what is supporting ideas in an essay

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36 Writing the Essay Body: Supporting Your Ideas

Whether the drafting of a paragraph begins with a main idea or whether that idea surfaces in the revision process, once you have that main idea, you’ll want to make sure that the idea has enough support. The job of the paragraph body is to develop and support the topic. Here’s one way that you might think about it:

• Topic sentence : what is the main claim of your paragraph; what is the most important idea that you want your readers to take away from this paragraph?
• Support in the form of evidence : how can you prove that your claim or idea is true (or important, or noteworthy, or relevant)?
• Support in the form of analysis or evaluation : what discussion can you provide that helps your readers see the connection between the evidence and your claim?
• Transition : how can you help your readers move from the idea you’re currently discussing to the next idea presented? For more specific discussion about transitions, see the following section on “ Transitions .”

For more on methods of development that can help you to develop and organize your ideas within paragraphs, see “ Patterns of Organization and Methods of Development ” later in this text.

Types of support might include

Now that we have a good idea what it means to develop support for the main ideas of your paragraphs, let’s talk about how to make sure that those supporting details are solid and convincing.

Strong vs. Weak Support

What questions will your readers have? What will they need to know? What makes for good supporting details? Why might readers consider some evidence to be weak?

If you’re already developing paragraphs, it’s likely that you already have a plan for your essay, at least at the most basic level. You know what your topic is, you might have a working thesis, and you probably have at least a couple of supporting ideas in mind that will further develop and support your thesis.

So imagine you’re developing a paragraph on one of these supporting ideas and you need to make sure that the support that you develop for this idea is solid. Considering some of the points about understanding and appealing to your audience (from the Audience and Purpose and the Prewriting sections of this text) can also be helpful in determining what your readers will consider good support and what they’ll consider to be weak. Here are some tips on what to strive for and what to avoid when it comes to supporting details.

Breaking, Combining, or Beginning New Paragraphs

Like sentence length, paragraph length varies. There is no single ideal length for “the perfect paragraph.”  There are some general guidelines, however.

Some writing handbooks or resources suggest that a paragraph should be at least three or four sentences; others suggest that 100 to 200 words is a good target to shoot for.

In academic writing, paragraphs tend to be longer, while in less formal or less complex writing, such as in a newspaper, paragraphs tend to be much shorter. Two-thirds to three-fourths of a page—or seven to twelve sentences—is usually a good target length for paragraphs at your current level of academic writing.

The amount of space needed to develop one idea will likely be different than the amount of space needed to develop another. So when is a paragraph complete? The answer is: when it’s fully developed. The guidelines above for providing good support should help.

Signs to end a paragraph and start a new one:

• You’re ready to begin developing a new idea.
• You want to emphasize a point by setting it apart.
• You’re getting ready to continue discussing the same idea but in a different way (e.g., shifting from comparison to contrast).
• You notice that your current paragraph is getting too long (more than three-fourths of a page or so), and you think your writers will need a visual break.

Signs to combine paragraphs include:

• You notice that some of your paragraphs appear to be short and choppy.
• You have multiple paragraphs on the same topic.
• You have undeveloped material that needs to be united under a clear topic.

Finally, paragraph number is a lot like paragraph length. You may have been asked in the past to write a five-paragraph essay. There’s nothing inherently wrong with a five-paragraph essay, but just like sentence length and paragraph length, the number of paragraphs in an essay depends upon what’s needed to get the job done. There’s really no way to know that until you start writing. So try not to worry too much about the proper length and number of things unless those are specified in your assignment. Just start writing and see where the essay and the paragraphs take you. There will be plenty of time to sort out the organization in the revision process. You’re not trying to fit pegs into holes here. You’re letting your ideas unfold. Give yourself—and them—the space to let that happen.

Text Attributions

• This chapter was adapted from “ The Paragraph Body: Supporting Your Ideas ” in The Word on College Reading and Writing by Carol Burnell, Jaime Wood, Monique Babin, Susan Pesznecker, and Nicole Rosevear, which is licensed under a CC BY-NC 4.0 Licence . Adapted by Allison Kilgannon.

Advanced English Copyright © 2021 by Allison Kilgannon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Supporting Your Ideas

Even the most well-organized, audience-centered, goal-oriented of essays can lack pizzazz. Often, writers don't know what to do to improve the impact of their writing or how to defend their points.

It is important to reinforce your ideas with a solid base of support. Support can include:

• Responses from an interview
• Results from a survey
• Evidence from research
• A clear and relevant analogy
• A clever metaphor
• Sensory description
• Personal narrative or relative anecdote
• Illustration
• Analysis of an example or an idea
• Counter-arguments (obvious oppositional ideas) refuted logically

Understanding, choosing from, and adding to this list will help you build adequate support for your paragraphs, resulting in a thorough and detailed essay. Try to incorporate a minimum of two pieces of support per main idea or body paragraph.

It is also important to evaluate your support to ensure that it is clear and relevant. Some strategies for evaluating support are:

• Underline the thesis. Is each piece of support in the essay consistent with the argument in this thesis?
• Determine the audience. Is your support appropriate for this audience? Is it sufficient to convince this audience?
• Determine the purpose of the paper. Is it persuasive, expository, descriptive, or something else? Make sure that your support is appropriate and sufficient for the type of paper you are writing.
• Make an outline of the paper. Give each topic sentence a heading, and list each piece of support under the heading it relates to. Does each topic sentence have at least two pieces of support? Where is your support strongest? Weakest? What can you do to strengthen the support in weak areas?

by Sandy Eckard revised by Elizabeth Guiden, February 2005

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The Paragraph Body: Supporting Your Ideas

Whether the drafting of a paragraph begins with a main idea or whether that idea surfaces in the revision process, once you have that main idea, you’ll want to make sure that the idea has enough support. The job of the paragraph body is to develop and support the topic. Here’s one way that you might think about it:

• Topic sentence : what is the main claim of your paragraph; what is the most important idea that you want your readers to take away from this paragraph?
• Support in the form of evidence : how can you prove that your claim or idea is true (or important, or noteworthy, or relevant)?
• Support in the form of analysis or evaluation : what discussion can you provide that helps your readers see the connection between the evidence and your claim?
• Transition : how can you help your readers move from the idea you’re currently discussing to the next idea presented? (For more specific discussion about transitions, see the following section on “ Developing Relationships between Ideas ”).

For more on methods of development  that can help you to develop and organize your ideas within paragraphs, see “Patterns of Organization and Methods of Development” later in this section of this text.

Types of support might include

• Statistics.
• Quotations.

Now that we have a good idea what it means to develop support for the main ideas of your paragraphs, let’s talk about how to make sure that those supporting details are solid and convincing.

Good vs. Weak Support

What questions will your readers have? What will they need to know? What makes for good supporting details? Why might readers consider some evidence to be weak?

If you’re already developing paragraphs, it’s likely that you already have a plan for your essay, at least at the most basic level. You know what your topic is, you might have a working thesis, and you probably have at least a couple of supporting ideas in mind that will further develop and support your thesis.

So imagine you’re developing a paragraph on one of these supporting ideas and you need to make sure that the support that you develop for this idea is solid. Considering some of the points about understanding and appealing to your audience (from the Audience and Purpose and the Prewriting sections of this text) can also be helpful in determining what your readers will consider good support and what they’ll consider to be weak. Here are some tips on what to strive for and what to avoid when it comes to supporting details.

Breaking, Combining, or Beginning New Paragraphs

Like sentence length, paragraph length varies. There is no single ideal length for “the perfect paragraph.”  There are some general guidelines, however. Some writing handbooks or resources suggest that a paragraph should be at least three or four sentences; others suggest that 100 to 200 words is a good target to shoot for. In academic writing, paragraphs tend to be longer, while in less formal or less complex writing, such as in a newspaper, paragraphs tend to be much shorter. Two-thirds to three-fourths of a page is usually a good target length for paragraphs at your current level of college writing. If your readers can’t see a paragraph break on the page, they might wonder if the paragraph is ever going to end or they might lose interest.

The most important thing to keep in mind here is that the amount of space needed to develop one idea will likely be different than the amount of space needed to develop another. So when is a paragraph complete? The answer is, when it’s fully developed. The guidelines above for providing good support should help.

Some signals that it’s time to end a paragraph and start a new one include that

• You’re ready to begin developing a new idea.
• You want to emphasize a point by setting it apart.
• You’re getting ready to continue discussing the same idea but in a different way (e.g. shifting from comparison to contrast).
• You notice that your current paragraph is getting too long (more than three-fourths of a page or so), and you think your writers will need a visual break.

Some signals that you may want to combine paragraphs include that

• You notice that some of your paragraphs appear to be short and choppy.
• You have multiple paragraphs on the same topic.
• You have undeveloped material that needs to be united under a clear topic.

Finally, paragraph number is a lot like paragraph length. You may have been asked in the past to write a five-paragraph essay. There’s nothing inherently wrong with a five-paragraph essay, but just like sentence length and paragraph length, the number of paragraphs in an essay depends upon what’s needed to get the job done. There’s really no way to know that until you start writing. So try not to worry too much about the proper length and number of things. Just start writing and see where the essay and the paragraphs take you. There will be plenty of time to sort out the organization in the revision process. You’re not trying to fit pegs into holes here. You’re letting your ideas unfold. Give yourself—and them—the space to let that happen.

The Word on College Reading and Writing Copyright © by Carol Burnell, Jaime Wood, Monique Babin, Susan Pesznecker, and Nicole Rosevear is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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• Supporting Paragraphs

"A paragraph is a sentence or group of sentences that develops a main idea. Paragraphs serve as the primary building blocks of essays, reports, memos, and other forms of written composition" (Hult and Huckin, The New Century Handbook , 103).

In essence, paragraphs control the design and structure of the written composition. Paragraphs in the middle of your composition develop the thesis statement and provide transition ideas between supporting details.

Paragraphs should be " unified, coherent, and adequately developed , while flowing from one to the next as smoothly as possible" (Hult and Huckin, The New Century Handbook , 103).

Rule to Remember

Make sure all your paragraphs are unified, coherent, and adequately developed.

"A unified paragraph focuses on and develops a single main idea . This idea is typically captured in a single sentence, called a topic sentence . The other sentences in the paragraph, the supporting sentences , should elaborate on the topic sentence in a logical fashion (Hult and Huckin, The New Century Handbook , 104).

The supporting sentences, also called the body of the paragraph , are used to support, explain, illustrate, or provide evidence for the idea expressed in the topic sentence.

The main characteristics of a well-written paragraph

Introduce a topic sentence in your paragraph and then let the rest of the sentences build details to support it.

A paragraph should not introduce any other evidence or provide information that does not support the main idea; otherwise, the paragraph will lack unity and coherence.

Find logical subdivisions in your argument and organize them into unified paragraphs.

It is common to start a paragraph with a topic sentence and then let the rest of the sentences build details to support it. However, this is not by any means the only or the best pattern. The topic sentence can appear in any part of the paragraph or sometimes it can be implied.

Topic sentences at the beginning of a paragraph

In the following two paragraphs, the topic sentence appears at the beginning:

The environment the teacher creates in the classroom plays one of the most crucial roles in successful learning . This is true of any setting, whether the teaching occurs in a long academic program or in a tutoring situation. The teacher is a role model, a person students can trust, a guide, and a mentor. It is the responsibility of the teacher to create a low-anxiety environment in order to allow the students to enjoy the learning process. A good teacher tries to find out what works best with a particular learner or a group of learners and goes from there. What needs to come first in any learning situation is not a specific aspect or principle of methodology but the learners themselves.

From a Teaching Practicum Reflection Paper

Online education has become more popular than other forms of distance education because it offers learners a great deal of flexibility . Students have the freedom to work at their own pace, time, and chosen location. The flexibility of online learning makes it a very powerful tool that enhances learning, provides motivation for self-directed study, and, at the same time, increases convenience for learners with effective use of place and time. Online education is an excellent solution for those who consider learning to be a lifelong process. For adult learners, it provides the possibility to manage work, family, and other activities while still being able to take classes.

From a student research paper on Advantages and Limitations of Web-Based Instruction

"A topic sentence should, if possible, do four things: (1) provide a transition from a the preceding paragraph, (2) introduce the topic of the paragraph, (3) make a main point about this topic, and (4) suggest how the rest of the paragraph will develop this point" (Hult and Huckin, The New Century Handbook , 104).

