Supporting Details What are they? Why do I need them?

Supporting Details - DEFINITION What are they? Supporting details provide information to clarify, prove, or explain the main idea. These details demonstrate the importance of the main idea. They often list parts, aspects, steps, or examples of the main idea or main thought. Supporting details could also list the causes of the main idea, effects from it, or ways in which it shows itself to be true. Supporting details support the topic sentence and strengthen the writing of the concluding sentence in paragraphs.

Supporting Details - PURPOSE Why do I need them? If we are writing, we must justify our main ideas or our main thoughts by adding extra details to solidify our reasoning. Good writers use details to further engage and teach their readers. If a story or essay or news article did not have details, readers would not be interested.

Kinds of Details There are two types of supporting details:

Major Details explain the main idea. are more specific than the main idea. share the examples, reasons, statistics and studies that help strengthen the main idea. answer (or anticipates answering) readers’ questions about the main idea.

Minor Details explain a major detail. are even more specific than major details. use repetition at key points and add colorful detail and extra flavor.

Example of Major/Minor Details There are many lovely flowers to enjoy from a spring garden. The most beautiful flower is the rose because it comes in so many different colors. The smell of a rose is said to bring love to those who smell it. Another beautiful flower is the daisy which sometimes grows wild. Daisies are often considered to be a more simple flower to grow because of how commonly they can be found in the wild. Spring flowers like tulips, daffodils, and crocuses are also very pretty. Enjoying a spring garden is easy when there are so many beautiful flowers to choose.

Look at the details Major details The most beautiful flower is the rose because it comes in so many different colors. Another beautiful flower is the daisy which sometimes grows wild. Spring flowers like tulips, daffodils, and crocuses are also very pretty. Minor details The smell of a rose is said to bring love to those who smell it. Daisies are often considered to be a more simple flower to grow because it is commonly found in the wild. Major details are necessary for the writing; minor details add extra flavor and detail

Good writers use STRONG SUPPORTING DETAILS inside of their writing.