In a paragraph about three reasons people plant trees, which detail best supports the main idea?

In a paragraph about three reasons people plant trees, which detail best supports the main idea?

• A. A sentence about animals that live in trees.
• B. A detail about trees reducing erosion or providing shade.
• C. A fact about the height of a single tree.
• D. A description of how to plant seeds underwater.

Answer: (B)

The main idea being tested is how a detail supports the overall purpose of a paragraph that explains three reasons people plant trees. The best detail is one that clearly ties to a benefit people cite for planting trees. A detail about trees reducing erosion or providing shade does exactly that: it shows a concrete benefit and explains why someone would choose to plant trees. It directly illustrates one of the reasons, making the main idea stronger and easier to understand. In contrast, a sentence about animals that live in trees is interesting but stays about wildlife, not the reasons people plant trees. A fact about the height of a single tree is a specific characteristic, not a reason. A description of how to plant seeds underwater is unrelated to common, real-world reasons people plant trees. So the chosen detail best supports the main idea because it presents a clear, relevant benefit that explains the writers’ purpose.

The main idea being tested is how a detail supports the overall purpose of a paragraph that explains three reasons people plant trees. The best detail is one that clearly ties to a benefit people cite for planting trees. A detail about trees reducing erosion or providing shade does exactly that: it shows a concrete benefit and explains why someone would choose to plant trees. It directly illustrates one of the reasons, making the main idea stronger and easier to understand.

In contrast, a sentence about animals that live in trees is interesting but stays about wildlife, not the reasons people plant trees. A fact about the height of a single tree is a specific characteristic, not a reason. A description of how to plant seeds underwater is unrelated to common, real-world reasons people plant trees. So the chosen detail best supports the main idea because it presents a clear, relevant benefit that explains the writers’ purpose.