Suggestions for writing paragraphs

• Avoid paragraphs that are either too long or too short
• Develop a single idea in a paragraph
• Use different patterns of paragraph development (narration, description, definition, example, comparison and contrast, analogy, cause and effect, or process)
• Provide transitions between paragraphs to make your writing flow smoothly (refer to the section on Transitions )

Audience also affects the choice of language, vocabulary, and sentence structures.

Reasons to start a new paragraph

• Introduce a new idea
• Emphasize an idea
• Introduce a logical pause
• Introduce a subtopic
• Conclude the composition

(Lunsford, The Everyday Writer , 48)

• Punctuation
• Reading the Assignment
• Addressing the Audience
• Introduction
• Thesis Statement
• Transitions
• Revision Process

Integrating Sources

The paragraph body: supporting your ideas.

Whether the drafting of a paragraph begins with a main idea or whether that idea surfaces in the revision process, once you have that main idea, you’ll want to make sure that the idea has enough support. The job of the paragraph body is to develop and support the topic. Here’s one way that you might think about it:

• Topic sentence: what is the main claim of your paragraph; what is the most important idea that you want your readers to take away from this paragraph? • Support in the form of evidence: how can you prove that your claim or idea is true (or important, or noteworthy, or relevant)? • Support in the form of analysis or evaluation: what discussion can you provide that helps your readers see the connection between the evidence and your claim? • Transition: how can you help your readers move from the idea you’re currently discussing to the next idea presented? (For more specific discussion about transitions, see the following section on “Developing Relationships between Ideas”). For more on methods of development that can help you to develop and organize your ideas within paragraphs, see “Patterns of Organization and Methods of Development” later in this section of this text.

Now that we have a good idea what it means to develop support for the main ideas of your paragraphs, let’s talk about how to make sure that those supporting details are solid and convincing.

Good vs. Weak Support

What questions will your readers have? What will they need to know? What makes for good supporting details? Why might readers consider some evidence to be weak?

If you’re already developing paragraphs, it’s likely that you already have a plan for your essay, at least at the most basic level. You know what your topic is, you might have a working thesis, and you probably have at least a couple of supporting ideas in mind that will further develop and support your thesis.

So imagine you’re developing a paragraph on one of these supporting ideas and you need to make sure that the support that you develop for this idea is solid. Considering some of the points about understanding and appealing to your audience (from the Audience and Purpose and the Prewriting sections of this text) can also be helpful in determining what your readers will consider good support and what they’ll consider to be weak. Here are some tips on what to strive for and what to avoid when it comes to supporting details.

Good support • Is relevant and focused (sticks to the point). • Is well developed. • Provides sufficient detail. • Is vivid and descriptive. • Is well organized. • Is coherent and consistent. • Highlights key terms and ideas.

Weak Support • Lacks a clear connection to the point that it’s meant to support. • Lacks development. • Lacks detail or gives too much detail. • Is vague and imprecise. • Lacks organization. • Seems disjointed (ideas don’t clearly relate to each other). • Lacks emphasis of key terms and ideas.

Breaking, Combining, or Beginning New Paragraphs

Like sentence length, paragraph length varies. There is no single ideal length for “the perfect paragraph.” There are some general guidelines, however. Some writing handbooks or resources suggest that a paragraph should be at least three or four sentences; others suggest that 100 to 200 words is a good target to shoot for. In academic writing, paragraphs tend to be longer, while in less formal or less complex writing, such as in a newspaper, paragraphs tend to be much shorter. Two-thirds to three-fourths of a page is usually a good target length for paragraphs at your current level of college writing. If your readers can’t see a paragraph break on the page, they might wonder if the paragraph is ever going to end or they might lose interest.

The most important thing to keep in mind here is that the amount of space needed to develop one idea will likely be different than the amount of space needed to develop another. So when is a paragraph complete? The answer is, when it’s fully developed. The guidelines above for providing good support should help.

Some signals that it’s time to end a paragraph and start a new one include that • You’re ready to begin developing a new idea. • You want to emphasize a point by setting it apart. • You’re getting ready to continue discussing the same idea but in a different way (e.g. shifting from comparison to contrast). • You notice that your current paragraph is getting too long (more than three-fourths of a page or so), and you think your writers will need a visual break. Some signals that you may want to combine paragraphs include that • You notice that some of your paragraphs appear to be short and choppy. • You have multiple paragraphs on the same topic. • You have undeveloped material that needs to be united under a clear topic.

Finally, paragraph number is a lot like paragraph length. You may have been asked in the past to write a five paragraph essay. There’s nothing inherently wrong with a five-paragraph essay, but just like sentence length and paragraph length, the number of paragraphs in an essay depends upon what’s needed to get the job done. There’s really no way to know that until you start writing. So try not to worry too much about the proper length and number of things. Just start writing and see where the essay and the paragraphs take you. There will be plenty of time to sort out the organization in the revision process. You’re not trying to fit pegs into holes here. You’re letting your ideas unfold. Give yourself—and them—the space to let that happen.

Developing Relationships Between Ideas

So you have a main idea, and you have supporting ideas, but how can you be sure that your readers will understand the relationships between them? How are the ideas tied to each other? One way to emphasize these relationships is through the use of clear transitions between ideas. Like every other part of your essay, transitions have a job to do. They form logical connections between the ideas presented in an essay or paragraph, and they give readers clues that reveal how you want them to think about (process, organize, or use) the topics presented.

Why are Transitions Important?

Transitions signal the order of ideas, highlight relationships, unify concepts, and let readers know what’s coming next or remind them about what’s already been covered. When instructors or peers comment that your writing is choppy, abrupt, or needs to “flow better,” those are some signals that you might need to work on building some better transitions into your writing. If a reader comments that she’s not sure how something relates to your thesis or main idea, a transition is probably the right tool for the job.

When Is the Right Time to Build in Transitions?

There’s no right answer to this question. Sometimes transitions occur spontaneously, but just as often (or maybe even more often) good transitions are developed in revision. While drafting, we often write what we think, sometimes without much reflection about how the ideas fit together or relate to one another. If your thought process jumps around a lot (and that’s okay), it’s more likely that you will need to pay careful attention to reorganization and to providing solid transitions as you revise.

When you’re working on building transitions into an essay, consider the essay’s overall organization. Consider using reverse outlining and other organizational strategies presented in this text to identify key ideas in your essay and to get a clearer look at how the ideas can be best organized. This can help you determine where transitions are needed.

Let’s take some time to consider the importance of transitions at the sentence level and transitions between paragraphs.

Sentence-Level Transitions

Transitions between sentences often use “connecting words” to emphasize relationships between one sentence and another. A friend and coworker suggests the “something old something new” approach, meaning that the idea behind a transition is to introduce something new while connecting it to something old from an earlier point in the essay or paragraph. Here are some examples of ways that writers use connecting words (highlighted with red text and italicized) to show connections between ideas in adjacent sentences:

To Show Similarity When I was growing up, my mother taught me to say “please” and “thank you” as one small way that I could show appreciation and respect for others. In the same way, I have tried to impress the importance of manners onmy own children. Other connecting words that show similarity include also, similarly, and likewise.

To Show Contrast Some scientists take the existence of black holes for granted; however, in 2014, a physicist at the University of North Carolina claimed to have mathematically proven that they do not exist. Other connecting words that show contrast include in spite of, on the other hand, in contrast, and yet.

To Exemplify The cost of college tuition is higher than ever, so students are becoming increasingly motivated to keep costs as low as possible. For example, a rising number of students are signing up to spend their first two years at a less costly community college before transferring to a more expensive four-year school to finish their degrees. Other connecting words that show example include for instance, specifically, and to illustrate.

To Show Cause and Effect Where previously painters had to grind and mix their own dry pigments with linseed oil inside their studios, in the 1840s, new innovations in pigments allowed paints to be premixed in tubes. Consequently, this new technology facilitated the practice of painting outdoors and was a crucial tool for impressionist painters, such as Monet, Cezanne, Renoir, and Cassatt. Other connecting words that show cause and effect include therefore, so, and thus.

To Show Additional Support When choosing a good trail bike, experts recommend 120–140 millimeters of suspension travel; that’s the amount that the frame or fork is able to flex or compress. Additionally, they recommend a 67–69 degree head-tube angle, as a steeper head-tube angle allows for faster turning and climbing. Other connecting words that show additional support include also, besides, equally important, and in addition.

A Word of Caution

Single-word or short-phrase transitions can be helpful to signal a shift in ideas within a paragraph, rather than between paragraphs (see the discussion below about transitions between paragraphs). But it’s also important to understand that these types of transitions shouldn’t be frequent within a paragraph. As with anything else that happens in your writing, they should be used when they feel natural and feel like the right choice. Here are some examples to help you see the difference between transitions that feel like they occur naturally and transitions that seem forced and make the paragraph awkward to read:

Too Many Transitions : The Impressionist painters of the late 19th century are well known for their visible brush strokes, for their ability to convey a realistic sense of light, and for their everyday subjects portrayed in outdoor settings. In spite of this fact, many casual admirers of their work are unaware of the scientific innovations that made it possible this movement in art to take place. Then, In 1841, an American painter named John Rand invented the collapsible paint tube. To illustrate the importance of this invention, pigments previously had to be ground and mixed in a fairly complex process that made it difficult for artists to travel with them. For example, the mixtures were commonly stored in pieces of pig bladder to keep the paint from drying out. In addition, when working with their palettes, painters had to puncture the bladder, squeeze out some paint, and then mend the bladder again to keep the rest of the paint mixture from drying out. Thus, Rand’s collapsible tube freed the painters from these cumbersome and messy processes, allowing artists to be more mobile and to paint in the open air.

Subtle Transitions that Aid Reader Understanding : The Impressionist painters of the late 19th century are well known for their visible brush strokes, for their ability to convey a realistic sense of light, for their everyday subjects portrayed in outdoor settings. However, many casual admirers of their work are unaware of the scientific innovations that made it possible for this movement in art to take place. In 1841, an American painter named John Rand invented the collapsible paint tube. Before this invention, pigments had to be ground and mixed in a fairly complex process that made it difficult for artists to travel with them. The mixtures were commonly stored in pieces of pig bladder to keep the paint from drying out. When working with their palettes, painters had to puncture the bladder, squeeze out some paint, and then mend the bladder again to keep the rest of the paint mixture from drying out. Rand’s collapsible tube freed the painters from these cumbersome and messy processes, allowing artists to be more mobile and to paint in the open air.

Transitions between Paragraphs and Sections

It’s important to consider how to emphasize the relationships not just between sentences but also between paragraphs in your essay. Here are a few strategies to help you show your readers how the main ideas of your paragraphs relate to each other and also to your thesis.

Use Signposts

Signposts are words or phrases that indicate where you are in the process of organizing an idea; for example, signposts might indicate that you are introducing a new concept, that you are summarizing an idea, or that you are concluding your thoughts. Some of the most common signposts include words and phrases like first, then, next, finally, in sum, and in conclusion. Be careful not to overuse these types of transitions in your writing. Your readers will quickly find them tiring or too obvious. Instead, think of more creative ways to let your readers know where they are situated within the ideas presented in your essay. You might say, “The first problem with this practice is…” Or you might say, “The next thing to consider is…” Or you might say, “Some final thoughts about this topic are….”

Use Forward-Looking Sentences at the End of Paragraphs Sometimes, as you conclude a paragraph, you might want to give your readers a hint about what’s coming next. For example, imagine that you’re writing an essay about the benefits of trees to the environment and you’ve just wrapped up a paragraph about how trees absorb pollutants and provide oxygen. You might conclude with a forward- looking sentence like this: “Trees benefits to local air quality are important, but surely they have more to offer our communities than clean air.” This might conclude a paragraph (or series of paragraphs) and then prepare your readers for additional paragraphs to come that cover the topics of trees’ shade value and ability to slow water evaporation on hot summer days. This transitional strategy can be tricky to employ smoothly. Make sure that the conclusion of your paragraph doesn’t sound like you’re leaving your readers hanging with the introduction of a completely new or unrelated topic.

