Identify which statement is directly supported by a specific sentence/detail.
Core Idea
Determine which claim a specific sentence or detail in the passage directly backs up.
Understanding
These questions give you a detail and ask what conclusion it supports. The key word is directly. The passage has to say it or clearly state the connection — you shouldn't need a chain of assumptions to get there.
Students often go wrong by building logical bridges the text never builds. If a passage says "Sales of electric cars doubled in 2023," that directly supports the statement "Electric car sales grew rapidly." But it does not directly support "Electric cars are now more popular than gas cars" — that's an inference the text hasn't made.
Stick to what the sentence actually proves, not what it might suggest.
Step by Step
- Identify the specific sentence or detail the question points to.
- Ask: "What does this sentence prove, on its own, without adding outside logic?"
- Evaluate each answer choice by testing the link: Can I draw a straight line from the detail to this claim without any extra assumptions?
- Eliminate choices that require inference, outside knowledge, or information from a different part of the passage.
- Choose the answer with the most direct, assumption-free connection to the given detail.
Misconceptions
- Confusing reasonable inference with direct support — if you need to add a step of reasoning, the detail doesn't directly support the claim.
- Picking an answer that's true based on the whole passage but isn't supported by the specific detail in question.
- Choosing a statement that the detail is related to thematically but doesn't actually prove.
Worked Example
Historian Lydia Chen argues that the Silk Road's greatest legacy was not the trade in luxury goods like silk and spices, but the exchange of agricultural knowledge. Crops such as rice, cotton, and citrus fruits spread westward along trade routes, while techniques for irrigation and crop rotation traveled eastward. Chen points out that these agricultural transfers reshaped diets and farming practices across three continents over several centuries.
According to the text, which choice best describes Chen's view of the Silk Road?
Select an answer to see the explanation