|
| Example | bijvoorbeeld, zo, zoals, neem nu |
| Cause / reason | omdat, doordat, want, door, de oorzaak is |
| Consequence | daardoor, dus, daarom, het gevolg is, zodat |
| Contrast | maar, echter, toch, daarentegen, aan de andere kant |
| Addition | ook, bovendien, daarnaast, verder |
| Conclusion | kortom, concluderend, samengevat, al met al |
| Condition | als, mits, tenzij, op voorwaarde dat |
Echter and toch are especially important: what comes after them is usually what the writer finds more important.
The writer's intention (schrijfdoel)
Why did the writer write this? Usually one of these:
| Intention | Dutch | Typical clues |
|---|---|---|
| inform | informeren | facts, numbers, neutral tone |
| persuade | overtuigen | moeten, het is belangrijk dat, ik vind, iedereen zou… |
| advise / instruct | adviseren, instrueren | probeer, zorg dat, het is verstandig om, tip |
| warn | waarschuwen | pas op, let op, gevaar, risico |
| entertain | amuseren | a story, humour, personal experience |
A text can contain facts and still have the goal to persuade. Look at the end: what does the writer want the reader to think or do?
Opinion vs fact
A fact can be checked: In 2025 fietsten meer mensen naar hun werk dan in 2020. An opinion is what someone thinks: Het is jammer dat nog zo weinig mensen fietsen.
Opinion signals:
- Opinion verbs and phrases: ik vind, ik denk, volgens mij, naar mijn mening, het lijkt me
- Judgement words: goed, slecht, belangrijk, jammer, terecht, onzin, gelukkig, helaas, te (duur, laat)
- Modal words: zou moeten, kan beter, het is tijd dat
Be careful about whose opinion it is. Articles often quote experts or other people: Volgens arts Ellen de Wit is … That is De Wit's opinion, not necessarily the writer's. Questions such as Wat vindt de schrijver? and Wat vindt mevrouw De Wit? can have different answers.
The writer's attitude
Sometimes the question is about tone: is the writer positive, negative, critical, doubtful or neutral? Count the judgement words. Gelukkig, een goede stap = positive. Helaas, onbegrijpelijk, het is de vraag of = critical or doubtful.
A plan for a long text
- Read title, intro and the first line of each paragraph (2–3 minutes).
- Read the questions for this text. Note which ones are about detail and which are about the whole text.
- Answer the detail questions by going to the right paragraph.
- Answer the main-idea and intention questions last. By then you know the text well.
Useful Dutch
- de alineathe paragraph
- de hoofdgedachtethe main idea
- het schrijfdoelthe writer's purpose
- kortomin short
- echterhowever
- bovendienmoreover
- daardoorbecause of that, as a result
- tenzijunless
- naar mijn meningin my opinion
- het is de vraag ofit is questionable whether
- overtuigento persuade
- waarschuwento warn
- terechtrightly, justified
Worked example
Writer's opinion in a short article
Find the opinion signal: 'Ik vind' in the last paragraph. The writer says companies should not ban working from home, but should make good agreements. That matches B. A uses the real word 'eenzaam' from paragraph 2, but that is the researchers' finding, and the writer explicitly says not to ban it. C ignores the 'Toch zijn er ook nadelen' paragraph, and 'alleen' is too absolute. Notice the structure: advantages, then 'Toch' (contrast) with disadvantages, then the writer's conclusion.
Common mistakes
- Choosing a main-idea option that only covers one paragraph.
- Confusing the opinion of an expert quoted in the text with the writer's own opinion.
- Ignoring 'echter' or 'toch', which often introduce the writer's real point.
- Thinking a text with numbers and facts can only have the goal 'to inform'.
Check yourself
Answer all three to mark this lesson as done.
1. Where is the writer's conclusion most often found in a Dutch article?
2. Which sentence is an opinion, not a fact?
3. A paragraph starts with 'Daardoor…'. What does it probably describe?