SUPPORTING DETAILS

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SUPPORTING DETAILS
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Discussion

• What keeps you afloat?

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Why use supporting details
The main idea in a passage is the central
thought. In the same way that pillars support
the roof of a building, authors use supporting
details to reinforce and keep afloat their
arguments.
Without supporting details, an argument would
collapse!
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Supporting Details
What are
Supporting details are facts, reasons, examples,
or testimonies that are given to support the main
idea of a selection.
Over three hundred million people now live in the
US.
Fact
Some people move here to escape troubles in other
parts of the world.
Reason
Ernesto Salazar left El Salvador on account of
the floods of 1984.
Example
The floods were so terrible, Ernesto indicated
that nothing survived.
Testimony
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How do you find supporting details?

• Find the main idea and turn it into a question.
• Who?
• What?
• When?
• Where?
• Why?
• How?

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Are all supporting details equal
Some details do not directly support the main
idea, but do provide introductory or background
information that is important to the passage as a
whole.
Main Idea
Major Supporting Detail 1
Topic
Major Supporting Detail 2
Minor Supporting Details
Major Supporting Detail 3
Major Supporting Detail N
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Can we review
The Topic
explains the subject of the reading.
is the central thought of a paragraph or reading.
The Main Idea
Supporting Details
explain, develop, support, and illustrate the
main idea.
directly explains, develops, illustrates, or
supports the main idea.
A Major Detail
A Minor Detail
explains, develops, illustrates, or supports a
major detail.
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Lets practice and find some major details

• Porpoises and dolphins are so similar in
  general appearance that many people mistake one
  for the other. However, they possess distinct
  differences. One difference is their shape.
  Porpoises are smaller and plumper than dolphins,
  which have long, streamlined bodies. In addition,
  the porpoise has a rounded head and a blunt snout
  in contrast to the dolphins beak-like nose. A
  second difference can be seen in their sizes.
  Porpoises rarely grow to be more than six feet in
  length or weigh more than 300 pounds. In
  contrast, dolphins can be four to twenty-six feet
  long and weigh from 70 to 1,500 pounds.

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Major Details

• Porpoises and dolphins are so similar in
  general appearance that many people mistake one
  for the other. However, they possess distinct
  differences. One difference is their shape.
  Porpoises are smaller and plumper than dolphins,
  which have long, streamlined bodies. In addition,
  the porpoise has a rounded head and a blunt snout
  in contrast to the dolphins beak-like nose. A
  second difference can be seen in their sizes.
  Porpoises rarely grow to be more than six feet in
  length or weigh more than 300 pounds. In
  contrast, dolphins can be four to twenty-six feet
  long and weigh from 70 to 1,500 pounds.

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Lets practice and find the minor details

• Porpoises and dolphins are so similar in
  general appearance that many people mistake one
  for the other. However, they possess distinct
  differences. One difference is their shape.
  Porpoises are smaller and plumper than dolphins,
  which have long, streamlined bodies. In addition,
  the porpoise has a rounded head and a blunt snout
  in contrast to the dolphins beak-like nose. A
  second difference can be seen in their sizes.
  Porpoises rarely grow to be more than six feet in
  length or weigh more than 300 pounds. In
  contrast, dolphins can be four to twenty-six feet
  long and weigh from 70 to 1,500 pounds.

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Find a minor detail. See the answer below.

• Porpoises and dolphins are so similar in
  general appearance that many people mistake one
  for the other. However, they possess distinct
  differences. One difference is their shape.
  Porpoises are smaller and plumper than dolphins,
  which have long, streamlined bodies. In addition,
  the porpoise has a rounded head and a blunt snout
  in contrast to the dolphins beak-like nose. A
  second difference can be seen in their sizes.
  Porpoises rarely grow to be more than six feet in
  length or weigh more than 300 pounds. In
  contrast, dolphins can be four to twenty-six feet
  long and weigh from 70 to 1,500 pounds.

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Supporting Details
EAP-1520 Practice
EAP-1620EAP-1620 Practice Practice