IN THIS CHAPTER YOU WILL LEARN:

• What are supporting details and why it is important to be able to identify them

• The method for identifying supporting details

CHAPTER 6IDENTIFYING SUPPORTING DETAILS

What are supporting details and why is it important to be able to identify them?

 

Supporting details: Additional information that helps you understand the main idea completely.

Supporting details are also known as support or details. 

A paragraph consists of more than a topic and a main idea.The supporting details provide additional information that helps

you understand the main idea completely.

Supporting details are related to the main idea of a paragraph. Supporting details provide specific information,

such as examples, descriptions, and explanations.

Types of supporting details

• Names

• Dates

• Places

• Statistics

• Results of research studies

• Other information that explains the main idea further or illustrates it by giving examples

Primary supporting details, or major details,

relate directly to the main idea. 

Minor details, or secondary details, explain other details

or give examples that are less important.

Why is it important to identify supporting details?

1. The supporting details in a paragraph have an important relationship to the main idea because they explain or tell more about it.

2. Listing the supporting details after you read a textbook assignment can help you study more efficiently.

Instructors often ask test questions based on supporting details.

Noting supporting details will make it easier for you to • mark your textbooks effectively.• take notes.• remember the material.

3. Identifying the supporting details will help you grasp the pattern of organization of a paragraph. 

Along with determining the topic and the main idea, identifying supporting details will help you become a more successful reader and student.

What is the method for identifying supporting details?

 Once you have determined the stated or implied main idea of a paragraph, and you have identified the supporting details, you

can ask yourself the comprehension monitoring question,

“What additional information does the author provide to help me understand the main idea completely?”

 To determine what additional information you need to know,

turn the main idea sentence into a question by using the words who, what, where, when, why, and how.

Supporting details are often introduced by signal words:

• For example• First, . . . second, • Next• Also

 Authors also use other clues when they present details in the form of a list:

• Numbers (1, 2, 3) • Letters (a, b, c) • Bullets

Be aware that, in some paragraphs, not every detail will be introduced by a signal word or other clue.

 Including details in your notes and review cards

can be helpful to you when you study. After you read a paragraph, go back and number each detail. This is helpful because:

1. It helps you locate all the details2. It helps you remember how many details there were

in the paragraph.3. It prevents you from overmarking the paragraph by

underlining or highlighting it too much.

When listing supporting details, it is not necessary to use the exact words of the paragraph

or to use complete sentences. 

When you are listing supporting details, you may want to restate them in your own words

in order to keep them brief.

Restating someone else’s material in your own words is called paraphrasing.

Other ways to organize supporting details:

• Steps in a process (a sequence)

• In a table or chart that shows similarities and differences (comparisons and contrasts)

• Reasons and results (causes and effects)

• In some cases, you may include details in your study notes in the form of an outline or study map.

Things to keep in mind when identifying supporting details: 

Watch for clues that indicate a list of details.

Watch for clue phrases such as:

• There are many types of…• Five reasons that…• Two kinds of…• There are several ways…• Some symptoms include…

Things to keep in mind when identifying supporting details:

 Watch for clues that indicate a list of details.

Watch for signal words such as:

• for example• first, . . . second, . . . third . . .• next• and• in addition• moreover

Things to keep in mind when identifying supporting details: 

Watch for clues that indicate a list of details.

Watch for items identified with numbers (1, 2, 3)

or letters (a, b, c).

Watch for lists with items identified with bullets• Item 1• Item 2• Item 3

Avoid overmarking your textbook by numbering the supporting details in a paragraph

rather than highlighting or underlining them.  

Listing the supporting details on separate lines in your study notes can help you

learn the information more efficiently.

AFTER READING THIS CHAPTER, YOU SHOULD KNOW:

• What are supporting details and why it is important to be able to identify them

• The method for identifying supporting details