Writing Skills

Supporting Your Ideas: Effective Techniques for Developing Supporting Details Part II

Incorporating 7 techniques
Incorporating these techniques into your writing can help you develop effective supporting details that reinforce your main ideas and engage your reader. However, it’s important to use these techniques appropriately and with purpose, to ensure that the supporting details add value and relevance to your writing. Overuse or misuse of these techniques can make the writing confusing or distracting to the reader.

Using statistics & quotations

When developing supporting details, it’s important to consider your audience and the purpose of your writing. For example, if you’re writing an argumentative essay, you might use statistics and quotations to support your claims and persuade the reader. If you’re writing a personal narrative, anecdotes and metaphors may be more effective in engaging the reader and conveying your experiences.

Example:

Topic: The benefits of exercise

Supporting details:

-According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), regular physical activity can help prevent chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
-The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise per week for optimal health.
-A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that exercise can help improve cognitive function and reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Using these supporting details, an argumentative essay on the benefits of exercise might look something like this:

Regular exercise has numerous benefits for our physical and mental health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, physical activity can help prevent chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise per week for optimal health. Additionally, research has shown that exercise can improve cognitive function and reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, it is important to make exercise a regular part of our lives in order to enjoy these benefits and improve our overall well-being.

Well-organised and coherent

It’s also important to ensure that your supporting details are well-organised and coherent. They should be directly related to your main idea and arranged in a logical sequence that builds a persuasive argument. To achieve this, it can be helpful to create an outline or a mind map of your ideas before you start writing, to ensure that your supporting details are well-structured and contribute to your overall argument.

Example:

Your main point (or thesis statement) might be: Regular exercise has numerous benefits for both physical and mental health.

To organize your supporting details, you could create an outline like this:

I. Introduction
A. Hook
B. Thesis statement

II. Physical benefits of exercise
A. Increased strength and endurance
B. Weight loss
C. Reduced risk of disease

III. Mental benefits of exercise
A. Improved mood and stress relief
B. Increased brain function and memory
C. Boosted self-esteem and confidence

IV. Conclusion
A. Restate thesis
B. Summarize main points
C. Call to action or closing statement

This outline helps to ensure that your supporting details are well-organized and coherent, making it easier for your readers to follow your ideas and understand your argument.

Quotations
It’s also crucial to ensure that your supporting details are credible and accurate. When using statistics or facts, make sure to cite your sources and ensure that they come from reputable and reliable sources. When using quotations, make sure to attribute them correctly and ensure that they support your argument.

Example:

Suppose you’re writing an essay arguing for the benefits of exercise. To support your argument, you might include a quotation from a study that shows the positive effects of exercise on mental health. The quotation might be something like:

“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan

In this example, the quotation is attributed correctly to the source (Michael Jordan), and it supports the argument that exercise has benefits beyond just physical health. By using a quotation from a reputable source, the argument is strengthened and made more persuasive.

Combined techniques
To further strengthen your supporting details, it’s important to use a variety of these techniques in combination. For example, you might use specific examples, statistics, and quotations to support your argument in an essay. Using a variety of techniques can make your writing more interesting and engaging to read.

Example:

Topic: The Benefits of Exercise

“Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.” – John F. Kennedy. Regular exercise can have a positive impact on both physical and mental health. According to a study by the National Institutes of Health, 80% of adults who engage in regular physical activity have a lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. In addition, exercise has been shown to release endorphins, which can improve mood and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. For example, a recent study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness found that participants who engaged in regular exercise reported lower levels of stress and greater feelings of well-being.

Quotation

The writer quotes from John F. Kenndy to support their argument. The quotation specifically cites the importance of doing exercises. This quotation strengthens the writer’s argument by providing an expert opinion and reinforcing the importance of exercise for mental health.

Specific examples

The writer uses a specific example from a study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, which found that participants who engaged in regular exercise reported lower levels of stress and greater feelings of well-being. This example provides concrete evidence to support the writer’s argument that exercise has mental health benefits.

Statistics

The writer cites a study by the National Institutes of Health which states that 80% of adults who engage in regular physical activity have a lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. This statistical data supports the writer’s argument that exercise has physical health benefits.

In this example, the writer uses a variety of supporting details including statistics from a reputable source, specific examples from a study, and a quotation from a famous person to support their argument that exercise has both physical and mental health benefits.

However, it’s important to use these techniques appropriately and with purpose. Overuse or misuse of these techniques can make your writing confusing or distracting to the reader. It’s important to ensure that your supporting details are relevant to your main idea and contribute to your overall argument.

In addition, your supporting details should be well-organized and coherent. They should be presented in a logical sequence that builds a persuasive argument. To achieve this, you can use transitions to connect your supporting details to your main idea and ensure a smooth flow of ideas.

When developing your supporting details, it’s also important to consider the context and purpose of your writing. For example, if you’re writing an academic essay, you may need to use more formal language and provide more detailed evidence to support your argument. If you’re writing a personal narrative, you may use more informal language and rely more on anecdotes and metaphors to convey your experiences.

In conclusion, developing effective supporting details is a crucial skill for any DSE student. By using the seven techniques discussed in this essay, including specific examples, anecdotes, statistics, quotations, facts and figures, analogies, and metaphors, you can develop supporting details that engage your reader and reinforce your main ideas. Remember to use these techniques appropriately and purposefully, and to ensure that your supporting details are well-organized, coherent, and credible. With practice and creativity, you can develop effective supporting details that strengthen your writing and help you achieve your academic goals.