California Educator Credentialing Examinations (CBEST) English 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

Supporting details in a text serve to enhance, clarify, or substantiate the main idea or central claim being presented. They are typically specific examples, statistics, anecdotes, or pieces of evidence that provide depth and context to the main point, making the argument more persuasive and relatable to the reader.

When discussing supporting details, it's important to recognize that they should be closely tied to the main idea. By offering concrete information rather than broad statements or generalizations, supporting details help to illustrate the point being made, thereby facilitating better understanding and retention for the reader.

Other options like broad statements offer a vague overview without the necessary specifics, narrative summaries provide a recounting of events rather than evidence to support a claim, and counterarguments introduce opposing viewpoints rather than reinforcing the main idea. Each of these lacks the direct relevance and specificity that supporting details provide.