TEN STEPS TO
ADVANCED READING
John Langan
© 2009 Townsend Press
Chapter Two:
Supporting Details
In the cartoon, the man who
is being evaluated at heaven’s
gate admits that “I never
prayed a day in my life.”
This is strong support for the
main idea—”It was not going
well.”
WHAT ARE SUPPORTING DETAILS?
Supporting details are reasons, examples,
facts, steps, or other kinds of evidence that
explain a main idea.
WHAT ARE SUPPORTING DETAILS?
Eight million more women than men are of voting age, and more women
than men vote in U.S. national elections. However, men greatly outnumber
women in political office. Since 1789, over 1,800 men have served in the U.S.
Senate, but only 13 women have served. Women are underrepresented in U.S.
politics for a number of reasons. First, women are still underrepresented in law
and business, the careers from which most politicians emerge. In addition, most
women find that the irregular hours kept by those who run for office are
incompatible with their role as mother. Fathers, in contrast, whose ordinary roles
are more likely to take them away from home, are less likely to feel this conflict.
Last, preferring to hold on to their positions of power, men have been reluctant to
incorporate women into centers of decision-making or to present them as viable
candidates.
What are the three major details that should be added to complete
the basic outline of the paragraph?
Main idea: Women are underrepresented in U.S. politics.
Supporting detail: 1.
Supporting detail: 2.
Supporting detail: 3.
WHAT ARE SUPPORTING DETAILS?
Eight million more women than men are of voting age, and more women
than men vote in U.S. national elections. However, men greatly outnumber
women in political office. Since 1789, over 1,800 men have served in the U.S.
Senate, but only 13 women have served. Women are underrepresented in U.S.
politics for a number of reasons. [main idea] First, women are still
underrepresented in law and business, the careers from which most politicians
emerge. [supporting detail] In addition, most women find that the irregular
hours kept by those who run for office are incompatible with their role as mother.
[supporting detail] Fathers, in contrast, whose ordinary roles are more likely
to take them away from home, are less likely to feel this conflict. Last, preferring
to hold on to their positions of power, men have been reluctant to incorporate
women into centers of decision-making or to present them as viable candidates.
[supporting detail]
The three reasons given help you fully understand the main idea.
Main idea: Women are underrepresented in U.S. politics.
Supporting detail: 1. Women are still underrepresented in law and business,
the usual starting places for politicians.
Supporting detail: 2. A politician’s hours are incompatible with a mother’s role.
Supporting detail: 3. Men have been reluctant to give women power.
WHAT ARE SUPPORTING DETAILS?
In the paragraph about women being
underrepresented in U.S. politics, the supporting
details are reasons.
• Page 65 in the textbook shows you a paragraph
in which the supporting details are facts.
• Pages 65 and 66 show you a paragraph in which
the supporting details are in the form of an
extended example.
OUTLINING
Outlines start with the main idea, followed by
supporting details.
• Major details explain and develop the main
idea.
• Minor details help fill out the major details and
make them clear.
Outlining is a useful note-taking strategy.
OUTLINING
Social psychologists have found that almost everyone gossips. Male or female, young
or old, blue-collar or professional, humans love to talk about one another. All too often, such
gossip is viewed as a frivolous waste of time. However, it actually serves several important
functions in the human community. For one thing, gossip is a form of networking. Talking
with our friends and coworkers about each other is our most effective means of keeping
track of the ever-changing social dynamic. It tells us who is in, who is out, and who can help
us climb the social or professional ladder. A second function of gossip is the building of
influence. When we engage in gossip, we are able to shape people’s opinions of ourselves.
We tell stories that show ourselves in a good light—wise, compassionate, insightful, clever.
Above is part of the paragraph from Chapter 1 on gossip.
Reread it and pick out the two major supporting details.
OUTLINING
What information is needed to complete the outline of this passage?
