Transcript Chapter Three: Supporting Details

TEN STEPS TO BUILDING
COLLEGE READING SKILLS
Fourth Edition
John Langan
© 2008 Townsend Press
Chapter Four:
Supporting Details
THIS CHAPTER IN A NUTSHELL
• Supporting details are the evidence—such as reasons, examples, facts,
and steps—that backs up main ideas. Those details help you understand
main ideas.
• There are two levels of supporting details:
— Main items of support are called major details.
Pay special attention to them.
— Major details themselves are sometimes supported with
information called minor details.
• Words such as several steps or a number of reasons tell you that
supporting details may follow.
• Words such as first, another, and finally often introduce supporting
details.
• Outlines and maps (diagrams) can show you a main idea and its
supporting details at a glance.
WHAT ARE SUPPORTING DETAILS?
Supporting details are reasons, examples,
steps, or other kinds of evidence that explain
a main idea, or point.
WHAT ARE SUPPORTING DETAILS?
Poor grades in school can have various causes. For one thing, students
may have financial problems. If they need to work long hours to make
money, they will have little study time. Another cause of poor grades may
be trouble with relationships. A student may be unhappy over family
problems or a lack of friends. That unhappiness can harm schoolwork. A
final cause of poor grades may be bad study habits. Some students have
never learned how to take good notes in class, how to manage their time
effectively, or how to study a textbook. Without such study skills, their
grades are likely to suffer.
What are the second and third reasons that should be added to
complete this outline of the paragraph?
Main idea: Poor grades in school can have various causes.
Supporting detail: 1. Financial problems
Supporting detail: 2.
Supporting detail: 3.
WHAT ARE SUPPORTING DETAILS?
Poor grades in school can have various causes. [main idea] For one
thing, students may have financial problems. [supporting detail] If they need
to work long hours to make money, they will have little study time. Another
cause of poor grades may be trouble with relationships. [supporting detail]
A student may be unhappy over family problems or a lack of friends. That
unhappiness can harm schoolwork. A final cause of poor grades may be bad
study habits. [supporting detail] Some students have never learned how to
take good notes in class, how to manage their time effectively, or how to
study a textbook. Without such study skills, their grades are likely to suffer.
The supporting details name three specific causes of poor grades.
Main idea: Poor grades in school can have various causes.
Supporting detail: 1. Financial problems
Supporting detail: 2. Trouble with relationships
Supporting detail: 3. Bad study habits
To read effectively, you must recognize
both main ideas and the details
that support those ideas.
OUTLINING
Outlines begin with the main idea, followed by
supporting details.
• Major details explain and develop the main
idea.
• Minor details help fill out the major details
and make them clear.
Outlining is a useful note-taking strategy.
OUTLINING
Here is part of the paragraph on causes of poor grades,
followed by an outline of it.
Poor grades in school can have various causes. For one thing, students
may have financial problems. If they need to work long hours to make
money, they will have little study time. Another cause of poor grades may
be trouble with relationships. A student may be unhappy over family
problems or a lack of friends. That unhappiness can harm schoolwork.
Main idea: Poor grades in school can have various causes.
Major detail: 1. Financial causes
Minor details:
a. Need to work long hours after school
b. No time left to study
Major detail: 2. Trouble with relationships
Minor details:
a. Unhappiness over family problems
b. Unhappiness over a lack of friends
OUTLINING
Outlining Tips
Tip 1 Look for words that tell you a list of details is
coming.
List Words
several kinds of
a number of
four steps
various causes
a series of
among the results
a few reasons
three factors
several advantages
OUTLINING
Outlining Tips
Tip 1 Look for words that tell you a list of details is
coming.
Examples
• Poor grades in school can have various causes.
• To motivate workers, managers should practice
several methods of building self-esteem.
OUTLINING
Outlining Tips
Tip 2 Look for words that signal major details. These
words are called addition words.
Addition Words
one
first
first of all
for one thing
to begin with
another
second
also
in addition
next
moreover
furthermore
last
last of all
final
finally
OUTLINING
Outlining Tips
Tip 2 Look for words that signal major details. These
words are called addition words.
Examples
Poor grades in school can have various causes [list words]. For one thing
[addition words], students may have financial problems. If they need to work
long hours to make money, they will have little study time. Another [addition
word] cause of poor grades may be trouble with relationships. A student may be
unhappy over family problems or a lack of friends. That unhappiness can harm
schoolwork. A final [addition word] cause of poor grades may be bad study
habits. Some students have never learned how to take good notes in class, how to
manage their time effectively, or how to study a textbook. Without such study
skills, their grades are likely to suffer.
OUTLINING
Outlining Tips
Tip 2 Look for words that signal major details. These
words are called addition words.
Read the paragraph below and answer the questions that follow.
To motivate workers, managers should practice several methods of building
self-esteem. One way to build self-esteem is to show a genuine interest in what
workers have to say. Ask for their opinions and really listen to their responses. A
second method of improving self-esteem is to practice good conversational habits.
Do so in three ways: by looking a worker in the eye, by smiling frequently, and
by calling workers by their first name—the most important word in the language
to every person. Last of all, managers can build esteem by admitting mistakes.
Doing so, they show that it is simply human to do the wrong thing at times.
• Which word signals the first major detail?
• Which word signals the second major detail?
• Which words signal the third major detail?
OUTLINING
Outlining Tips
Tip 2 Look for words that signal major details. These
words are called addition words.
Read the paragraph below and answer the questions that follow.
To motivate workers, managers should practice several methods of building
self-esteem. One way to build self-esteem is to show a genuine interest in what
workers have to say. Ask for their opinions and really listen to their responses. A
second method of improving self-esteem is to practice good conversational habits.
