College Composition / Unit 17 CMP 0415 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
Which Detail Best Supports
The idea
Choosing the detail that best supports a point means testing each option for relevance, strength and fit with the paragraph.
In practice
Test the options in order. First, state the paragraph's point precisely. Second, discard details that are about the topic but not about the point. Third, among the rest, prefer specific evidence, such as a number, a named source or a concrete case, over general statements. Fourth, prefer evidence the audience will trust. Fifth, check that the detail fits the paragraph's place in the argument: background belongs early, the strongest proof often last. For example, to support the point that a bike lane reduced injuries, a hospital's count of cycling injuries before and after beats a resident's remark that the street feels safer.
Where people slip
The vivid detail is not always the best one. A memorable anecdote may support a point less than a dull but direct statistic; choose by what the point needs, not by what is most striking.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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