Supporting Details
Supporting details are statements which support your main idea. You support your main idea by explaining it, describing it, defining it, or otherwise giving information about it. Basically, supporting details tell readers more about a main idea and they make a main idea stronger and clearer.
When you combine SUPPORTING DETAILS with a MAIN IDEA you will get a basic paragraph. A paragraph basically has a main idea and several supporting details (see the outline below).
Structure of a Basic Paragraph
Main idea.
Supporting detail.
Supporting detail.
Supporting detail.
As you can see, the majority of a paragraph is made up of the supporting details. In the basic structure of the paragraph above, you can clearly see that the first sentence is the main idea and it is followed by three supporting details.
When you combine SUPPORTING DETAILS with a MAIN IDEA you will get a basic paragraph. A paragraph basically has a main idea and several supporting details (see the outline below).
Structure of a Basic Paragraph
Main idea.
Supporting detail.
Supporting detail.
Supporting detail.
As you can see, the majority of a paragraph is made up of the supporting details. In the basic structure of the paragraph above, you can clearly see that the first sentence is the main idea and it is followed by three supporting details.
Let's Practice...
Read the paragraph below.
The Statue of Liberty is visited by thousands of people every year. The Statue of Liberty is a 151 foot statue of a woman holding a book and a torch. It is located on an island in New York Harbor. It was a gift of friendship from the people of France. It has become a universal symbol of freedom.
| Main Idea: The statue of liberty is visited by thousands of people every year.
(notice the 1st sentence of the paragraph to the left) Supporting Detail #1: The Statue of Liberty is a 151 foot statue of a woman holding a book and a torch. Supporting Detail #2: It is located on an island in New York Harbor. Supporting Detail #3: It was a gift of friendship from the people of France. Supporting Detail #4: It has become a universal symbol of freedom. |
Let's try another one...
Main Idea: Niagara Falls is one of the most beautiful sights in North America.
(check the 1st sentence of the paragraph to the right) Supporting Detail #1: It is on the Niagara River about halfway between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Supporting Detail #2: Niagara Falls is on the American and Canadian border. Supporting Detail #3: The American Falls is 167 feet high. Supporting Detail #4: On the Canadian side, the Horseshoe Falls is 161 feet high. | Read the paragraph below.
Niagara Falls is one of the most beautiful sights in North America. It is on the Niagara River about halfway between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Niagara Falls is on the American and Canadian border. The American Falls is 167 feet high. On the Canadian side, the Horseshoe Falls is 161 feet high.
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Go back to the TASK page and check out task #5.