Different Kinds of Supporting Details

Who are you talking to? When you write, you have a specific audience in mind. So you want to use certain types of supporting details that speak to this audience. Think about: who is reading your work what you want them to know and understand

What’s your point? Each time you write, you are writing for a specific reason. You have ideas you want to convey through your writing. You may be: making an argument for or against something comparing/contrasting two or more things trying to persuade or move someone to action helping someone learn about something There are several types of supporting details you can use to accomplish any of these goals.

The 5 Most Common Types of Supporting Details Facts Statistics Opinions Examples 5. Personal Observations and Experiences

Facts are statements from reliable sources about real things. Example: Your topic sentence claims that cheetahs are the fastest animals on land. Fact: Cheetahs have a sprinting speed of up to 71 mph. Fact: Loose hip and shoulder joints help the cheetah extend its reach while running, enabling short bursts of high speed. Sources: Encylopedia Brittanica, BBC Nature Collections

Statistics Statistics are facts expressed in numbers, based on data from samples and populations. Example: Your topic sentence claims that the Chinese are big users of the Internet. Statistic: A study in 2010 counted Chinese users at over 440 million, second only to English users who number about 537 million. Statistic: The Chinese spend more time online than people in the U.S., almost two billion hours per week compared to less than 130 million hours spent online by U.S. users. Sources: Internet World Stats, Forbes.com

Opinions are peoples’ views or value assessments of something. Example: Your topic sentence claims that red wine is good for your health. Opinion (expert testimony): According to heart specialist Dr. Martha Grogan, “Antioxidants in red wine may help protect the lining of blood vessels in your heart.” Opinion (personal interview): “Even my 88-year old grandma (depicted holding a glass of red wine) got into it…” Sources: Mayoclinic.com, celebritywinereview.tv

Examples Examples are ways of illustrating your point so that it is better understood. Example: Your topic sentence claims that exponential growth can lead to astronomical numbers very quickly. Example: If you put a grain of rice on one square of a chessboard, then for every square beyond it you got double the amount you had from the square before, you would end up with a pile of rice larger than Mt. Everest. Example: Some previously unknown Youtube videos get thousands of hits after a week on the Internet, because Facebook users can post a link for hundreds of friends to see, who can each share it with their hundreds of friends.

Personal Observations and Experiences Example: Your topic sentence claims that becoming a parent makes one more sympathetic toward other parents. Personal experience: When I was single I would frown at mothers who couldn’t control their screaming youngsters at a mall; now, I smile and nod to let them know I feel their pain. Observation: I saw a father pushing twins in a stroller who was obviously in a hurry, but he stopped in front of a store to allow a woman with her child to go in ahead of him.

Often, a variety of supporting details helps make your writing better. Go through the previous slides and think about which types of supporting details work best for: persuasion comparisons informative essays Always consider your audience and your purpose when determining the type of supporting details you need.

You can cite sources within your work, No matter who your audience is or what your purpose is, always use reliable sources and cite them. You can cite sources within your work, on a “Works Cited” page or in a bibliography. For each main idea, use at least two different reliable sources for your supporting details. More is better!

Supporting Details are the proof that you know what you’re talking about!