Understanding Supporting Details Flashcards
7 cards from real OSSLT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Understanding Supporting Details flashcards as text
A reader encounters a paragraph with four sentences. Three discuss the dangers of texting while driving; one discusses the history of the automobile. The sentence about automobile history is BEST described as:
Answer: An irrelevant detail that does not support the paragraph's focus.
A detail is only a supporting detail if it relates to and develops the paragraph's main idea; the automobile history sentence does not.
Which of the following correctly describes the relationship between a main idea and its supporting details?
Answer: The main idea is a broad claim, and supporting details provide specific evidence for it.
A main idea is the broad central point, while supporting details are the specific facts, examples, or reasons that back it up.
A graphic organizer shows a central oval labeled 'Benefits of Reading' with three surrounding ovals. What should the surrounding ovals contain?
Answer: Supporting details such as 'improves vocabulary,' 'reduces stress,' and 'builds empathy.'
In a web graphic organizer, the surrounding ovals should contain supporting details that develop or explain the central idea.
An OSSLT informational passage states that physical education (PE) improves student focus. Which example is a MINOR supporting detail rather than a MAJOR one?
Answer: One school reported that PE classes are held in the gymnasium.
The location of PE classes is a minor, incidental fact that does not meaningfully support the claim that PE improves focus.
Why do authors sometimes use numbered lists in non-fiction texts?
Answer: To organize multiple supporting details clearly so readers can identify each point.
Numbered lists help authors present multiple supporting details in a structured, readable format.
A passage about the importance of breakfast includes the detail: 'Students who eat breakfast are 20% more likely to achieve passing grades.' This detail supports which type of main idea?
Answer: Eating breakfast has a measurable positive effect on student academic performance.
The statistic about grades directly supports the idea that breakfast positively affects academic performance.
When a reader summarizes a paragraph, which elements should be LEFT OUT of the summary?
Answer: Minor supporting details, examples used only for illustration, and repeated information.
Summaries include main ideas and key supporting details, but omit minor details and illustrative examples that are not essential.