Distinguish main points from supporting details and examples.
Tell the difference between the author’s central point and the evidence used to support it.
核心知识
Support is not the same as the claim. Main points tell you what the author wants you to understand; supporting details show how the passage earns that point.
深入理解
Dates, anecdotes, experiments, and quotations usually serve a bigger claim. If you can say, "This is here to prove something else," you are probably looking at support, not the main point.
ACT distractors often win by sounding familiar. Use a quick support vs. claim check:
- Support: gives evidence, illustration, setup, or texture.
- Main point: states the conclusion those details are building toward.
A choice can quote the passage accurately and still be wrong if it stays at the evidence level.
常见误解
- Choosing the most specific statement because it feels concrete
- Assuming repeated research details are automatically the main point
- Confusing evidence with the conclusion that evidence supports
示例解析
A paragraph explains that a biologist studied urban wetlands in four cities, counted insect species, and compared water samples before concluding that even small restored wetlands can improve local biodiversity. Which choice states the paragraph's main point rather than a supporting detail?
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