Supporting Details
A good supporting detail is specific, relevant, and does the job the question asks for.
The rules
- Read the question first. It tells you the purpose: to give an example, to add a statistic, to explain, to describe.
- Pick the choice that is specific. "Many people liked it" loses to "Over 500 residents attended."
- Check that the detail matches the paragraph's main idea.
- Reject choices that are true but off topic.
Watch out: Choosing a detail that sounds interesting but belongs to a different point.
Worked example
A paragraph argues that bicycles help cities. Which detail best supports it?
- The claim is about bicycles helping cities.
- A specific result that connects bikes to the city is the best support.
- General or unrelated facts do not.
Answer: The city saw a 12% drop in downtown traffic after adding bike lanes.
Try it yourself
Practice questions for this skill are for signed-in students. A free account is all you need.