Use Backward-Looking Sentences at the Beginning of Paragraphs Rather than concluding a paragraph by looking forward, you might instead begin a paragraph by looking back. Continuing with the example above of an essay about the value of trees, let’s think about how we might begin a new paragraph or section by first taking a moment to look back. Maybe you just concluded a paragraph on the topic of trees’ ability to decrease soil erosion and you’re getting ready to talk about how they provide habitats for urban wildlife. Beginning the opening of a new paragraph or section of the essay with a backward-looking transition might look something like this: “While their benefits to soil and water conservation are great, the value that trees provide to our urban wildlife also cannot be overlooked.”

Evaluate Transitions for Predictability or Conspicuousness

Finally, the most important thing about transitions is that you don’t want them to become repetitive or too obvious. Reading your draft aloud is a great revision strategy for so many reasons, and revising your essay for transitions is no exception to this rule. If you read your essay aloud, you’re likely to hear the areas that sound choppy or abrupt. This can help you make note of areas where transitions need to be added. Repetition is another problem that can be easier to spot if you read your essay aloud. If you notice yourself using the same transitions over and over again, take time to find some alternatives. And if the transitions frequently stand out as you read aloud, you may want to see if you can find some subtler strategies.

• The Paragraph Body from The Word on College Reading and Writing. Authored by : Monique Babin, Clackamas Community College Carol Burnell, Clackamas Community College Susan Pesznecker, Portland State University. Provided by : Open Textbook Library. Located at : https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/BookDetail.aspx?bookId=471 . Project : Center for Open Education. License : CC BY-NC: Attribution-NonCommercial

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• The Power of Supporting Sentences: Building Strong Arguments

Introduction

Supporting sentences are the unsung heroes of effective communication. While they may only sometimes take center stage in our writing and speaking, they are pivotal in conveying information, persuading audiences, and creating well-structured and coherent content. In this article, we will delve into the significance of supporting sentences, explore their various types, and discuss practical tips for using them effectively in different contexts.

Understanding Supporting Sentences

Supporting sentences, also known as detail or evidence, are the backbone of written or spoken communication. They serve the essential purpose of providing evidence, examples, or elaboration to support the main idea or thesis statement. Essentially, they are the glue that holds a paragraph or an argument together, making the content more convincing, informative, and engaging.

Types of Supporting Sentences

• Examples:  One of the most common types of supporting sentences involves providing examples that illustrate or clarify the main point. For instance, when explaining a concept, you can use concrete measures to make it more relatable and understandable. These examples add depth to your writing and help readers connect with your ideas.
• Statistics and Data:  Incorporating statistics and data into your supporting sentences can bolster your credibility when making a persuasive argument or discussing factual information. Numbers, percentages, and facts solidify your claims, making your argument more compelling and trustworthy.
• Analogies:  Analogies are powerful tools for drawing parallels between the unfamiliar and the familiar. Using analogies in supporting sentences can simplify complex ideas and make them accessible to a broader audience. They bridge what your audience knows and what you want them to understand.
• Quotations:  If you’re writing an academic paper, article, or essay, incorporating quotes from experts or reputable sources can lend authority and credibility to your arguments. Quotations serve as external validation of your claims and add depth to your content.
• Personal Stories or Anecdotes:  Sharing personal experiences or anecdotes can be particularly compelling in persuasive writing or when trying to establish an emotional connection with your audience. These stories can make your argument more relatable and emotionally resonant.
• Comparisons and Contrasts:  Comparative supporting sentences help clarify similarities and differences between two or more concepts, ideas, or objects. These sentences are precious when analyzing topics or presenting pros and cons.
• Cause and Effect:  Explaining the cause-and-effect relationship between events or ideas can help readers understand the consequences of specific actions or decisions. This type of supporting sentence is crucial in academic and analytical writing.
• Transitions and Linking Sentences:  Although often overlooked, transition sentences are vital in guiding readers through your content smoothly. They create logical connections between ideas, ensuring your writing flows seamlessly from one point to the next.

The Importance of Effective Supporting Sentences

• Clarity:  Well-crafted supporting sentences clarify your main ideas, making them more understandable to your audience. They prevent ambiguity and ensure that your message is conveyed accurately.
• Credibility:  Supporting sentences provide evidence and authority to your arguments. They show you have researched and can be trusted as a knowledgeable source.
• Engagement:  Engaging supporting sentences captivate your audience’s attention. They make your writing more attractive and keep readers or listeners actively involved in the content.
• Persuasion:  In persuasive writing, supporting sentences are your precise tools. They help convince your audience of your viewpoint by presenting compelling evidence and reasoning.
• Coherence:  Supporting sentences create a logical structure in your content, ensuring your ideas are connected and presented coherently. This coherence makes it easier for readers to follow your train of thought.

Tips for Using Supporting Sentences Effectively

• Stay focused:  Each supporting sentence should directly relate to the main idea or thesis statement. Avoid introducing irrelevant information that can confuse your audience.
• Vary sentence types:  Use a mix of supporting sentences to keep your writing engaging and address various aspects of your topic.
• Provide adequate evidence:  Ensure your supporting sentences offer enough evidence to support your claims. Avoid being too vague or overly general.
• Use transitions:  Employ transitional words and phrases to connect your supporting sentences and create a smooth flow between ideas.
• Balance quantity and quality:  While including enough supporting sentences to build a robust argument is essential, keep your writing manageable with details. Quality should always trump quantity.
• Revise and edit:  After writing, review your work to ensure that your supporting sentences effectively enhance your main ideas. Eliminate any redundancy or unnecessary repetition.

While often associated with formal writing and structured arguments, supporting sentences are also valuable in daily life for effective communication. Here are some common scenarios and contexts where you can use supporting sentences:

• Explaining Instructions or Processes:  When giving someone directions or describing how to do something, you can use supporting sentences to provide step-by-step guidance and offer additional details. For example, provide supporting sentences for each cooking step when teaching someone to cook a new recipe.
• “First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. This ensures that the dish bakes evenly. Then, grease the baking pan to prevent sticking.”
• Sharing Personal Stories: When sharing anecdotes or personal experiences in conversations, using supporting sentences can make your story more engaging and relatable. Adding details and context helps others connect with your narrative.
• “Last summer, during our family vacation, we decided to go camping in the mountains. It was such an adventure! One night, we heard rustling outside the tent, and my heart started pounding.”
• Making Persuasive Arguments: In everyday discussions or debates, you can employ supporting sentences to strengthen your arguments or opinions. Presenting evidence, examples, or data can make your point more convincing.
• “We should invest in renewable energy sources. Studies show that renewable energy reduces greenhouse gas emissions, crucial for combatting climate change.”
• Offering Recommendations or Advice: Using supporting sentences can help justify your recommendations when giving advice or suggesting solutions. Providing reasons or evidence can instill confidence in your suggestions.
• “If you’re looking for a reliable smartphone, I’d recommend the latest model from XYZ brand. It’s received positive reviews for its long battery life, excellent camera, and user-friendly interface.”
• Discussing Current Events: When discussing news or current events, supporting sentences can provide context and detail to help others better understand the situation. You can use statistics, facts, or historical information.
• “The economic downturn in the last decade, as evidenced by the double-digit unemployment rate, has had a lasting impact on our region’s job market.”
• Resolving Conflicts or Disagreements: Using supporting sentences can help you articulate your point of view more clearly and calmly in interpersonal conflicts or disagreements. Presenting facts and reasons can lead to a more productive discussion.
• “Our team would benefit from a different project management approach. Our current method has resulted in missed deadlines, and adopting a more structured approach could address this issue.”
• Expressing Gratitude or Appreciation: When thanking someone or expressing appreciation, providing specific examples in supporting sentences can convey the depth of your gratitude.
• “I wanted to express my heartfelt thanks for your support during my recovery. Your visits to the hospital, helping with household chores, and the thoughtful gifts meant the world to me.”
• Educational Conversations: While helping children or peers learn new concepts, supporting sentences can simplify complex ideas. Using examples or analogies can make the subject matter more accessible.
• “Think of photosynthesis as a plant’s way of making food. Like how we eat to get energy, plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to create their energy through photosynthesis.”

In daily life, supporting sentences can enhance your communication skills by making your messages more transparent, persuasive, and engaging whether explaining, persuading, or sharing stories, using supporting sentences effectively can help you connect with others and convey your ideas more effectively.

Here’s a table example illustrating different types of supporting sentences, along with model sentences for each class:

These example sentences illustrate how supporting sentences of various types can be used to enhance and reinforce the main ideas in different contexts.

Supporting sentences are the unsung heroes of effective communication. They provide the backbone for your arguments, clarify your ideas, and engage your audience. Whether writing an academic paper, a persuasive essay, a business proposal, or even a casual blog post, mastering the art of crafting compelling supporting sentences is essential for effective communication. By understanding their types, importance, and how to use them effectively, you can become a more persuasive and engaging communicator, making your writing and speaking more impactful and memorable.

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Reading to Understand

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• The Main Idea

Steps for Identifying the Main Idea

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The main idea is the point or message - what an author presents and what a reader takes from a text. 

Searching for that main idea is a very important activity in understanding a text. It is usually found in the opening paragraph when the author is  setting up the topic  and  expressing the thesis.  

However, the location can vary according to the type of reading. For example, a research article's main idea is toward the end, whereas a persuasive essay's main idea is conveyed at the beginning.

Pre-read to Determine the Overall Topic

Examine the title and then skim the text to determine who or what the reading is about. If you see the same word repeated you know that it is likely the topic or at least an important element of the topic. The topic should be a noun or a noun phrase such as "online education." The topic itself does not convey any meeting us you must read on to determine the main idea.

Ask yourself questions about the text as you read in-depth. Pay close attention to the introduction, the first sentence of body paragraphs, and the conclusion. In these places, the author typically states and supports the main idea. 

Questions to Ask Yourself While Reading : 

• What elements make up this topic?
• What is the author saying about this topic?
• What does the author want me to know or believe about this topic?

Reflect on what you have read. If the main idea is not immediately apparent to you review the introduction and conclusion. The  main idea should be a complete thought  such as "because of its flexibility, comfort, and lower-cost online education is increasing in popularity for younger generations."

Questions to Ask Yourself While Reflecting:

• What is the message I take away from this reading?
• What point does the information add up to?
• What idea does the author reinforce in the conclusion?
• What is the final impression I have about this topic?

Finding the Main Idea

Once you believe you have found the main idea, check that each body paragraph relates to that main idea. The body paragraph should include  supporting ideas  that reinforce and provide greater detail about the main idea. 

Some students find it beneficial to sketch the main idea and supporting ideas in their notes as a concept map.

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8.2 Outlining

Learning objectives.

• Identify the steps in constructing an outline.
• Construct a topic outline and a sentence outline.

Your prewriting activities and readings have helped you gather information for your assignment. The more you sort through the pieces of information you found, the more you will begin to see the connections between them. Patterns and gaps may begin to stand out. But only when you start to organize your ideas will you be able to translate your raw insights into a form that will communicate meaning to your audience.

Longer papers require more reading and planning than shorter papers do. Most writers discover that the more they know about a topic, the more they can write about it with intelligence and interest.

Organizing Ideas

When you write, you need to organize your ideas in an order that makes sense. The writing you complete in all your courses exposes how analytically and critically your mind works. In some courses, the only direct contact you may have with your instructor is through the assignments you write for the course. You can make a good impression by spending time ordering your ideas.

Order refers to your choice of what to present first, second, third, and so on in your writing. The order you pick closely relates to your purpose for writing that particular assignment. For example, when telling a story, it may be important to first describe the background for the action. Or you may need to first describe a 3-D movie projector or a television studio to help readers visualize the setting and scene. You may want to group your support effectively to convince readers that your point of view on an issue is well reasoned and worthy of belief.

In longer pieces of writing, you may organize different parts in different ways so that your purpose stands out clearly and all parts of the paper work together to consistently develop your main point.

Methods of Organizing Writing

The three common methods of organizing writing are chronological order , spatial order , and order of importance . You will learn more about these in Chapter 9 “Writing Essays: From Start to Finish” ; however, you need to keep these methods of organization in mind as you plan how to arrange the information you have gathered in an outline. An outline is a written plan that serves as a skeleton for the paragraphs you write. Later, when you draft paragraphs in the next stage of the writing process, you will add support to create “flesh” and “muscle” for your assignment.

