1. Different Kinds of Supporting Details
Facts and Statistics
Sensory Details
Reasons
Supporting Details
Anecdotes
Examples

2. Review:
Topic: what a piece of nonfiction writing is about; the subject matter
Main idea: the most important idea in a paragraph
Topic sentence: a sentence that states the main idea of a paragraph

3. Supporting Detail
Words, phrases, or sentences that tell more about the main idea or the topic sentence

4. 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

5. 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.

6. The 5 Types of Supporting Details
Facts and Statistics
2. Sensory Details
3. Examples
4. Anecdotes (personal experiences and observations)
Reasons

7. Facts are statements from reliable sources about real things.
Facts and Statistics
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.
Statistics are facts expressed in numbers
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.

8. Details that appeal to one or more of the five senses
Sensory Details
Details that appeal to one or more of the five senses
Upon entering the grocery store, I headed directly for the flower department, where I spotted yellow tulips. As I tenderly rested the tulips in my rusty shopping cart, I caught a whiff of minty dried eucalyptus, so I added the fragrant forest green bouquet of eucalyptus to my cart.
sight, sound, taste, smell, touch

9. Examples
Examples are ways of illustrating your point so that it is better understood.
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.

10. Reasons Details that tell why an opinion is valid or an event occurs
There are three reasons why Canada is one of the best countries in the world. First, Canada has an excellent health care system. All Canadians have access to medical services at a reasonable price. Second, Canada has a high standard of education. Students are taught by well-trained teachers and are encouraged to continue studying at university. Finally, Canada's cities are clean and efficiently managed. Canadian cities have many parks and lots of space for people to live. As a result, Canada is a desirable place to live.

11. Anecdotes/Personal Observations and Experiences
Brief stories about a character or an event
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.

12. Examples of Supporting Details

13. What kind of supporting detail is being used?
Annie Oakley toured the country as a sharp-shooting sensation. She could shoot a dime out of her husband’s hand. Sometimes, with her back to the target and her gun over her shoulder, she used a mirror to aim.
Example?
Sensory details?
Facts and statistics?
Reasons?
Anecdote?

14. What kind of supporting detail is being used?
Heads of true Bibb lettuce are exquisitely small. The vivid green and yellow leaves are beautiful. Bibb crunchiness gently complements its subtle flavor. More than any other salad green, Bibb lettuce will refresh, beautify, and add texture to your menu.
Example?
Sensory details?
Facts and statistics?
Reasons?
Anecdotes?

15. What kind of supporting detail is being used?
In the late 1880’s, Alexandre-Gustav Eiffel methodically built the Eiffel Tower. The French designer created 5,300 drawings to show his plan. Then he forged more than 18,000 wrought-iron components; work crews used 2.5 million rivets to fasten them.
Example?
Sensory details?
Facts and statistics?
Reasons?
Anecdotes?

16. What kind of supporting detail is being used?
Although an American ideal, a lush green lawn is energy-intensive, wasteful, and non-productive. Fertilizers and pesticides pollute groundwater. Lawn owners exterminate insects and rodents that play a role in the balance of nature. Constant watering is another strain on resources.
Example?
Sensory details?
Facts and statistics?
Reasons?
Anecdotes?

17. What kind of supporting detail is being used?
Mark Twain was one of America’s funniest writers. One day he visited a barbershop. The barber said that Mark Twain would be performing in town that night. Twain, not letting on who he was, asked if tickets were available. The barber said only standing room was left. “Just my luck,” sighed Twain. “I always have to stand whenever that fellow gives a lecture
Example?
Sensory details?
Facts and statistics?
Reasons?
Anecdotes?