Social psychologists have found that almost everyone gossips. Male or female, young
or old, blue-collar or professional, humans love to talk about one another. All too often, such
gossip is viewed as a frivolous waste of time. However, it actually serves several important
functions in the human community. [main idea] For one thing, gossip is a form of
networking. [major supporting detail] Talking with our friends and coworkers about
each other is our most effective means of keeping track of the ever-changing social dynamic.
It tells us who is in, who is out, and who can help us climb the social or professional ladder.
A second function of gossip is the building of influence. [major supporting detail]
When we engage in gossip, we are able to shape people’s opinions of ourselves. We tell
stories that show ourselves in a good light—wise, compassionate, insightful, clever.
Main idea: Gossip serves several important functions in the human community.
Major detail: 1.
Minor details: Gossiping is the best way to know who’s out, who’s in, and who
can help us socially or professionally.
Major detail: 2.
Minor details:
OUTLINING
Social psychologists have found that almost everyone gossips. Male or female, young
or old, blue-collar or professional, humans love to talk about one another. All too often, such
gossip is viewed as a frivolous waste of time. However, it actually serves several important
functions in the human community. [main idea] For one thing, gossip is a form of
networking. [major supporting detail] Talking with our friends and coworkers about
each other is our most effective means of keeping track of the ever-changing social dynamic.
It tells us who is in, who is out, and who can help us climb the social or professional ladder.
A second function of gossip is the building of influence. [major supporting detail]
When we engage in gossip, we are able to shape people’s opinions of ourselves. We tell
stories that show ourselves in a good light—wise, compassionate, insightful, clever.
Main idea: Gossip serves several important functions in the human community.
Major detail: 1. Form of networking
Minor details: Gossiping is the best way to know who’s out, who’s in, and who
can help us socially or professionally.
Major detail: 2. Building of influence
Minor details: By gossiping we can impress others as clever and
compassionate.
OUTLINING
Outlining Tips
Tip 1 Look for words that tell you a list of details is
coming.
List Words
several kinds of
a number of
four steps
various causes
a series of
among the results
a few reasons
three factors
several advantages
Examples
• However, it [gossip] actually serves several important
functions in the human community.
• Women are underrepresented in U.S. politics for a number of
reasons.
OUTLINING
Outlining Tips
Tip 2 Look for words that signal major details.
Such words are called addition words.
Addition Words
one
first (of all)
second(ly)
third(ly)
to begin with
for one thing
other
another
also
in addition
next
moreover
further
furthermore
last (of all)
final(ly)
Examples
Social psychologists have found that almost everyone gossips. Male or female, young
or old, blue-collar or professional, humans love to talk about one another. All too often, such
gossip is viewed as a frivolous waste of time. However, it actually serves several important
functions [list words] in the human community. [addition words] For one thing,
gossip is a form of networking. Talking with our friends and coworkers about each other is
our most effective means of keeping track of the ever-changing social dynamic. It tells us
who is in, who is out, and who can help us climb the social or professional ladder. A
[addition word] second function of gossip is the building of influence.
OUTLINING
Outlining Tips
Tip 3 In your outline, put all supporting details of equal
importance at the same distance from the margin.
Example
Main idea
1. Major detail
a. Minor detail
b. Minor detail
2. Major detail
a. Minor detail
b. Minor detail
c. Minor detail
3. Major detail
a. Minor detail
b. Minor detail
MAPPING
Maps, or diagrams, are visual outlines in which
circles, boxes, or other shapes show the
relationship between main ideas and
supporting details.
Mapping, like outlining, is a useful note-taking
strategy.
MAPPING
Below is a map of part of the paragraph on gossip.
Social psychologists have found that almost everyone gossips. Male or female, young
or old, blue-collar or professional, humans love to talk about one another. All too often, such
gossip is viewed as a frivolous waste of time. However, it actually serves several important
functions in the human community. [main idea] For one thing, gossip is a form of
networking. [major supporting detail] Talking with our friends and coworkers about
each other is our most effective means of keeping track of the ever-changing social dynamic.
