Supporting Details

What are Supporting Details?

Supporting details are facts, examples, or reasons that back up the main idea. They answer questions like Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?

Finding Details in the Passage

• Detail questions often start with: "According to the passage…", "The author states that…", "Based on the passage, what…"
• The answer is directly stated in the text — you do not need to guess.
• Go back to the passage to find the answer; do not rely on memory.

Strategy: Read the question, then scan the passage for the key word(s) from the question. Re-read that sentence and the ones around it.

Tips

• The answer must be supported by the text, not just something that sounds right.
• Watch out for answers that are almost correct but change a key detail (e.g., number, name, or time).
• If two choices seem correct, re-read the passage — one will be better supported.