Major and Minor Detail

Major details describe the topic. Minor details explain it.

Supporting Details
Supporting details explain, develop, support, and illustrate the main idea. A major detail directly explains, develops, illustrates, or supports the main idea. A minor detail explains, develops, illustrates, or supports a major detail.

Ask questions to find details.

Turn the main idea into a question by using: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
Why is the hair stylist asking about family?

Is the topic sentence 1st or 2nd?

Porpoises and dolphins are so similar in general appearance that many people mistake one for the other. However, they possess distinct differences. One difference is their shape. Porpoises are smaller and plumper than dolphins, which have long, streamlined bodies. In addition, the porpoise has a rounded head and a blunt snout in contrast to the dolphins beak-like nose. A second difference can be seen in their sizes. Porpoises rarely grow to be more than six feet in length or weigh more than 300 pounds. In contrast, dolphins can be four to twenty-six feet long and weigh from 70 to 1,500 pounds.

The first sentence is about similarities, but the paragraph is about differences!
Is the word however often a clue to the topic?

Porpoises and dolphins are so similar in general appearance that many people mistake one for the other. However, they possess distinct differences. One difference is their shape. Porpoises are smaller and plumper than dolphins, which have long, streamlined bodies. In addition, the porpoise has a rounded head and a blunt snout in contrast to the dolphins beak-like nose. A second difference can be seen in their sizes. Porpoises rarely grow to be more than six feet in length or weigh more than 300 pounds. In contrast, dolphins can be four to twenty-six feet long and weigh from 70 to 1,500 pounds.

Since the topic is about differences,

the major details must describe them.

Porpoises and dolphins are so similar in general appearance that many people mistake one for the other. However, they possess distinct differences. One difference is their shape. Porpoises are smaller and plumper than dolphins, which have long, streamlined bodies. In addition, the porpoise has a rounded head and a blunt snout in contrast to the dolphins beak-like nose. A second difference can be seen in their sizes. Porpoises rarely grow to be more than six feet in length or weigh more than 300 pounds. In contrast, dolphins can be four to twenty-six feet long and weigh from 70 to 1,500 pounds.

Then minor detail must explain differences.

Porpoises and dolphins are so similar in general appearance that many people mistake one for the other. However, they possess
distinct differences. One difference is their shape. Porpoises are smaller and

plumper than dolphins, which have long, streamlined bodies. In addition, the porpoise has a rounded head and a blunt snout in contrast to the dolphins beak-like nose. A
second difference can be seen in their sizes.

Porpoises rarely grow to be more than six feet in length or weigh more than 300 pounds. In contrast, dolphins can be four to twentysix feet long and weigh from 70 to 1,500 pounds.

What is the topic sentence?

1What causes reading disabilities, or dyslexia? 2Studies have been conducted for generations in an attempt to find answers to this difficult question. 3Rather than a single answer, however, several factors have emerged which seem to contribute to the disability. 4One factor points to a genetic link from one generation to the next. 5In particular, males are more likely to be affected if a father, grandfather, or uncle had dyslexia. 6Early difficulty in discriminating sounds appears to be another factor. 7Children who cannot hear the subtle differences within and among words will also have difficulty in reading those sounds. 8Finally, visual-perceptual problems, a difficulty in clearly seeing the written words, also contribute to dyslexia. 9If the words do not appear clearly, seem to move, or create distortions, the reader will not be able to read fluidly and comprehension will suffer.

Main idea is in the middle.

The 1st sentence as a question cant be the main idea. The 2nd sentence only says that there are studies on the topic.

1What causes reading disabilities, or dyslexia? 2Studies have been conducted for generations in an attempt to find answers to this difficult question. 3Rather than a single answer, however, several factors have emerged which seem to contribute to the disability. 4One factor points to a genetic link from one generation to the next. 5In particular, males are more likely to be affected if a father, grandfather, or uncle had dyslexia. 6Early difficulty in discriminating sounds appears to be another factor. 7Children who cannot hear the subtle differences within and among words will also have difficulty in reading those sounds. 8Finally, visual-perceptual problems, a difficulty in clearly seeing the written words, also contribute to dyslexia. 9If the words do not appear clearly, seem to move, or create distortions, the reader will not be able to read fluidly and comprehension will suffer. rd
The 3 sentence uses the key phrase several factors to explain the topic.

What are the major details?