Do so in three ways: by looking a worker in the eye, by smiling frequently, and
by calling workers by their first name—the most important word in the language
to every person. Last of all, managers can build esteem by admitting mistakes.
Doing so, they show that it is simply human to do the wrong thing at times.
• Which word signals the first major detail?
• Which word signals the second major detail?
• Which words signal the third major detail?
One
second
Last of all
OUTLINING
Outlining Tips
Tip 3 In your outline, put all supporting details of equal
importance at the same distance from the margin.
Example
Main idea: To motivate workers, managers should practice several
methods of building self-esteem.
1. Show genuine interest in what workers have to say.
a. Ask for their opinions.
b. Really listen to their responses.
2. Practice good conversational habits.
a. Look a worker in the eye.
b. Smile frequently.
c. Call workers by first name.
3. Admit mistakes.
PREPARING MAPS
Maps, or diagrams, are visual outlines in
which circles, boxes, or other shapes show the
relationship between main ideas and
supporting details.
Mapping, like outlining, is a useful note-taking
strategy.
PREPARING MAPS
Below is a map of the paragraph on motivating workers.
To motivate workers, managers should practice several methods of building
self-esteem. One way to build self-esteem is to show a genuine interest in what
workers have to say. Ask for their opinions and really listen to their responses. A
second method of improving self-esteem is to practice good conversational habits.
Do so in three ways: by looking a worker in the eye, by smiling frequently, and by
calling workers by their first name—the most important word in the language to
every person. Last of all, managers can build esteem by admitting mistakes. Doing
so, they show that it is simply human to do the wrong thing at times.
To Certain
motivatebasic
workers,
managers
fears
are partshould
of ourpractice
several methodslives.
of building self-esteem.
Show genuine interest in
what workers have to say
Ask for
their
opinions
Really
listen to
their
responses
Practice good
conversational habits
Look a
worker in
the eye
Smile
frequently
Call
workers
by first
name
Admit mistakes
PREPARING MAPS
Read the following paragraph. Notice the list words and the words that
signal the three major details.
People daydream for a variety of reasons. One cause of daydreaming is
boredom, at school or on the job. To make life more interesting, people imagine
being somewhere else. For example, a student might dream of lying on the beach
and flirting with an attractive person on a nearby blanket. A production worker
might dream about winning the lottery or becoming the big boss at the company.
Another cause of daydreaming is a lack of something. For instance, a starving
person might dream about food, or a poor person might dream about owning a
house or a car. A third cause of daydreaming is angry feelings. An angry student
might dream about dropping a hated math instructor out of a classroom window.
1. Which words in the first sentence tell you that a list of details
is coming?
2. Which word signals the first major detail?
3. Which word signals the second major detail?
4. Which word signals the third major detail?
PREPARING MAPS
Read the following paragraph. Notice the list words and the words that
signal the three major details.
People daydream for a variety of reasons. One cause of daydreaming is
boredom, at school or on the job. To make life more interesting, people imagine
being somewhere else. For example, a student might dream of lying on the beach
and flirting with an attractive person on a nearby blanket. A production worker
might dream about winning the lottery or becoming the big boss at the company.
Another cause of daydreaming is a lack of something. For instance, a starving
person might dream about food, or a poor person might dream about owning a
house or a car. A third cause of daydreaming is angry feelings. An angry student
might dream about dropping a hated math instructor out of a classroom window.
1. Which words in the first sentence tell you that a list of details
is coming? a variety of reasons
2. Which word signals the first major detail? One
3. Which word signals the second major detail? Another
4. Which word signals the third major detail? third
PREPARING MAPS
What major details are missing from the map below?
People daydream for a variety of reasons. One cause of daydreaming is
boredom, at school or on the job. To make life more interesting, people imagine
being somewhere else. For example, a student might dream of lying on the beach
and flirting with an attractive person on a nearby blanket. A production worker
might dream about winning the lottery or becoming the big boss at the company.
Another cause of daydreaming is a lack of something. For instance, a starving
person might dream about food, or a poor person might dream about owning a
house or a car. A third cause of daydreaming is angry feelings. An angry student
might dream about dropping a hated math instructor out of a classroom window.
People daydream for a variety of reasons.
Example: Worker
dreams about
winning lottery.
Example: Poor
person dreams about
owning car.
Example: Angry
person dreams about
dropping teacher out
window.
PREPARING MAPS
People daydream for a variety of reasons. One cause of daydreaming is
boredom, at school or on the job. To make life more interesting, people imagine
being somewhere else. For example, a student might dream of lying on the beach
and flirting with an attractive person on a nearby blanket. A production worker
might dream about winning the lottery or becoming the big boss at the company.
Another cause of daydreaming is a lack of something. For instance, a starving
person might dream about food, or a poor person might dream about owning a
house or a car. A third cause of daydreaming is angry feelings. An angry student
might dream about dropping a hated math instructor out of a classroom window.
People daydream for a variety of reasons.
Boredom
Lack of something
Example: Worker
Example: Poor
dreams about
winning lottery.
person dreams about
owning car.
Angry feelings
Example: Angry
person dreams about
dropping teacher out
window.
CHAPTER REVIEW
In this chapter, you learned the following:
• Supporting details go hand in hand with main ideas. They provide the
added information you need to make sense of a main idea.
• There are often two levels of supporting details—major and minor.
• List words and addition words can help you to find major and minor
supporting details.
• Outlining and mapping are useful note-taking strategies.
• Outlines and maps, or diagrams, show the relationship between the
main idea, major details, and minor details of a passage.
The next chapter, “Locations of Main Ideas,” will deepen your understanding
of the relationship between main ideas and supporting details.