TACHS: Supporting details: pick the fact that proves the point
Choose an added sentence that gives real support for a paragraph's main point, not just more information on the same topic.
When several added details are on topic, how do I pick the one that best supports the paragraph?
Short answer
State the main point, including the result it claims. Then pick the detail that would convince a doubtful reader of that exact point, usually a result observed after the change with nothing else changed.
Know first: Finding the main idea of a paragraph
Step 1 of 5
Support shows the claim is true
A supporting detail is a fact, example or result that backs up the main point. Strong support shows the claim in action. Weak support stays on the same subject but proves nothing.
In these questions, all four choices usually mention the same people and objects. The difference is whether a choice shows the claimed result or only adds background.
| Kind of detail | Supports? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A result measured after the change | Yes | It shows the change working. |
| A count or fact from before the change | No | It describes the setup, not the effect. |
| A test where two things changed at once | No | You cannot tell which change mattered. |
| An opinion on a side issue | No | It is on topic but does not test the claim. |
Step 2 of 5
Ask what would convince a doubter
Worked example: A second fountain
Which detail best supports the paragraph's main point?
(1) After gym class, students used to wait in one long line at a single water fountain.
(2) The school installed a second fountain at the other end of the gym.
(3) Students now split between the two fountains.
(4) The wait after gym class became much shorter.
- AA gym teacher timed the line and found the average wait dropped from six minutes to two.
- BThe new fountain was painted the same blue as the gym doors.
- CBefore the change, the school counted how many students took gym each period.
- DSome students said they prefer cold water to room-temperature water.
- 1
State the main point
Adding a second fountain shortened the wait.
- 2
Apply the doubter test
A measured drop in the wait after the change is exactly what a doubter would need. That is A.
- 3
See why the other choices are there
B describes the fountain's color. C is a count from before the change and says nothing about the wait. D is an opinion about water, not about time in line.
Answer
A. A gym teacher timed the line and found the average wait dropped from six minutes to two.
Find the wrong step
A paragraph claims that covering the family's rain barrel kept leaves out of the water. A student judges this added detail: The next month, the family covered the barrel and moved it away from the oak tree, and the water stayed clean.
- 1
States the claim: the cover kept leaves out.
- 2
Notes that the detail shows clean water after the cover went on.
- 3
Decides the detail is strong support because the result matches the claim.
What went wrong
Two things changed at once. Moving the barrel away from the tree could explain the clean water just as well.
- 4
Chooses this detail.
The fix
Pick a detail where only the cover changed, such as clean water in the covered barrel while it stayed in the same spot.
Step 3 of 5
Find the detail that proves the result
Check yourself · Question 1
Which detail best supports the paragraph's main point?
(1) At the end of art class, students often spent ten minutes putting supplies away.
(2) Nobody was sure which shelf held the paint, the brushes or the clay tools.
(3) The teacher added picture labels to every shelf.
(4) Cleanup became quicker and calmer.
Answer: B
The main point is that labels made cleanup faster. A measured cleanup time after the change shows it.
Check yourself · Question 2
Which detail best supports the paragraph's main point?
(1) Many sixth graders at our school missed homework assignments in the fall.
(2) In January, the school opened a study hall from 3:00 to 4:00 in the library.
(3) Students could work on assignments and ask a teacher for help.
(4) By March, teachers reported fewer missing assignments.
Answer: A
A compares students who used the study hall with students who did not, while keeping the teachers the same. That points to the study hall itself.
Trap answer: In January, the school also made homework assignments shorter.
Two changes at once
- Why it looks right
- It is about homework and January, so it sounds closely tied to the paragraph.
- Why it's wrong
- It adds a second change that could explain the result by itself, so it makes the study hall look less important.
- The right answer
- The detail comparing study hall students with students who did not attend.
Common mistake
Choosing a detail because it uses the paragraph's own words.
- Why it's tempting
- Matching nouns, like shelf or library, make a detail look connected.
- Do this instead
- Sharing a topic is not support. Ask whether the detail shows the claimed result.
Step 4 of 5
What to remember
Remember
- State the main point, including the result it claims.
- The best support shows that result after the change, with nothing else changing.
- Cross out background facts, before-the-change counts and side opinions.
Step 5 of 5
Practice on a real question
Use what you just learned on this question, then check the explanation.
Try another one
In your own words
In the practice question, what result did the paragraph claim, and which detail would most convince a doubtful reader of it?