It tells us who is in, who is out, and who can help us climb the social or professional ladder.
A second function of gossip is the building of influence. [major supporting detail]
When we engage in gossip, we are able to shape people’s opinions of ourselves. We tell
stories that show ourselves in a good light—wise, compassionate, insightful, clever.
Gossip
serves
in
Certain
basic several
fears areimportant
part of ourfunctions
lives.
the human community
Form of networking
Building of influence
Gossiping is the best way to know who’s out, who’s
in, and who can help us socially or professionally.
By gossiping we can impress others as clever and
compassionate.
MAPPING
Read the following paragraph. Notice the list words and the addition words that
signal the four major details.
With the possible exception of very small, isolated, primitive groups, every
human society has had some sort of class system. In ancient Rome, there were
four major social classes. To begin with, at the top of the heap were the aristocrats,
called “patricians.” This term derived from the word for father—pater—and is
still sometimes used today; it also survives in the name Patricia. Second, as a
practical matter if not in principle, were the soldiers, an enormously powerful
group. One Roman emperor, on his deathbed, advised his son: “Enrich the
soldiers; nothing else matters.” Next came the common people, called the
plebeians. (This term too survives today: a freshman at a military academy is
called a plebe.) The plebeians were artisans, shopkeepers, and laborers. Fourth, at
the bottom, were slaves. They could work as domestic servants, manual laborers,
and so on; but some slaves were educated and served as teachers.
1. What words signals the first major detail?
2. What word signals the second major detail?
3. What word signals the third major detail?
4. What word signals the last major detail?
MAPPING
Read the following paragraph. Notice the list words and the addition words that
signal the four major details.
With the possible exception of very small, isolated, primitive groups, every
human society has had some sort of class system. In ancient Rome, there were
four major social classes. To begin with, at the top of the heap were the
aristocrats, called “patricians.” This term derived from the word for father—
pater—and is still sometimes used today; it also survives in the name Patricia.
Second, as a practical matter if not in principle, were the soldiers, an enormously
powerful group. One Roman emperor, on his deathbed, advised his son: “Enrich
the soldiers; nothing else matters.” Next came the common people, called the
plebeians. (This term too survives today: a freshman at a military academy is
called a plebe.) The plebeians were artisans, shopkeepers, and laborers. Fourth, at
the bottom, were slaves. They could work as domestic servants, manual laborers,
and so on; but some slaves were educated and served as teachers.
To begin with
2. What word signals the second major detail? Second
Next
3. What word signals the third major detail?
Fourth
4. What word signals the last major detail?
1. What words signals the first major detail?
MAPPING
What major details should be added to the map below?
With the possible exception of very small, isolated, primitive groups, every
human society has had some sort of class system. In ancient Rome, there were
four major social classes. To begin with, at the top of the heap were the
aristocrats, called “patricians.” This term derived from the word for father—
pater—and is still sometimes used today; it also survives in the name Patricia.
Second, as a practical matter if not in principle, were the soldiers, an enormously
powerful group. One Roman emperor, on his deathbed, advised his son: “Enrich
the soldiers; nothing else matters.” Next came the common people, called the
plebeians. (This term too survives today: a freshman at a military academy is
called a plebe.) The plebeians were artisans, shopkeepers, and laborers. Fourth, at
the bottom, were slaves. They could work as domestic servants, manual laborers,
and so on; but some slaves were educated and served as teachers.
There were four major social classes
in Rome.
MAPPING
With the possible exception of very small, isolated, primitive groups, every
human society has had some sort of class system. In ancient Rome, there were
four major social classes. To begin with, at the top of the heap were the
aristocrats, called “patricians.” This term derived from the word for father—
pater—and is still sometimes used today; it also survives in the name Patricia.