When you write, your goal is not only to complete an assignment but also to write for a specific purpose—perhaps to inform, to explain, to persuade, or for a combination of these purposes. Your purpose for writing should always be in the back of your mind, because it will help you decide which pieces of information belong together and how you will order them. In other words, choose the order that will most effectively fit your purpose and support your main point.

Table 8.1 “Order versus Purpose” shows the connection between order and purpose.

Table 8.1 Order versus Purpose

Writing a Thesis Statement

One legitimate question readers always ask about a piece of writing is “What is the big idea?” (You may even ask this question when you are the reader, critically reading an assignment or another document.) Every nonfiction writing task—from the short essay to the ten-page term paper to the lengthy senior thesis—needs a big idea, or a controlling idea, as the spine for the work. The controlling idea is the main idea that you want to present and develop.

For a longer piece of writing, the main idea should be broader than the main idea for a shorter piece of writing. Be sure to frame a main idea that is appropriate for the length of the assignment. Ask yourself, “How many pages will it take for me to explain and explore this main idea in detail?” Be reasonable with your estimate. Then expand or trim it to fit the required length.

The big idea, or controlling idea, you want to present in an essay is expressed in a thesis statement . A thesis statement is often one sentence long, and it states your point of view. The thesis statement is not the topic of the piece of writing but rather what you have to say about that topic and what is important to tell readers.

Table 8.2 “Topics and Thesis Statements” compares topics and thesis statements.

Table 8.2 Topics and Thesis Statements

The first thesis statement you write will be a preliminary thesis statement, or a working thesis statement . You will need it when you begin to outline your assignment as a way to organize it. As you continue to develop the arrangement, you can limit your working thesis statement if it is too broad or expand it if it proves too narrow for what you want to say.

Using the topic you selected in Section 8.1 “Apply Prewriting Models” , develop a working thesis statement that states your controlling idea for the piece of writing you are doing. On a sheet of paper, write your working thesis statement.

You will make several attempts before you devise a working thesis statement that you think is effective. Each draft of the thesis statement will bring you closer to the wording that expresses your meaning exactly.

Writing an Outline

For an essay question on a test or a brief oral presentation in class, all you may need to prepare is a short, informal outline in which you jot down key ideas in the order you will present them. This kind of outline reminds you to stay focused in a stressful situation and to include all the good ideas that help you explain or prove your point.

For a longer assignment, like an essay or a research paper, many college instructors require students to submit a formal outline before writing a major paper as a way to be sure you are on the right track and are working in an organized manner. A formal outline is a detailed guide that shows how all your supporting ideas relate to each other. It helps you distinguish between ideas that are of equal importance and ones that are of lesser importance. You build your paper based on the framework created by the outline.

Instructors may also require you to submit an outline with your final draft to check the direction of the assignment and the logic of your final draft. If you are required to submit an outline with the final draft of a paper, remember to revise the outline to reflect any changes you made while writing the paper.

There are two types of formal outlines: the topic outline and the sentence outline. You format both types of formal outlines in the same way.

• Place your introduction and thesis statement at the beginning, under roman numeral I.
• Use roman numerals (II, III, IV, V, etc.) to identify main points that develop the thesis statement.
• Use capital letters (A, B, C, D, etc.) to divide your main points into parts.
• Use arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.) if you need to subdivide any As, Bs, or Cs into smaller parts.
• End with the final roman numeral expressing your idea for your conclusion.

Here is what the skeleton of a traditional formal outline looks like. The indention helps clarify how the ideas are related.

Introduction

Thesis statement

Main point 1 → becomes the topic sentence of body paragraph 1

Main point 2 → becomes the topic sentence of body paragraph 2

Main point 3 → becomes the topic sentence of body paragraph 3

In an outline, any supporting detail can be developed with subpoints. For simplicity, the model shows them only under the first main point.

Formal outlines are often quite rigid in their organization. As many instructors will specify, you cannot subdivide one point if it is only one part. For example, for every roman numeral I, there must be a For every A, there must be a B. For every arabic numeral 1, there must be a 2. See for yourself on the sample outlines that follow.

Constructing Topic Outlines

A topic outline is the same as a sentence outline except you use words or phrases instead of complete sentences. Words and phrases keep the outline short and easier to comprehend. All the headings, however, must be written in parallel structure. (For more information on parallel structure, see Chapter 7 “Refining Your Writing: How Do I Improve My Writing Technique?” .)

Here is the topic outline that Mariah constructed for the essay she is developing. Her purpose is to inform, and her audience is a general audience of her fellow college students. Notice how Mariah begins with her thesis statement. She then arranges her main points and supporting details in outline form using short phrases in parallel grammatical structure.

Writing an Effective Topic Outline

This checklist can help you write an effective topic outline for your assignment. It will also help you discover where you may need to do additional reading or prewriting.

• Do I have a controlling idea that guides the development of the entire piece of writing?
• Do I have three or more main points that I want to make in this piece of writing? Does each main point connect to my controlling idea?
• Is my outline in the best order—chronological order, spatial order, or order of importance—for me to present my main points? Will this order help me get my main point across?
• Do I have supporting details that will help me inform, explain, or prove my main points?
• Do I need to add more support? If so, where?
• Do I need to make any adjustments in my working thesis statement before I consider it the final version?

Writing at Work

Word processing programs generally have an automatic numbering feature that can be used to prepare outlines. This feature automatically sets indents and lets you use the tab key to arrange information just as you would in an outline. Although in business this style might be acceptable, in college your instructor might have different requirements. Teach yourself how to customize the levels of outline numbering in your word-processing program to fit your instructor’s preferences.

Using the working thesis statement you wrote in Note 8.32 “Exercise 1” and the reading you did in Section 8.1 “Apply Prewriting Models” , construct a topic outline for your essay. Be sure to observe correct outline form, including correct indentions and the use of Roman and arabic numerals and capital letters.

Collaboration

Please share with a classmate and compare your outline. Point out areas of interest from their outline and what you would like to learn more about.

Constructing Sentence Outlines

A sentence outline is the same as a topic outline except you use complete sentences instead of words or phrases. Complete sentences create clarity and can advance you one step closer to a draft in the writing process.

Here is the sentence outline that Mariah constructed for the essay she is developing.

The information compiled under each roman numeral will become a paragraph in your final paper. In the previous example, the outline follows the standard five-paragraph essay arrangement, but longer essays will require more paragraphs and thus more roman numerals. If you think that a paragraph might become too long or stringy, add an additional paragraph to your outline, renumbering the main points appropriately.

PowerPoint presentations, used both in schools and in the workplace, are organized in a way very similar to formal outlines. PowerPoint presentations often contain information in the form of talking points that the presenter develops with more details and examples than are contained on the PowerPoint slide.

Expand the topic outline you prepared in Note 8.41 “Exercise 2” to make it a sentence outline. In this outline, be sure to include multiple supporting points for your main topic even if your topic outline does not contain them. Be sure to observe correct outline form, including correct indentions and the use of Roman and arabic numerals and capital letters.

Key Takeaways

• Writers must put their ideas in order so the assignment makes sense. The most common orders are chronological order, spatial order, and order of importance.
• After gathering and evaluating the information you found for your essay, the next step is to write a working, or preliminary, thesis statement.
• The working thesis statement expresses the main idea that you want to develop in the entire piece of writing. It can be modified as you continue the writing process.
• Effective writers prepare a formal outline to organize their main ideas and supporting details in the order they will be presented.
• A topic outline uses words and phrases to express the ideas.
• A sentence outline uses complete sentences to express the ideas.
• The writer’s thesis statement begins the outline, and the outline ends with suggestions for the concluding paragraph.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

ENGL000: Pre-College English (2017.A.01)

The main idea and supporting sentences.

In this course, you will practice writing analytical paragraphs in which you state the main idea clearly in a topic sentence and support the main idea with evidence and examples. Read this lecture and complete the included activities, in which you identify the main ideas and supporting details of different paragraphs. When you are done, check your work against the Answer Key .

Last time we covered what a main idea sentence is: a sentence that tells the reader what the paragraph is about. The rest of the sentences in the paragraph support the main idea sentence. "Support" means that the sentences either explain a detail of the main idea or give an example. Read the paragraph below. The main idea is underlined . The "support" that explains is bolded , and the "support" that offers an example is in italics. 

My parents were very strict when I was growing up . My mother in particular was always correcting my behavior. One day when I forgot to look both ways as I was crossing the street, my mother made me go back home; she said that I could not go out at all if I could not be safe.  My father was more concerned with my grades.  Every night he would make me go to my room before I could watch television. 

Let's examine this paragraph.

The first sentence (1) presents the main idea: "my parents were very strict". The second sentence (2) explains what I consider "strict" by saying that my mother frequently corrected my behavior. The third sentence (3) offers an example of how she would correct my behavior. The fourth sentence (4) explains further that my father was strict when it came to schoolwork, and the fifth sentence (5) offers an example of how he was strict. 

If we were going to diagram the paragraph, it would look like this:

One way to talk about whether sentences directly support the main idea (as the second level does), or indirectly support the main idea (the bottom level) is to call them MAJOR  detail sentences and MINOR detail sentences. Major details directly explain something about the main idea. Minor details offer examples that illustrate major details.

Practice I: Read the paragraphs, and then identify each sentence as a main idea, a major detail, or a minor detail.

Paragraph 1:

Single parents have to overcome many obstacles to return to school. If their children are very young, finding quality babysitting can be difficult. Many babysitters are unreliable, and that can mean that the parent has to miss many classes, which can hurt their grades. It is also hard to find enough time to study. Children require a lot of attention, and that can interfere with a parent being able to complete their homework. Finally, raising children is expensive. Many single parents discover that they can't meet the costs of both raising children and paying for tuition, books, and fees.

Sentence #1:

Sentence #2:

Sentence #3:

Sentence #4:

Sentence #5:

Sentence #6:

Sentence #7:

Paragraph 2:

My grandmother turned 70 last year and celebrated by going skydiving. She said she always wanted to skydive and figured it was now or never. Many people think that when you get older you can no longer do fun things, but this is not true. The senior center in town offers dance lessons and also takes groups to the art museum. The classes are always full because so many people want to try new things. Towns are even developing senior living communities around activities such as golf and tennis. Those communities are very popular because people like to live with others who share their interests.

Practice II: Below you will find several main idea sentences. Write your own supporting sentences by using major and minor details.

1. It is not a good idea to watch a lot of television.

2. Coaches have good reasons to be firm with the players on their team.

3. Many people believe it is a bad idea to spank children.

4. There are several steps I can take to be successful in college.

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• Topics, Main Ideas, and Support

Identifying Topics, Main Ideas, and Supporting Details

Understanding the topic , the gist , or the larger conceptual framework of a textbook chapter, an article, a paragraph, a sentence or a passage is a sophisticated reading task.  Being able to draw conclusions, evaluate, and critically interpret articles or chapters is important for overall comprehension in college reading.  Textbook chapters, articles, paragraphs, sentences, or passages all have topics and main ideas.  The topic is the broad, general theme or message.  It is what some call the subject.  The main idea is the "key concept" being expressed.  Details , major and minor, support the main idea by telling how, what, when, where, why, how much, or how many.  Locating the topic, main idea, and supporting details helps you understand the point(s) the writer is attempting to express.  Identifying the relationship between these will increase your comprehension.

The successful communication of any author's topic is only as good as the organization the author uses to build and define his/her subject matter.

Grasping the Main Idea:

A paragraph is a group of sentences related to a particular topic, or central theme.  Every paragraph has a key concept or main idea.  The main idea is the most important piece of information the author wants you to know about the concept of that paragraph.

When authors write they have an idea in mind that they are trying to get across.  This is especially true as authors compose paragraphs.  An author organizes each paragraph's main idea and supporting details in support of the topic or central theme, and each paragraph supports the paragraph preceding it.

A writer will state his/her main idea explicitly somewhere in the paragraph.  That main idea may be stated at the beginning of the paragraph, in the middle, or at the end.  The sentence in which the main idea is stated is the topic sentence of that paragraph.

The topic sentence announces the general theme ( or portion of the theme) to be dealt with in the paragraph.  Although the topic sentence may appear anywhere in the paragraph, it is usually first – and for a very good reason.  This sentence provides the focus for the writer while writing and for the reader while reading.  When you find the topic sentence, be sure to underline it so that it will stand out not only now, but also later when you review.

