Think of it this way: when you build a table, you need a flat surface for the table, it`s like your main point or set of themes. However, if this flat surface has no legs to stand on, it`s not good as a table! The support details are like the legs of the table supporting the set of themes. In a one-paragraph essay, the thesis will come first and introduce the main idea. It is not always possible to fit the main idea and a reference to supporting details in a single sentence, but it is a good goal. If you have a main point about how dogs are man`s best friends, you don`t want to use an example of how cats are disloyal in this paragraph. Save this point for another paragraph – focus on the facts about dogs in the support paragraph about dogs. If you deviate from your main point, your reader might be confused and lose interest. In ancient times, it was believed that irrational behavior was the result of demons or evil spirits. There are six main types of supporting details: descriptions, vocabulary, evidence, voices, explanation and importance. The explanation is to formulate the main point more simply, and the “importance” is to answer the question “So what?” after a fact or quote. In a literary text, supporting details are general information that further explains, supports or explains the main idea or thesis and proves the credibility of the main idea with supporting details and examples of the text to better understand the story and the main idea. Once you have identified the main idea and supporting details, you can follow the author`s ___ using examples or other media.
Let`s talk about the details of support and how they can help strengthen your writing. A paragraph usually begins with the main idea – also known as a topic sentence – and the rest of the paragraph contains specific details to support and expand on that point. Today we are going to talk about these details, which are called support details. The details of support are not the main idea, but the pillars that carry the main idea. These details are a kind of extension of the main idea and can therefore sometimes be confused with it. The difference between the main idea and the support details is that the support details are an extension of the main idea. They are intended to provide proof of the accuracy or truth of the main idea. Okay, our main point is the first sentence: Being a celebrity is hard. Supporting details follow. You can see a voice introduced by Perez Hilton, a descriptive explanation asking you to think about paparazzi photos, and two simple descriptive sentences.
This paragraph would be even stronger with a testimony about a real story of a celebrity who is in danger because of his place in the public image – that would be an evidence-based supporting detail. Below are some examples of a main idea and its supporting details. Think about how they interact with each other as you read them. When writing down supporting details, it`s important not to stray too far from your starting point. Remember that every paragraph in a written article refers to your overall thesis in some way, and every sentence in the paragraph refers to the main point of that paragraph. Supporting detail c: After a resurgence of belief in demons thanks to the superstitious Middle Ages, the last hundred years have finally seen true medical acceptance and explanation of mental illness. Vocabulary helps clarify. For example, if you have a topic sentence that relies on the word pulchritudinous, it may be helpful to include a definition of the word so that the reader is not distracted. (Pulchritudinous, by the way, means “beautiful.”) Supporting details are well-researched facts and statements, detailed descriptions, examples, and specific details that lead the reader to understand the main idea of a paragraph. The supporting details clarify the reader by explaining, describing and illustrating the main idea of the text.
Comparative and contrasting essays are good ways to write supporting details. For an essay with a single paragraph, support for the main idea should be specific and short; You don`t have the space for several paragraphs to explain the details. For this reason, it is especially important that your support is effective. A common mistake when writing an article is not providing enough specific details. The more accurate, the better. A vague detail is like a thin table leg, it will make your whole point waver. Vague details often come when you`re pressed for time or don`t want to do a full research on a topic – take the time to make your article worth reading. Let`s look at an example to further prove this point. You could write something like this: The first sentence of the first paragraph usually contains the main idea. A thesis is often placed at the end of the introductory paragraph, followed by the essential details shared in the main paragraphs. Research now shows that neuroticism is associated with five physical conditions: arthritis, ulcers, asthma, heart disease and headaches.
You can`t expect to get to the bottom of everything you read, because it`s impossible. That`s why it`s important for what? It`s also helpful in organizing your argument. Any support for your main idea can serve as a subject sentence for an entire paragraph that expands on this detail of support for the main idea. Or, in the case of a single paragraph, the subject`s sentence is the thesis of the entire essay. An example of supporting details would be facts, quotes, statistical evidence, or examples of details relevant to the main idea. All right. They usually know what`s going on. But consider how much more persuasive the following sentence would be: Supporting detail b: The Greeks believed that irrational behavior was an imbalance of bodily fluids called “humor,” or certain organs that were misplaced in the body.
A supporting detail is the means by which a writer develops and/or proves his main idea. Remember that a thesis is a single declarative sentence that contains the main idea or position on a topic and mentions how you want to prove or support that idea. A thesis serves as a blueprint for the body of your essay. It lays out the audience`s expectations, your point of view, and how you intend to prove it. Can you think of any other details to support the two examples above? Use them or develop your own ideas for more practice. Supporting details usually appear in the body of the test. Support detail b: Similarly, there is evidence that people who exhibit pessimistic behavior in their teens or twenties, or are more likely to become seriously ill or die in their forties. The supporting details are intended to provide evidence of the accuracy or veracity of the main idea. They provide more specific information on the subject.
It`s a little more lively, isn`t it? The details are strong and vibrant, not generic and vague. This makes the author`s point of view much clearer. In a one-paragraph essay, you don`t have to spend a lot of time providing general information on the topic. Your main goal is to express your main idea and support it with concrete details. You can assume that your audience already has a working knowledge of the subject. When writing an essay with a paragraph, it`s important to know what your point is and how you`re going to prove it, because unlike a traditional essay, you don`t have the space for several paragraphs to elaborate on it. The main idea and support for the main idea should be carefully crafted in a one-paragraph essay so that you can say what you need to say in the most direct and concise way. Identifying the main idea and its supporting details improves the reading and comprehension of a text and its subject. Once you have identified these elements, you can follow the author`s logic using examples or other media. So let`s go back to what we learned. Supporting details help maintain your main point.
They should be specific, creative and focused on the main point of the paragraph. Do this, and your writing will improve dramatically. Why is it important to carefully design the main idea and details to support a one-paragraph essay? In a one-paragraph essay, the main idea is the author`s position or concept, and the supporting details are the means by which they develop and prove that idea.