1What causes reading disabilities, or dyslexia? 2Studies have been conducted for generations in an attempt to find answers to this difficult question. 3Rather than a single answer, however, several factors have emerged which seem to contribute to the disability. 4 One factor points to a genetic link from one generation to the next. 5In particular, males are more likely to be affected if a father, grandfather, or uncle had dyslexia. 6Early difficulty in discriminating sounds appears to be another factor. 7Children who cannot hear the subtle differences within and among words will also have difficulty in reading those sounds. 8 Finally, visual-perceptual problems, a difficulty in clearly seeing the written words, also contribute to dyslexia. 9If the words do not appear clearly, seem to move, or create distortions, the reader will not be able to read fluidly and comprehension will suffer.
Since the topic sentence asserts that there are several factors, the major details must describe the factors.

Where are the minor details?

1 What causes reading disabilities, or dyslexia? 2 Studies have been conducted for generations in an attempt to find answers to this difficult question. 3 Rather than a single answer, however, several factors have emerged which seem to contribute to the disability. 4 One factor points to a genetic link from one generation to the next. 5 In particular, males are more likely to be affected if a father, grandfather, or uncle had dyslexia. 6 Early difficulty in discriminating sounds appears to be another factor. 7 Children who cannot hear the subtle differences within and among words will also have difficulty in reading those sounds. 8 Finally, visual-perceptual problems, a difficulty in clearly seeing the written words, also contribute to dyslexia. 9 If the words do not appear clearly, seem to move, or create distortions, the reader will not be able to read fluidly and comprehension will suffer. Since the major details describe the factors, the minor details must explain the factors.

The Paragraph Outlined

TS: Rather than a single answer, however, several factors have emerged which seem to contribute to the disability. BD1: One factor points to a genetic link from one generation to the next. SD1: In particular, males are more likely to be affected if a father, grandfather, or uncle had dyslexia. MD2: Early difficulty in discriminating sounds appears to be another factor. SD2: Children who cannot hear the subtle differences within and among words will also have difficulty in reading those sounds. MD3: Finally, visual-perceptual problems, a difficulty in clearly seeing the written words, also contribute to dyslexia. SD3: If the words do not appear clearly, seem to move, or create distortions, the reader will not be able to read fluidly and comprehension will suffer.

What is the topic sentence?

Making instinctive decisions can be better than thinking through options, according to psychologist Li Zhao-ping. Study participants were shown a computer screen with more than 650 identical symbols and asked to identify on which side of the screen an inverted symbol appeared. Li and colleagues found that when the participants were given a fraction of a second to look at the screen, they gave the correct answer 95 percent of the time. However, when given longer, they were only 70 percent accurate. The conscious brain blocks our initial subconscious decision even when it is correct, leaving us unaware or distrustful of our instincts and disadvantaged. The subconscious is more useful when you don't have time and need to react quickly. Your body is designed to do some things very quickly, so using instincts is better there.

What are the major details?

The key findings describe results of the choices we make when we have time and when we dont: the key results are the major details

Making instinctive decisions can be better than thinking through options, according to psychologist Li Zhao-ping. Study participants were shown a computer screen with more than 650 identical symbols and asked to identify on which side of the screen an inverted symbol appeared. Li and colleagues found that when the participants were given a fraction of a second to look at the screen, they gave the correct answer 95 percent of the time. However, given longer they were only 70 percent right. The conscious brain blocks our initial subconscious decision even when it is correct, leaving us unaware or distrustful of our instincts and disadvantaged. The subconscious is more useful when you don't have time and need to react quickly. Your body is designed to do some things very quickly, so using instincts is better there.

What are the minor details?

The minor details Explain how the major details function; in this case how our fast choices can be better.

Making instinctive decisions can be better than thinking through options, according to psychologist Li Zhao-ping. Study participants were shown a computer screen with more than 650 identical symbols and asked to identify on which side of the screen an inverted symbol appeared. Li and colleagues found that when the participants were given a fraction of a second to look at the screen, they gave the correct answer 95 percent of the time. However, given longer they were only 70 percent right. The conscious brain blocks our initial subconscious decision even when it is correct, leaving us unaware or distrustful of our instincts and disadvantaged. The subconscious is more useful when you don't have time and need to react quickly. Your body is designed to do some things very quickly, so using instincts is better there.

Review of Details
Supporting details explain, develop, and support a main idea. To locate supporting details, a master reader turns the main idea into a question. A major detail directly describe the main idea. A minor detail explains the major detail. In a passage, ideas usually flow from general to specific ideas.