Identifying the Topic:

The first thing you must be able to do to get at the main idea of a paragraph is to identify the topic – the subject of the paragraph.  Think of the paragraph as a wheel with the topic being the hub – the central core around which the whole wheel (or paragraph) spins.  Your strategy for topic identification is simply to ask yourself the question, "What is this about?"  Keep asking yourself that question as you read a paragraph, until the answer to your question becomes clear.  Sometimes you can spot the topic by looking for a word or two that repeat.  Usually you can state the topic in a few words.

Let us try this topic-finding strategy.  Reread the first paragraph under the heading Grasping the Main Idea .  Ask yourself the question, "What is this paragraph about?"  To answer, say to yourself in your mind, "The author keeps talking about paragraphs and the way they are designed.  This must be the topic – paragraph organization."  Reread the second paragraph of the same section.  Ask yourself, "What is this paragraph about?"  Did you say to yourself, "This paragraph is about different ways to organize a paragraph"?  That is the topic.  Next, reread the third paragraph and see if you can find the topic of the paragraph.  How?  Write the topic in the margin next to this paragraph.  Remember, getting the main idea of a paragraph is crucial to reading.

The bulk of an expository paragraph is made up of supporting sentences (major and minor details), which help to explain or prove the main idea.  These sentences present facts, reasons, examples, definitions, comparison, contrasts, and other pertinent details.  They are most important because they sell the main idea.

The last sentence of a paragraph is likely to be a concluding sentence. It is used to sum up a discussion, to emphasize a point, or to restate all or part of the topic sentence so as to bring the paragraph to a close.  The last sentence may also be a transitional sentence leading to the next paragraph.

Of course, the paragraphs you'll be reading will be part of some longer piece of writing – a textbook chapter, a section of a chapter, or a newspaper or magazine article.  Besides expository paragraphs, in which new information is presented and discussed, these longer writings contain three types of paragraphs: introductory , transitional , and summarizing .

Introductory paragraphs tell you, in advance, such things as (1) the main ideas of the chapter or section; (2) the extent or limits of the coverage; (3) how the topic is developed; and (4) the writer's attitude toward the topic.  Transitional paragraphs are usually short; their sole function is to tie together what you have read so far and what is to come – to set the stage for succeeding ideas of the chapter or section.  Summarizing paragraphs are used to restate briefly the main ideas of the chapter or section.  The writer may also draw some conclusion from these ideas, or speculate on some conclusion based on the evidence he/she has presented.

All three types should alert you: the introductory paragraph of things to come; the transitional paragraph of a new topic; and the summarizing paragraph of main ideas that you should have gotten.

Read the following paragraph and underline the stated main idea.  Write down in your own words what you are able to conclude from the information.

The rules of conduct during an examination are clear.  No books, calculators or papers are allowed in the test room.  Proctors will not allow anyone with such items to take the test.  Anyone caught cheating will be asked to leave the room.  His or her test sheet will be taken.  The incident will be reported to the proper authority.  At the end of the test period, all materials will be returned to the proctor.  Failure to abide by these rules will result in a failing grade for this test.

You should have underlined the first sentence in the paragraph – this is the stated main idea.  What can be concluded from the information is: If you do not follow the rules, you will automatically fail the test.  This concluding information is found in the last sentence.

You can't comprehend the subject matter if you haven't identified the topic, the main idea, and the supporting details.

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• How to structure an essay: Templates and tips

How to Structure an Essay | Tips & Templates

Published on September 18, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

The basic structure of an essay always consists of an introduction , a body , and a conclusion . But for many students, the most difficult part of structuring an essay is deciding how to organize information within the body.

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Table of contents

The basics of essay structure, chronological structure, compare-and-contrast structure, problems-methods-solutions structure, signposting to clarify your structure, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about essay structure.

There are two main things to keep in mind when working on your essay structure: making sure to include the right information in each part, and deciding how you’ll organize the information within the body.

Parts of an essay

The three parts that make up all essays are described in the table below.

Order of information

You’ll also have to consider how to present information within the body. There are a few general principles that can guide you here.

The first is that your argument should move from the simplest claim to the most complex . The body of a good argumentative essay often begins with simple and widely accepted claims, and then moves towards more complex and contentious ones.

For example, you might begin by describing a generally accepted philosophical concept, and then apply it to a new topic. The grounding in the general concept will allow the reader to understand your unique application of it.

The second principle is that background information should appear towards the beginning of your essay . General background is presented in the introduction. If you have additional background to present, this information will usually come at the start of the body.

The third principle is that everything in your essay should be relevant to the thesis . Ask yourself whether each piece of information advances your argument or provides necessary background. And make sure that the text clearly expresses each piece of information’s relevance.

The sections below present several organizational templates for essays: the chronological approach, the compare-and-contrast approach, and the problems-methods-solutions approach.

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The chronological approach (sometimes called the cause-and-effect approach) is probably the simplest way to structure an essay. It just means discussing events in the order in which they occurred, discussing how they are related (i.e. the cause and effect involved) as you go.

A chronological approach can be useful when your essay is about a series of events. Don’t rule out other approaches, though—even when the chronological approach is the obvious one, you might be able to bring out more with a different structure.

Explore the tabs below to see a general template and a specific example outline from an essay on the invention of the printing press.

• Thesis statement
• Discussion of event/period
• Consequences
• Importance of topic
• Strong closing statement
• Claim that the printing press marks the end of the Middle Ages
• Background on the low levels of literacy before the printing press
• Thesis statement: The invention of the printing press increased circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation
• High levels of illiteracy in medieval Europe
• Literacy and thus knowledge and education were mainly the domain of religious and political elites
• Consequence: this discouraged political and religious change
• Invention of the printing press in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg
• Implications of the new technology for book production
• Consequence: Rapid spread of the technology and the printing of the Gutenberg Bible
• Trend for translating the Bible into vernacular languages during the years following the printing press’s invention
• Luther’s own translation of the Bible during the Reformation
• Consequence: The large-scale effects the Reformation would have on religion and politics
• Summarize the history described
• Stress the significance of the printing press to the events of this period

Essays with two or more main subjects are often structured around comparing and contrasting . For example, a literary analysis essay might compare two different texts, and an argumentative essay might compare the strengths of different arguments.

There are two main ways of structuring a compare-and-contrast essay: the alternating method, and the block method.

Alternating

In the alternating method, each paragraph compares your subjects in terms of a specific point of comparison. These points of comparison are therefore what defines each paragraph.

The tabs below show a general template for this structure, and a specific example for an essay comparing and contrasting distance learning with traditional classroom learning.

• Synthesis of arguments
• Topical relevance of distance learning in lockdown
• Increasing prevalence of distance learning over the last decade
• Thesis statement: While distance learning has certain advantages, it introduces multiple new accessibility issues that must be addressed for it to be as effective as classroom learning
• Classroom learning: Ease of identifying difficulties and privately discussing them
• Distance learning: Difficulty of noticing and unobtrusively helping
• Classroom learning: Difficulties accessing the classroom (disability, distance travelled from home)
• Distance learning: Difficulties with online work (lack of tech literacy, unreliable connection, distractions)
• Classroom learning: Tends to encourage personal engagement among students and with teacher, more relaxed social environment
• Distance learning: Greater ability to reach out to teacher privately
• Sum up, emphasize that distance learning introduces more difficulties than it solves
• Stress the importance of addressing issues with distance learning as it becomes increasingly common
• Distance learning may prove to be the future, but it still has a long way to go

In the block method, each subject is covered all in one go, potentially across multiple paragraphs. For example, you might write two paragraphs about your first subject and then two about your second subject, making comparisons back to the first.

The tabs again show a general template, followed by another essay on distance learning, this time with the body structured in blocks.

• Point 1 (compare)
• Point 2 (compare)
• Point 3 (compare)
• Point 4 (compare)
• Advantages: Flexibility, accessibility
• Disadvantages: Discomfort, challenges for those with poor internet or tech literacy
• Advantages: Potential for teacher to discuss issues with a student in a separate private call
• Disadvantages: Difficulty of identifying struggling students and aiding them unobtrusively, lack of personal interaction among students
• Advantages: More accessible to those with low tech literacy, equality of all sharing one learning environment
• Disadvantages: Students must live close enough to attend, commutes may vary, classrooms not always accessible for disabled students
• Advantages: Ease of picking up on signs a student is struggling, more personal interaction among students
• Disadvantages: May be harder for students to approach teacher privately in person to raise issues

An essay that concerns a specific problem (practical or theoretical) may be structured according to the problems-methods-solutions approach.

This is just what it sounds like: You define the problem, characterize a method or theory that may solve it, and finally analyze the problem, using this method or theory to arrive at a solution. If the problem is theoretical, the solution might be the analysis you present in the essay itself; otherwise, you might just present a proposed solution.

The tabs below show a template for this structure and an example outline for an essay about the problem of fake news.

• Introduce the problem
• Provide background
• Describe your approach to solving it
• Define the problem precisely
• Describe why it’s important
• Indicate previous approaches to the problem
• Present your new approach, and why it’s better
• Apply the new method or theory to the problem
• Indicate the solution you arrive at by doing so
• Assess (potential or actual) effectiveness of solution
• Describe the implications
• Problem: The growth of “fake news” online
• Prevalence of polarized/conspiracy-focused news sources online
• Thesis statement: Rather than attempting to stamp out online fake news through social media moderation, an effective approach to combating it must work with educational institutions to improve media literacy
• Definition: Deliberate disinformation designed to spread virally online
• Popularization of the term, growth of the phenomenon
• Previous approaches: Labeling and moderation on social media platforms
• Critique: This approach feeds conspiracies; the real solution is to improve media literacy so users can better identify fake news
• Greater emphasis should be placed on media literacy education in schools
• This allows people to assess news sources independently, rather than just being told which ones to trust
• This is a long-term solution but could be highly effective
• It would require significant organization and investment, but would equip people to judge news sources more effectively
• Rather than trying to contain the spread of fake news, we must teach the next generation not to fall for it

Signposting means guiding the reader through your essay with language that describes or hints at the structure of what follows.  It can help you clarify your structure for yourself as well as helping your reader follow your ideas.

The essay overview

In longer essays whose body is split into multiple named sections, the introduction often ends with an overview of the rest of the essay. This gives a brief description of the main idea or argument of each section.

The overview allows the reader to immediately understand what will be covered in the essay and in what order. Though it describes what  comes later in the text, it is generally written in the present tense . The following example is from a literary analysis essay on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein .

Transitions

Transition words and phrases are used throughout all good essays to link together different ideas. They help guide the reader through your text, and an essay that uses them effectively will be much easier to follow.

Various different relationships can be expressed by transition words, as shown in this example.

Because Hitler failed to respond to the British ultimatum, France and the UK declared war on Germany. Although it was an outcome the Allies had hoped to avoid, they were prepared to back up their ultimatum in order to combat the existential threat posed by the Third Reich.

Transition sentences may be included to transition between different paragraphs or sections of an essay. A good transition sentence moves the reader on to the next topic while indicating how it relates to the previous one.

… Distance learning, then, seems to improve accessibility in some ways while representing a step backwards in others.

However , considering the issue of personal interaction among students presents a different picture.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

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The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

An essay isn’t just a loose collection of facts and ideas. Instead, it should be centered on an overarching argument (summarized in your thesis statement ) that every part of the essay relates to.

The way you structure your essay is crucial to presenting your argument coherently. A well-structured essay helps your reader follow the logic of your ideas and understand your overall point.

Comparisons in essays are generally structured in one of two ways:

• The alternating method, where you compare your subjects side by side according to one specific aspect at a time.
• The block method, where you cover each subject separately in its entirety.

It’s also possible to combine both methods, for example by writing a full paragraph on each of your topics and then a final paragraph contrasting the two according to a specific metric.

You should try to follow your outline as you write your essay . However, if your ideas change or it becomes clear that your structure could be better, it’s okay to depart from your essay outline . Just make sure you know why you’re doing so.

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Types of supporting statements for your essay.

In essays, the body typically consists of a series of supporting statements that are designed to explain “why” you’re expressing a particular opinion.  This “why” can take the form of many different things.  Generally, though, it will fall under one (or more) of these five general types of supporting statements.