Second, as a practical matter if not in principle, were the soldiers, an enormously
powerful group. One Roman emperor, on his deathbed, advised his son: “Enrich
the soldiers; nothing else matters.” Next came the common people, called the
plebeians. (This term too survives today: a freshman at a military academy is
called a plebe.) The plebeians were artisans, shopkeepers, and laborers. Fourth, at
the bottom, were slaves. They could work as domestic servants, manual laborers,
and so on; but some slaves were educated and served as teachers.
Patricians
Soldiers
There were four major social classes
in Rome.
Common people
(Plebeians)
Slaves
SUMMARIZING
A summary is the reduction of a large amount
of information to its most important points.
Like outlining and mapping, summarizing is a
useful note-taking strategy.
SUMMARIZING
Read the textbook passage below. Then read the summary that follows it.
Habituation is the tendency to ignore environmental factors that remain constant. The
brain seems “prewired” to pay more attention to changes in the environment than to stimuli
that remain constant. Have you ever gotten a new clock and thought it had a very loud tick,
but in a short time you realized you weren’t aware of its ticking at all? This happens because
you become habituated to the regularity of the sound. If the sound changed every few
minutes, you would notice every change because you would not have enough time to
become habituated each time. High-end car security systems take advantage of this. When
activated, the security system begins with a siren, which then changes to honking, then back
to a siren, and so forth, so that it is impossible to habituate to the noise and ignore the alarm.
These types of alarms are annoying, but effective.
Summary
Habituation—the tendency to ignore environmental factors that remain
constant. For example, you will lose awareness of the ticking of a new
clock.
• Notice that the definition is not summarized, but the supporting
information is summarized.
SUMMARIZING
Summarizing often involves two steps:
• Select one example from several that might
be given.
• Condense the example if it’s not already very
brief.
SUMMARIZING
Read this textbook passage. Then answer the question that follows it.
Soon after birth, some animals will follow and become attached to the first thing
they see or hear that happens to move, a behavior known as imprinting. Ordinarily, the
“thing” on which the animal imprints is its mother, but experience can dictate otherwise.
When animal behaviorist Konrad Lorenz hatched young geese in an incubator, they
imprinted on him, following him around and responding to his calls as if he were their
mother. In the laboratory, ducklings have imprinted on decoys, rubber balls, and wooden
blocks. Once imprinting has occurred, it is usually hard to reverse, even when the
“mother” is an inanimate object that can offer neither food nor affection. These facts
suggest that imprinting is a special type of perceptual learning that occurs because at a
particular stage in development, the animal’s nervous system is geared to respond to a
conspicuous moving object in a certain way.
Which example below best completes the study notes?
Imprinting—some animals soon after birth follow and become attached to the
first moving thing they see or hear.
Example—
A. Imprinting is hard to reverse even if the “mother” is an inanimate object.
B. An animal’s nervous system is geared to respond to a conspicuous moving
object in a certain way.
C. Young geese hatched in an incubator followed around and responded to
an
animal behaviorist as if he were their mother.
SUMMARIZING
Useful study notes should include a clear example of the
new term.
Answers A and B give additional details about imprinting.
Neither provides an example of the term.
Answer C summarizes a specific example that helps us
clearly understand the term.
Imprinting—some animals soon after birth follow and become attached to the
first moving thing they see or hear.
Example—
A. Imprinting is hard to reverse even if the “mother” is an inanimate object.
B. An animal’s nervous system is geared to respond to a conspicuous moving
object in a certain way.
C. Young geese hatched in an incubator followed around and responded to
an
animal behaviorist as if he were their mother.
CHAPTER REVIEW
In this chapter, you learned the following:
• Major and minor details provide the added information you need to make
sense of a main idea.
• List phrases and addition words can help you to find major and minor
supporting details.
• Outlining, mapping, and summarizing are useful note-taking strategies.
• Outlines show the relationship between the main idea, major details, and
minor details of a passage.
• Maps are very visual outlines.
• Writing a definition and summarizing an example is a good way to take
notes on a new term.
The next chapter—Chapter 3—will show you how to find implied main
ideas and central points.