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SUPPORTING DETAILS

 

Background knowledge about Main Ideas:

These are general statements that cover most or all of the content of the paragraph. They are the most general and broad points in paragraph.

 

 

Supporting Details:     + These details back up the main idea and explain it.

 

                        + Supporting details and the main idea are the two basic parts of the paragraph.

 

  -  Major Details:     + These details are the separate, primary points that support the main idea by explaining it and developing it.

 

                        + These details are more general than minor details but less general than the main idea.

 

  -  Minor Details:     + These details provide expanded information about each separate major detail.

 

                        + Not every major detail is followed by a minor detail.

 

Steps for Finding Supporting Details
 

 

 

 


Step 1:                 Decide what the main idea is by asking yourself, “What is being discussed here?”  Underline the main idea.

 

Step 2:                 Determine if the main idea is clarified or explained by asking yourself,  “How is this idea supported?”  Look for the support.

 

Step 3:                 Each new primary supporting point should be a major detail.

 

 

 

 

Step 4:                 To help you find these major details look for common phrases:

 

                              several kinds of               a few causes

                              two advantages               several characteristics

                              four steps                         among the results

                              a few reasons                  three factors

 

 

Step 5:                 You can also look for addition words like these:

 

                              one                        first of all         in addition

                              furthermore          first                  also    

                              next                       last of all         second

                              another                 moreover        finally

 

 

Step 6:                 Decide if each primary support or major detail is expanded on within the passage. Ask yourself, “What else do I know about this idea?” This will be a minor detail.

 

 

 

 

 

How to create an outline: You will sometimes be asked to organize the information from a paragraph into an outline. 

 

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Start with the main idea at the top. 

 

1.      Next indicate each major supporting detail with a numeral. 

 

a.      Additional information or minor details should be marked with an alpha letter and they should be indented.

 

2.      Each new major supporting detail needs a new number.

 

 

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