1. Specific examples

Examples are among the most popular supporting statements for essays, as they provide a tangible account that the reader can imagine, making your assertions more “real” in their minds.  If you argue that a particular politician is corrupt, for instance, you can state instances that depict that person in such a manner, making your claim more believable.

A fact is something that has been derived objectively – it’s something proven and undeniable.  As such, facts that support your assertions  – from statistics to scientific truths – make for some very compelling evidence.

When you provide supporting statements that aren’t completely “facts,” they generally fall under this category.  Reasons are typically drawn from both facts and opinions tied together by sound logic.  As such, they make sense as an argument, despite not owning full immunity to being challenged.  Want an example?  Read how many times we’ve promoted the use of a grammar checking software using pure “reasoning” in these pages.

4. Descriptions and anecdotes

Describing a particular situation or relaying an anecdotal event can sometimes prove to be a good method of illustrating a point.  Like reasons, they are often subject to interpretation.  When done well, however, they can illuminate unclear points.

5. Expert opinion

People may discount your opinion, but few will do the same for an expert in the field.  If you chance upon an authority on the subject that agrees with you, exploiting their words as a way to support your point can be very powerful.

Developing Ideas

Is your essay too short? Has the instructor asked you to "develop" or expand on points in your paper? Are you not sure what else you can say about your topic? It's possible you need to do some more research so you'll have more material to include—you can visit a research librarian to help you find more sources. More than likely, though, you need to say more about the points you're already making. But don't simply repeat or add fluffy language to reach your page count. Your instructors want to see you provide depth and analysis about your topic. This handout provides various strategies for developing your thoughts, giving you more rich material to write about.

Types of Development

• Details: Ask yourself the Five W's and How: Who? Where? What? When? Why? and How? Be specific and thorough.

Peter, an overly anxious person, sat trembling in the old decrepit gymnasium on the coldest of fall mornings, awaiting the ACT—a test he know he needed to do well on to enter college.

• Amplification: Expand a previous idea by sticking with it in subsequent sentences:

College is frustrating. It takes a lot of time and energy. However, students continue to apply.

• Appealing to Emotion: What images, ideas, events, and memories do you want to trigger in your readers' mind?

The fact remains—a student drops out of high school every 26 seconds in the U.S. ("11 Facts About High School Dropout Rates").

• Analysis: To develop your argument, reflect on the significance of quotes, facts, ideas, and broader claims you are making. Ask yourself, "What does this quote or idea or statistic really mean? Why did I include it or think it important to my point?"

The Reds' baseball home opener drew in countless spectators—a sea of red. Yet why Cincinnati? Historically, professional baseball players were quite invested in their communities, much like Cincinnati is known by its neighborhoods today.

• Citing Authority: What major authority figures (e.g. scholars, book editors, politicians, scientists) will support your argument?

The surgeon general claims...

• Analogy: Make an argument based on the similarity of one thing to another.

Applying for graduate school is like searching for a partner: it's a courtship. You need to work at it, remaining patient. Research the school online; schedule a visit, meet with a professor or student in person. You will find your match eventually.

• Qualification: Cover all your bases. Especially if you are making a new or bold argument that goes against the trend, you want to qualify what you are saying to limit your reader's interpretations (that is, so they don't take your ideas out of context).

I by no means want to suggest that all teachers lack organizational skills.

• Application: Readers often like to imagine or consider what you are saying in practice.

If an athlete were to apply Dr. X's theory to athletic training practices, she would find it quite difficult to actually perform Dr. X's theoretical ideas in a real-world context.

• Talking It Out. Sometimes you just need to "bounce ideas back and forth" with someone. Consider asking a classmate or friend if you can "talk out" your argument. You will be surprised just how helpful it can be to articulate your ideas out loud. Howe Writing Center consultants are specially trained to help with this "back and forth" of ideas—consider making an appointment to practice this strategy.
• Diagramming. Especially if you are trying to add more detail to your writing, make a list of as many descriptions, ideas, or sources (even if only books or articles you want to read at a later point). Who/What are the key figures in a debate? What are the most essential elements of your story?
• Free Writing. Without worrying about grammar or organization, "free write" about a topic for 10-15 minutes. Just write down whatever comes to mind, even if your sentences feel fragmented. Reread your writing. Pick out a sentence or idea and write about that for another 10-15 minutes. Continue reading and writing to see how far your free-flowing ideas can take you.
• Looking to Models. Look up an academic article or another piece of writing typical of your field of study or current type of project (many articles found through the library databases work well). How are other scholars/writers developing their ideas? How do they back their claims?
• Interviewing. There are of course multiple types of "sources" (e.g. books, articles, digital media, as well as people). To develop your ideas on a specific topic—especially if your research is new and cutting edge—interviewing to gain insight can glean quite productive results. Remember to get permission from anyone you interview to use their words (also remember to follow university protocol for ethical research practices).
• Researching (Internet and Library Resources). While a "Google search" is often an appropriate starting point, the library databases contain countless articles and research data you can access to give your paper authority and depth. Don't hesitate to contact a librarian or make an appointment with the Howe Writing Center for help with this strategy.

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• Main Idea and Supporting Detail

When writing a single-paragraph essay, it’s important to know what your point is and how you’re going to prove it, because unlike a traditional-length essay, you won’t have the space of several paragraphs to flesh it out. The main idea and support for the main idea should be carefully crafted in a single-paragraph essay so you can say what you need to say in the most direct and concise way. 

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Once you’ve identified the main idea and supporting details you can follow the author’s _______ through their use of examples or other support. 

Which tip for locating the main idea is missing from the following list?

Scan the title of the text

Look for significance in the pictures included

Note words and phrases that are repeated often

Ask yourself - what is this text mostly about?

Supporting details are meant to offer __________ of the accuracy or truth of the main idea.

The thesis statement of a single-paragraph essay will function the exact same way as a ____________ for a regular paragraph.

 Because of the length of a single-paragraph essay, it is important to state your main point _____________  

_________ offer(s) more specific information about the main idea.

Which of the following is not  something recommended to support the main idea?

The following is an example of which type of support? The supreme court was founded on March 4, 1789.

Why is it important to carefully craft the main idea and supporting details of a single-paragraph essay?

What is the main idea of a text?

The following is an example of which type of support?

According to The American Institute of Stress:  About 33 percent of people report feeling extreme stress .

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Main Idea And Supporting Detail: Meaning

In a single-paragraph essay, the main idea is the writer’s position or principal concept, and the supporting details are the means by which they develop and prove that idea. This might sound similar to a thesis statement . That’s because a thesis statement should include the main idea and supporting details for an essay.

Remember, a thesis statement is a single declarative sentence that includes the main idea, or position on a topic, and mentions the way(s) you intend to prove or support that idea. A thesis acts as a blueprint for the body of your essay. It lays out the expectation for the audience of what your point is and how you intend to prove it.

If you’re writing a single-paragraph essay, you might be wondering whether you need to include a thesis statement. The short answer is, yes you do! In this case, because your essay will only be the length of a paragraph, the thesis statement will function the exact same way as a topic sentence for a regular paragraph.

A topic sentence functions much the same as a thesis statement. It is a single sentence, usually the first sentence of a paragraph, that introduces the main argument or idea for that paragraph. It’s a helpful technique so your audience knows the principal point of each paragraph because it is expressly stated.

It’s also useful as a way to organize your argument . Each piece of support for your main idea can serve as the topic sentence for an entire paragraph that develops that supporting detail in relation to the main idea. Or, in the case of a single-paragraph essay, the topic sentence is the thesis for the entire essay.

A single-paragraph essay should be concise and to the point. There is no room for filler language or information that is not absolutely necessary. Because of the length of a single-paragraph essay, it is important to state your main point at the very beginning.

In a single-paragraph essay you don’t need to spend much time providing background information on the topic. Your main objective is to express your main idea and support it with concrete details. You can assume your audience already has a working knowledge of the subject.

How To Organize The Main Idea And Supporting Details

There is a basic structure for a single-paragraph essay that is similar to that of the basic multi-paragraph essay. It includes the topic sentence (or thesis statement), at least two pieces of supporting information, concrete evidence for and commentary on the supporting information, and a conclusion. See the layout below.

Fig. 1 - How to organize support for main idea.

Topic sentence (thesis statement)

Body support 1

Concrete details

Body support 2

Closing statement

In a single-paragraph essay, the thesis statement will come first and usher in the main idea. It isn’t always possible to fit the main idea and a reference to the supporting details into a single sentence, but it is a good goal.

In Around the World in Eighty Days (1873) Jules Verne explores the themes of calmness and persistence with his character Phileas Fogg; Mr. Fogg remains calm in the face of extreme circumstances as he travels the world, and remains persistent to his goal despite many setbacks.

This example demonstrates how to include support for the main idea within a single sentence (i.e. thesis statement). In a single-paragraph essay, the segment following the thesis statement is considered the body of the essay. This is where you provide support for the main idea.

What Can Be The Support For The Main Idea?

For a single-paragraph essay, support for the main idea must be specific and brief; you won’t have the space of several paragraphs to expound on the details. Because of this, it’s especially important for your support to be effective.

Below are some of the most constructive pieces of information to include to support your main idea.

Facts and Data

Sometimes the best support of the main idea is simply stating relevant facts. If, for example, you’re discussing why bats are a positive addition to your outdoor living space, you might include that they like to eat mosquitoes. Remember, you’ll need to choose only the most relevant information to make your point in the fewest possible sentences.

Quotes are an effective way to prove a point in a very concise way. This is true whether you’re quoting a text you’re discussing, or quoting an expert or authoritative source on the subject.

An authoritative source is one that can be trusted because it is widely recognized in the field as authentic and/or expert.

Quotes taken from the text under discussion are effective because this is the primary source . Quoting the source directly is the best way to prove your point about a text.

Statistical evidence is numerical data organized to show a trend or some information about a particular subject. This is great evidence because it usually represents large numbers of participants or objects; the larger the group, the more reliable the information. Some statistics you could use in a one paragraph essay are percentages or statistics.

The best places to get statistical data are from government organizations and other trusted sources in the field.

Examples of Relevant Details

Examples are the best way to support your main idea. You can use examples from the text you’re referencing, real life experiences, or anything else that will expand the main idea.

How To Identify The Main Idea And Supporting Details

Identifying the main idea and its supporting details improves your reading and understanding of a text and its topic. Once you’ve identified these elements, you can follow the author’s logic through their use of examples or other support.

Fig. 2 - Neoclassical pillars represent support for main idea.

One way to quickly recognize the main idea is to use these tips:

Summarize the text in your own words (in a sentence, if possible)

Relationship Between The Main Idea And Supporting Details

The supporting details are not the main idea, but are the pillars that hold up the main idea. These details are kind of like an extension of the main idea, and so can be confused with it sometimes.

Supporting details are meant to offer evidence of the accuracy or truth of the main idea. They offer more specific information about the topic.

The main idea in an article about global warming is, “Global warming is the long-term warming of Earth’s overall temperature and is the most pressing issue facing humanity today.” That is the concept that will be discussed in the body of the article. The following sentence is an example of a supporting detail for that main idea, “Fossil fuels are burned, which produce gasses that trap heat on the earth’s surface.”

The sentence about fossil fuels should not be confused with the main idea of the article. It is a single point that the author is using to explain the concept of global warming and its danger to humanity. It supports the idea that global warming is a danger to the planet, and humanity.

More Examples Of The Main Idea And Supporting Details

Below are a few examples of a main idea and its supporting details. Think about how these interact with one another as you read them.

Main idea: People suffering from neuroticism experience anger, anxiety, self-consciousness, irritability and depression, but their complaints of further physical ailments have largely been discounted by physicians until recently.

Supporting detail a: Research now shows that neuroticism is linked to five physical ailments: arthritis, ulcers, asthma, heart disease, and headaches.

Supporting detail b: Similarly, there is evidence that people who display pessimistic behavior in their teens or twenties or more likely to become seriously ill or die in their forties.

Main idea: Mental illness has been explained in many different ways over the course of the last several hundred years.

Supporting detail a: In ancient times, irrational behavior was thought to be the result of demons or evil spirits.

Supporting detail b: The Greeks believed irrational behavior was an imbalance of body fluids, called “humors,” or some organs being misplaced in the body.

Supporting detail c: After a resurgence in the belief of demons thanks to the highly superstitious Middle Ages, the last one hundred years have finally seen a true medical acceptance and explanation of mental illness.

