Supporting ideas with evidence
Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which specific points
What a learner can do afterwards
- Match each of an author's main points with the evidence used to support it
- Evaluate whether the evidence provided adequately supports the author's argument
- Identify points in a text that lack sufficient evidence or reasoning
1 · Read
A point is an idea an author wants you to accept. A reason explains why; evidence supplies support through records, observations, examples or reports. Claims can concern facts or express judgements. Either kind can have support or lack it. Identify the point before choosing evidence. The practice passages in this topic are made-up examples, not reports of real studies.
A made-up report says: 'Our recycling program reduces landfill waste: it diverted 72 pounds of paper previously sent there. It lowers collection costs: our monthly bill fell by $90.' The diverted paper supports the waste point; the bill supports the cost point. Explain what each detail shows. The amount of paper thrown away before a program would not alone show a reduction.
Relevant evidence connects to the exact point. Comparing leaf shapes and recording results are science activities, so a report of pupils doing them supports a point about practising science. Described actions can also show pupils carrying out duties. A garden's gate colour would not show either skill or duty. Explain the connection; a nearby number or matching word is not enough.
Check how much of a claim the support reaches. 'Books help people learn' is a factual claim, but it does not show that every pupil needs more books. You would need information about those pupils' present needs. A general fact can be relevant yet insufficient. Missing support does not turn a factual claim into an opinion.
Match quantities carefully. More books borrowed does not mean more children borrowed or read them; the same children might borrow more. Compare prices for the same service over the same period. A result recorded after a change may support a point without proving the change caused it. Describe what was measured and what remains unknown.
Reports of feelings can be evidence. In a made-up survey, all 25 club members each choose one answer about a visit: enjoyed or did not enjoy. Seventeen choose enjoyed; eight choose did not enjoy. These answers support claims about those members' enjoyment, not everyone's. 'The best visit' alone gives a judgement without supporting detail. Separate claim type from support, and check whose experience a report describes.
Repeating a point in new words adds no new support. Look for an observation, record or example beyond the claim itself. To compare two arguments, ask which support addresses the claimed result more directly. A measured change in task time addresses speed more directly than calling the task pleasant. A study label alone does not establish relevance or quality.
To count support, list the points and connect relevant details to them. Count matches when asked for point-evidence pairs. Count distinct details when asked for pieces of evidence; a repeated claim adds none. To find unsupported points, identify those with no relevant support. If all other points have support, subtract their number from the total.
One detail can support several points if you can explain each connection. Evidence can also support a specific reason and contribute through it to an overall recommendation. A report of quicker journeys may directly support a time-saving reason for a new route. Through that reason, it can help support choosing the route. Its position in the paragraph does not decide what it supports.
Explain which points each detail supports, how it connects and whether it reaches the whole claim. Check reports rather than accepting numbers alone.
Lesson, practice questions and flashcards written for this dataset. Practice passages and their reported results are fictional.
Two readings adapted from Khan Academy's "Explaining a text's reasons and evidence | Guided practice" and "Choosing text evidence to support ideas | Guided practice". "What can one report support?" was written for this dataset using a fictional example.
More to read
Explaining a text's reasons and evidence | Guided practice
An author's point is an idea they want readers to accept. Reasons explain why they hold it. Evidence can include records, observations, research results and accounts of people's experiences.
Trace the argument by asking what the author wants you to believe, which reasons they give and what supports those reasons. Explain the connection between each detail and the point it supports.
Then judge the support. Is it relevant? Does it reach the whole claim? Could the report or source be checked? These questions help you understand and assess an argument, but they do not guarantee that you will spot every misleading claim.
Choosing text evidence to support ideas | Guided practice
When explaining an idea about a text, choose details that directly support that idea. Begin by stating exactly what you want to show. Then look for a passage that addresses it.
Use the author's exact words in quotation marks when quoting. Explain how those words support your interpretation. A detail can be interesting without being relevant to your point.
Check the limits too. A description of one person's experience may support an interpretation of that person's feelings without establishing how everyone feels. Choose evidence for its connection and scope, rather than its position or length.
What can one report support?
In a fictional club survey, members describe a museum visit. Some say they enjoyed handling replica tools. Others say they preferred looking at paintings. Their answers provide evidence about those members' experiences.
The same answer might support more than one point. A member who writes, 'I enjoyed making a print with my partner' reports enjoyment and also describes a shared activity. Each connection needs an explanation.
The survey does not establish that every future visitor will enjoy the museum. It also does not prove that the museum is the best in the country.
A claim can be factual or express a judgement. Either kind may be well supported or poorly supported. Judge what the evidence shows instead of treating every unsupported claim as an opinion.
2 · Watch
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Where it sits
Learn first
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Where this leads
23 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.