Can you think of any more supporting details for the two examples above? Use these, or come up with some ideas of your own for more practice.

Support for Main Idea - Key Takeaways

• In a single-paragraph essay, the main idea is the writer’s position or principal concept they would like to express, and the supporting details are the means by which they develop and prove that idea.
• Single-paragraph essays demand a concise and to-the-point main idea and supporting details.
• The thesis statement contains the main idea, and should also refer to the support for the main idea.
• Support for the main idea are like pillars that hold up the main idea when it is scrutinized.
• Support for the main idea can be statistical data, quotes, facts and data, and examples of relevant information.

Flashcards in Main Idea and Supporting Detail 162

Topic sentence

At the beginning of the paragraph

Supporting details

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Frequently Asked Questions about Main Idea and Supporting Detail

What is the difference between main idea and supporting details?

The difference between the main idea and supporting details is that supporting details are an extension of the main idea; they are meant to offer evidence of the accuracy or truth of the main idea.

How to find main ideas and supporting details in a text?

You can find the main idea and supporting details in a text using the following tips:

What is a supporting detail?

A supporting detail is the means by which a writer develops and/or proves their main idea.

What is main idea and example?

A main idea is the principal concept an author wishes to express. An example would be, "The advancement of technology has removed us entirely from the use of physical money, and so has made it obsolete."

What is an example of supporting details?

An example of supporting details would be any facts, quotes, statistical evidence, or examples of details relevant to the main idea.

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Which of the following is not something recommended to support the main idea?

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IELTS Writing Task 2: How to Support your Main Ideas

by Dave | Ideas and Body Paragraphs | 51 Comments

Don’t miss out on my new Patreon exclusive essays here if you want to really improve on IELTS!

The key thing ielts examiners want you to do is present main ideas and then develop them by ‘extending and supporting.’, by developing an idea, you are giving the reader a clearer understanding of why the main idea is a good or bad idea., if you want to see how this actually works out with various real questions from the test, you can click here to read my sample answers ., what are supporting ideas, supporting ideas are a combination of explanation and examples (both general and specific)., this may include talking about the result or effect of something, or how a situation is made better or worse by something., let’s look at an example question:.

In some countries the average weight of people is increasing and their levels of health and fitness are decreasing. What do you think are the causes of these problems and what measures could be taken to solve them?  

For the first body paragraph you should discuss the causes.

Below is a breakdown of the main and supporting ideas for this paragraph:, main idea: one of the main causes of obesity is unhealthy diets, general example: processed food has become very common, explanation 1: high levels of sugar and salt, explanation 2: lots of marketing – especially aimed at children, result: kids have bad habits – continue when adults, specific examples: soft drinks e.g. coke, fast food e.g. burgers, pizza, how do i link my supporting ideas, one way to make your paragraph clearer is to your link ideas using vocabulary phrases, which help the reader follow your idea development., phrases include the following:.

The main causes of _______ is… This situation is made worse because… This results in… Good examples include… This has been confirmed by….

Good linking phrases are  like landmarks on a map when you’re finding your way around a new city.

They really help the reader to know exactly what kind of idea they are reading and where they are in your discussion., with practice they will help you to logically organise your supporting ideas into clear, cohesive body paragraphs., here is the sample paragraph with the ideas and linking phrases all together:.

One of the main causes of obesity and poor health is unhealthy diets. In many parts of the world, processed food, which contains high levels of sugar and salt is readily available. This situation is made worse because this food is supported by large advertising campaigns, which are increasingly aimed at children. This results in young people developing bad habits at an early age, which continue into adulthood. Good examples include soft drinks such as Coke, as well as fast food e.g. pizza and burgers. This has been confirmed by a recent study in the USA which showed that the majority of obese people had a poor diet containing high levels of junk food.  

Should I include fake evidence?

You can see from the above paragraph, that the final supporting idea includes scientific evidence., many ielts teachers suggest including this kind of supporting idea as it makes your argument really clear and strong., however, you should be careful not to be too specific as some examiners might mark you down if it’s really obvious that you’re just making it up., compare the following two examples:, general (good):.

This has been confirmed by a recent study in the USA which showed that the majority of obese people had a poor diet containing high levels of junk food .  

Too specific (bad!):

This has been confirmed by a recent study from the University of Michigan which showed that 87% of obese people ate junk food more than four times a week.  

Therefore keep your evidence as general as possible. Don’t include any data, just general conclusions.

The ielts examiner has to be able to accept that you are writing this from memory., if it’s too specific then the examiner will find it difficult to believe that you were able to remember all this data even though you didn’t know what the question would be., now it’s your turn put your answers in the comments., for the above question, plan a body paragraph focussing on the main of a lack of exercise due to people being too busy. think of examples and explanation., main idea: one of the main causes of obesity is a lack of exercise., supporting idea 1: people are too busy to exercise., supporting idea 2:, supporting idea 3:, supporting idea 4:, supporting idea 5:, now put it together in a paragraph and put it in the comments, recommended for you.

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Hi, I just find this article really helpful specially the part about fake evidence. Thanks a million

Thank you for the feedback and glad to help!

People’s weight is on the rise, while their overall health and fitness are experienced a steady decrease. A poor diet coupled with a lack of exercise can be considered as main roots of this disturbing issue. Fortunately, there are some strategies that can be implement to fight it back.

Firstly, people are gaining weight due to the consumption of bad and unhealthy foods. For example, a regular meal is quite often made up by trans fats, lots of starchy carbs such as white bread or pasta, and little or nothing of green leaves. All of these have nothing of nutritional benefits, just make the body gain extra pounds easily. A sedentary lifestyle is the second cause of this alarming reality. Many individuals work long hours during weekdays and even weekends and have no time to working out, or just simply prefer sit in front of a TV screen to relax in their free time. This inactive lifestyle, according to the latest report of World Health Organization (WHS), unfailing leads not only to an increase in weight but also to suffer different obesity-related diseases such as diabetes or cancer, to name a few.

Despite the above-mentioned, there are effective ways to tackle this problem. Governments and educational centers can join forces to run informative campaigns to educate citizens about the greatest benefits of eating a diet rich in veggies and fruits, and how by doing so they will see positive results in the bodies, meaning less pounds and more energy and health. Furthermore, new and well-equipped public sport facilities can be built in the communities, so that will be act like a magnet for many families, who will be attracted to working out rather that staying at home.

In conclusion, although there must be others reasons, eating unhealthy products and having an sedentary life definitely represents the major factors why population is getting bigger in size, impacting badly on their health. However, governments and educators can made a positive changes by implementing wise strategies to face this problematic.

Good effort!

Some corrections: People’s weight is on the rise, while their overall health and fitness are experienced to decrease steadily. A poor diet coupled with a lack of exercise can be considered as the main roots of this disturbing issue. Fortunately, there are some strategies that can be implemented to combat this.

Firstly, people are gaining weight due to the consumption of bad and unhealthy foods. For example, a regular meal is quite often made up by trans fats, lots of starchy carbs such as white bread or pasta, and little or nothing in terms of leafy greens. All of these have little nutritional benefit and just make the body gain extra pounds easily. A sedentary lifestyle is the second cause of this alarming reality. Many individuals work long hours during weekdays and even weekends and have no time to working out, or just simply prefer sit in front of a TV screen to relax in their free time. This inactive lifestyle, according to the latest report of World Health Organization (WHS), unfailing leads not only to an increase in weight but also to various obesity-related diseases such as diabetes or cancer, to name a few.

Despite the above-mentioned causes, there are effective ways to tackle this problem. Governments and educational centers can join forces to run informative campaigns to educate citizens about the greatest benefits of eating a diet rich in veggies and fruits, and how by doing so they will see positive results in the bodies, meaning less pounds and more energy and health. Furthermore, new and well-equipped public sport facilities can be built in the communities, so that will be act like a magnet for many families, who will be attracted to working out rather than staying at home. (This paragraph needs more development)

In conclusion, although there must be others reasons, eating unhealthy products and having an sedentary life definitely represents the major factors why the population is gaining weight which impacts badly on their overall health. However, governments and educators can make a positive changes by implementing wise strategies to face this problem.

Thank you so much. I thought I would be disappointed with myself after your feedback. Fortunately, I did not make a ton of mistakes, just a few (a face smiling). You are right, my third paragraph is weak and not convincing. I was beyond 300 words, so I just stopped there, no more ideas came to my mind. Can I interpret your “good” as acceptable 6.5? (a concerned face)

I think it can manage 6.5 with 7s for task achievement, coherence and 6s for vocabulary and grammar – but it is close!

One of the main causes of obesity is a lack of exercise. Nowadays people are too busy to exercise. The long work hours result in adopting sedentary lifestyle. Furthermore, scarcity of sport amenities with flexible hours and descendent fee deter people of having active life. According to recent study in the USA, majority of middle-class people afflicted by the huge costs of gyms. These all have lead human being to be more and more overweighted

One of the main causes of obesity is a lack of exercise. Nowadays people are too busy to exercise. The long work hours result in adopting sedentary lifestyle. Furthermore, scarcity of sport amenities with flexible hours and descendent fee deter people of having an active life. According to a recent study in the USA, the majority of middle-class people afflicted by the huge costs of gyms. These all have lead human being to be more and more overweight.

Well written! Some corrections:

One of the main causes of obesity is a lack of exercise. Nowadays people are too busy to exercise. Long work hours often result in adopting a sedentary lifestyle. Furthermore, scarcity of sport amenities with flexible hours and affordable fees deter people from having an active life. According to a recent study in the USA, the majority of middle-class are deterred by the huge costs of gyms. These all have lead human beings to be more and more overweight.

Keep your claims weak!

Thanks a ton you mean i need more supporing sentences?

No, I mean don’t make statemets like all people have adopted a sedentary lifestyle – better to keep it weak and say ‘many people’ or ‘some’

I saw the sample essay by Mai posted on this website on the same topic. Where one of your checkers has commented that “Be careful and not to repeat simple vocab (Foods)” and marked down in the lexical resources part. But there are very fewer alternatives to the word “food”. You have also repeated food many times.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dkzY20EnjvWLtM697A5rz-2QHMCmLGEV/view

What this person would have done differently to get a higher score in vocab too?

If you look closely at that essay you will see that there are a lot of ways to paraphrase food instead of saying it 3 times in a sentence. Such as watching what you eat, having a better diet, good nutrition, eating healthier, etc.

Is that clear?

One of the main causes of obesity is lack of exercise. People are living a sedentary lifestyle due to long working hours. In other words, physical activity has been overlooked because of the hectic work schedule. Moreover, individuals gets involved in a lot of sitting and ignores doing any sort of outdoor activity. As a result, many people consume more calories than they burn through exercise. For instance, a recent study in the USA indicates majority of the population avoids healthier activities such as gardening and walking which has a major impact on an individual.

Great work!

But please try to cut down on the linking words to start every sentence – try to limit yourself to 2 per paragraph maximum!

The main cause of obesity is sedentary lifestyle of people. These days people do less physical work. The emergence of video games has aggravate the situation as people find 3D video games a better way to spend their leisure time as compared to outdoor games. This result in overweight of people. This has been proved by a recent survey in the USA which showed that the majority of obese people used to do quite small amount of physical exercise.

That is very well-focused and supported – keep it up Harsh!

Thank you Dave!

You’re welcome!

The main cause of obesity is lack of exercise. In many parts of the world, people have sedentary lifestyles. This situation is further made worse by their working in front of computers for long hours. This results into weight gain and several health problems. Good example include avoidance of going to gym or using lifts instead of stairs and then spending the entire day in office with not major movements. This has been confirmed by a recent survey in New York that obese people had inactive lifestyle containing minimal physical work.

The sedentary lifestyle has become one of the causes of this alarming issue, related to that the rhythm of life nowadays goes too fast. This situation leads that some people are always on a busy condition with their nearly half-day work. Moreover, some are glued to their digital toys such as smart phone, personal computer, desktop, video games, etc. in order to get rid of stress. Therefore, they have sat or lain usually on their bed and seem not into in doing the workouts.

I’m a little unclear on your main idea – life is too fast? How does that relate to your support about using phones?

1- Having fast food more than usual 2- Having a fast-paced life 3- being tempted with Ads 4- Most of the time high-fat foods are delicious Are these acceptable?

Yes, those are all fine, Moon!

One of the main causes of obesity is a lack of exercise. Today’s life style has lead people to less exercise. All over the globe, the pace of living has become way faster than earlier. A decent life now is not restricted to what was in the past, and in order to cope with it one has to put further effort. For example, a recent study revealed that most people who suffer from obesity are those who are busier. Therefore, it’s quite clear that lack of exercise undoubtedly impacts the health of people.

Hoping someone will point out the mistakes, if any.

One of the major reasons for the increase in obesity is the lack of exercise. In recent times people tend to have a sedentary lifestyle, due to the exhausting working hours especially for office workers as they spend most of their time sitting at their desks. As a result, physical activity is overlooked because of the hectic work schedules, which affects their weights negatively. Another factor contributing to the rise in the number of overweight people is the excessive consumption of online media and games while sitting idly for hours. Children and young teenagers, for instance, avoid outdoor activities and spend a significant amount of time playing video games and watching movies, thus impacting their weight and physique.

Good start!

Keep providing that level of detail! Try to weaken your claims slightly with modal verbs, C.V.

Hi, Please check if you can. Thank you so much.

A key concern for many countries is its obese people. The sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy diet patterns are the chief issues associated with obesity. I will elaborate on the main reasons further and discuss the possible solutions for the issue. Primarily, obesity is caused by unhealthy eating habits. Today, everyone binges upon junk foods such as pizza and burger. As evident in a recent research, the junk food is loaded with high cholesterol, salt and sugar contents which leads to obesity in people. Furthermore, the empty calories present in processed foods fail to provide enough energy to the body. Probing further it was realized that the attractive marketing by companies lure everyone to buy these products. A sedentary lifestyle is another concern which obscures in maintaining health and fitness. Today, people are more involved in video games rather than exercising or playing some outdoor sport. Life has become extremely busy and stressful, nowadays, and people prefer to spend their leisure time relaxing in the vicinity of their homes with the technology. Kids also follow the footprints of their parents and remain engrossed in screens. Such a lifestyle badly impact people’s fitness levels and causes obesity. To overcome this issue, firstly, people need to develop healthy eating habits. By choosing nutritious foods, snacking on fruits or nuts will cut down the amount of fat content, provide enough nutrients, and maintain the energy levels of the body. Indulging in some sort of exercise will further solve the issue. People should opt for outdoor activities such as swimming, jogging or play any sport to keep their health up to the mark. Overall, the obese population is a major concern for many nations which can be resolved by opting good habits such as eating nutritious diets and following a fitness regime or participating in outdoor activities. 

Great effort, Sonia!

Be careful with your level of formality though – you have some nice academic phrases but some are just a bit off.

Keep practicing and be self-critical to make more progress – keep it up!

Dear Dave, Would you mind checking this paragarph out and enlighten me ?

One prime reason for deteriorating health and fitness of people is lack of physical exercise in everyday life. This is due to the lifestyle they are used to spares a little time available for engaging into workout or going to a fitness center. Particularly, the urban people are mostly engaged in desk jobs that involves sitting long hours with a minimum requirement of physical movement which leads to obesity. The situation is made worse because people are addicted to gadgets like smartphones that keeps on engaging them for rest of the time after work-hours. This result in further idle sitting with no physical activities, resulting is weight gain and other derived diseases.

Sure, Saha, it’s a good start but try to be a little more nuanced in your writing and account for different people.

Those facts aren’t true about everyone and you can show off your vocabulary and grammar by making more nuanced claims!

Keep working hard!

With the advancement in the field of technology, specifically in the areas of work and food industry, therefore resulted in the occurrence of more weight gain issues within our societies, due to reduction in the physical activity in the workplace and easy availability of processed food at our disposal. The main cause for prevalence of obesity is due to improper diet and lack of exercise, serious steps should be taken by the Government to tackle these issues. One of the main causes of obesity is due to lack of healthy diet in everyday life. Because, nowadays it cheaper to fill the appetite with fast food instead of healthy food, as it is easily available in huge quantities and can be procured without much efforts at cheaper price as compared to a healthy meal. The situation is even worse when the fast food companies market their products regressively in such a way it even influences the children to buy and eat at the risk of avoiding healthy meal and making it a habit for their lifetime. A very good example is of price of a McDonald’s burger comes way cheaper than that of an apple, and the burger is filling than apple. Another major cause is due to lack of physical activities such exercise, jogging, playing, etc in our daily lives. Due to improvement in technology has took the transformation of old machineries, which used hard labour had been turned into latest computer, which in turn require minimal physical movements in our daily lives. This has made the lives of people challenging to live in such situation. Government should intervene by taking some harsh steps to make the lives of their citizen more productive and healthier. They should closely monitor the fast food companies by setting standards to market the products in a healthy manner and avoid using unhealth preservatives, and urge the corporate to reduce the working hours of their employees and encourage them to do physical activities in their free time and making them available to fitness infrastructure in the organisation itself. The Government should create more plans to build fitness parks at every suitable area possible at a cheaper price or even free of cost. In conclusion, it is a serious concern that health of its citizens is deteriorating living in a lifestyle lack of proper diet and adequate exercise, and it could even get worse if necessary actions are not taken by the Government.

Sir, can you please give feedback and band based on my essay above thank you

Great work again, Francis!

Careful with putting too many subordinates in a sentence like you do in your first one – simplify and aim for more accurate grammar.

There are also some informal collocations like harsh steps – be a little more academic.

Keep up the hard work!

Hi Dave, t hanks for spending your priceless time to read my message!

I am struggle with reason(s), which then support my main idea

When making an outline, I usually encounter 2 situations:

• 1st: I find only ONE reason and I choose that only reason to be my main idea. Therefore, I have my main idea to write topic sentence but I do not have any reason to support it anymore.
• 2nd: I find THREE reasons. However, I hardly find a main idea for those reasons.

As a result, with former situation, I have topic sentence BUT NO REASON. Latter situation, I DONT HAVE TOPIC SENTENCE but I have my reasons.

Can you help me out? This problem is such an obstacle for my writing.

The main cause of fatness in people these days is due to lack of physical movement of body. One of the prominent reasons is people are fully consumed with work in their life. For instance , nowadays it is advised to work more than office hours or business hours to make more money. This results in deficiency of fitness among people and also severe health issues like cervical, migraine etc. Secondly, the young generation these days prefer to stay inside home and play video games. As a consequence, the physical utilization of body remains less . It is proved in recent survey which by taken by WHO that most of the people nowadays are in hustle of making money at the cost of being unhealthy and unfit.

Sir could you please check this and comment on this.

Sir could you please provide any comments on this.

Words like ‘fatness’ are too informal, Subham.

Good work developing your ideas but even better if you could focus on a single main idea – love the specificity at the end!

Sir could you please let me know in my paragraph have I included two main ideas? Could you please specifically point out. It would help me a lot .

One of the causes of obesity is lack of exercise.The reason is that people don’t usually have time because of their busy schedule,either they are in the office or at home watching movies.However,they view exercise as a form of punishment which can be stressful for them,this results to overweight especially among teenagers.For instance,majority of the population in the UK,especially the youngsters are most affected because they eat more of fatty foods and sugar which contains high calories without burning them off.these therefore leads to obesity and also their health will be affected too by having juvenile diabetes and heart disease

One of the most important cause of obesity is lack of regular exercises. Since the advent of technology, people have become busy spending many hours in front of screens, watching different types of movies and tv. Shows. Most of the young men are addicted to the video games that’s why they do not have time doing some exercises. In the past, the people’s lifestyle was dynamic, opposite to the recent static one which has made people always lazy as they use cars instead of walking.

Good work, Samar!

Careful with your plural and singular and some informal vocabulary.

People`s health has been effected by various factor in modern world. Many believes that increasing in weigh cause some dire ramification to vigor. In the current essay I aim to reveal the causes and introduce some solution for that.     Firstly, the variety of junk food consumption has been increased rapidly over the recent years, which is filled with fat, sugar, salt and other harmful ingredient. Hence, over-consumption of these unhealthy foods has been responsible for critical problems such as diet, cancer, and blood pressure. This situation has been getting worse because offspring who are used to consume junk foods several days in week will suffer from various, and sundry illness in their early ages, and even death in the long run. Secondly, most does not have enough activity in their day, therefore they end up being couch or mouse potatoes. As an result, if they continue this lifestyle for a long time they would end up like junk food consumers. In addition, WHO ( world health organization) contain that having daily activity is one the major health Maintenace, and at top of that, it bring resistance and immunity against disease.     Despite the above mentioned causes, there are effective ways to tackle this problem. Government and educational centers should join forces to run informative campaigns to educate citizen about merits occur in natural and more healthy foods. As an illustration, should they drink green tea 2 time per day, this would decline the amount of unnecessary fats. Another thing is that, establishing sports facilities and giving extra benefits, such as homemade food recipes and workout plans can attract people attention to having activities in their life. However, these mentioned solution does not mean we should deprives our self of fast foods, actually if use it in the appropriate limits it would not cause any harm.     All in all, body health is an essential part of our life and we should look after it with having workout or paying attention to our meals. Meanwhile, only time will tell us about how it would be treated over the coming years.  

Recent data from some nations of the world point out that more individuals are gaining weight while there is a steady decline in their health and wellbeing. This trend is attributed to an increase in consumption of unhealthy meals and a sedentary lifestyle. To reduce and possibly reverse this trend, engagement of a coach is advised.

An unhealthy diet is the leading cause of obesity around the world. Fast-food restaurants at almost every corner of the street with most food options high in sugar and salt contribute significantly to this menace. Also, on television and radio, more advertisements of sugary foods and pizzas targeted at young children are increasing. These kids pick up this habit and carry it over to adulthood, where they become more inactive, increasing the likelihood of weight gain.

The nature of work carried out nowadays is sedentary. Most activities are automated, and humans tend to be less active at work and usually binge to keep awake at work. The average office worker arrives at work by eight in the morning and leaves at five in the evening, sitting at one place for more than ninety-five percent of this time. He leaves the office, gets into his car, and may commute for another one hour. Of course, when he gets home, he is tired, eats, and goes to bed without partaking in any exercise.

It is advised that a professional health coach is engaged to help with the negative effect of our lifestyle choices. The coach’s responsibility will be to manage both the nutritional requirement and physical activities of the client and ensure a healthy and fit client. To achieve this, the health baseline will be established, the health target set, and the client committed and accountable to the coach to ensure the attainment of the set goals of reducing obesity is achieved.

In conclusion, weight gain will increase because of the kind of food we eat and the idle nature of our work if no deliberate action is taken. Hence, we must seek help by engaging a fitness expert and be committed to achieving better health if we must reverse these statistics going forward.

Really nice work, Ebi! It is a little long – try to just write 3 paragraphs.

There are also a lot of little mistakes with subordinate clauses, including conditionals…

Nice Ebi, but it is a little on the long side – try to write 4 paragraphs instead of 5.

Also avoid using ‘we’ – good hypothetical examples, though!

One of the main causes of obesity is a lack of exercise. This is due to the fact that people are too busy, and exercise is not a priority for them. In addition, the work-life balance of modern era is not well managed, causing many to spend more than on work being sedentary, which is a detrimental to their health. As a human being, it is a natural tendency to procrastinate when it comes to strenuous sports involving physical activities due to many distractions, such as social media and television, that could deter our motivation on improving our physique. 

Good Herwin!

Good if you can make those examples even more specific and detailed!

when I am writing just one main idea, my essay comes out really short. Can I write two main ideas to support my view with an explanation and example?

One of the crucial cause of obesity is not having enough exercise.This occurs mostly as a consequence of sedentary lifestyle as people prefer to sit indoors rather than going for a walk or playing in outdoors.Another major factor is that they are working hard in order to meet up the requirements of this competitive era. As a result, they might be unable to find time for themselves. In addition to it, they tend to go to gyms as compared to the parks; therefore, they do not find plenty of time to go for a workout. So, rather than doing something such as some simple physical exercise, they are doing nothing and it results in an increasing number of people becoming obese.

There is no doubt that one of the main reasons of obesity is lack of exercise. The significant cause of this is that nowadays, individuals are too busy to have free time for doing outdoor activities. This problem is deteriorated when technological advancements prevent people from being active, subsequently, more and more calories turn into fat in their bodies.

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