English Language Arts
Grade 8
15 min
Identify supporting details in informational texts
Identify supporting details in informational texts
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Analyze how hyphenated compound adjectives provide specific supporting details in informational texts.
Distinguish between general statements and precise, hyphen-enhanced supporting evidence.
Evaluate the clarity and specificity added by hyphenated terms to supporting details.
Correctly interpret the meaning of hyphenated words to accurately identify relevant supporting details.
Synthesize information from complex sentences containing hyphens to extract key supporting evidence.
Explain how correct hyphenation contributes to the overall understanding and identification of supporting details.
Identify instances where a hyphen's absence or presence significantly alters the meaning of a supporting detail.
Ever noticed those little dashes connecting wor...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Supporting DetailPieces of information, facts, examples, or explanations that elaborate on, prove, or clarify the main idea of a text.In a text about climate change, a supporting detail might be: 'The average global temperature has risen by 1.1 degrees Celsius since the late 19th century.'
Informational TextNon-fiction writing that aims to inform, explain, describe, or persuade the reader about a particular topic, often relying on facts, data, and evidence.A textbook chapter on the solar system, a newspaper article about a local election, or a biography of a historical figure.
Hyphenated Compound AdjectiveTwo or more words joined by a hyphen that function together as a single adjective to modify a noun, providing a more specific or nuanced description.The &...
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Key Rules & Conventions
Hyphenating Compound Adjectives Before Nouns
Use a hyphen to connect two or more words that function as a single adjective modifying a noun that immediately follows it.
This rule is crucial for identifying precise supporting details. The hyphen signals that the combined words act as one descriptive unit, providing a specific characteristic of the noun. Without the hyphen, the meaning can be ambiguous or incorrect, leading to misinterpretation of the detail. For example, 'a little-known fact' (a fact that is not widely known) versus 'a little known fact' (a small fact that is known).
Hyphenating Numbers and Fractions as Adjectives
Hyphenate compound numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine when written out, and hyphenate fractions when they function as adjecti...
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Challenging
An article argues that artificial intelligence is rapidly evolving. It states: 'The latest deep-learning algorithms can now generate human-like text with near-perfect grammar, a feat considered impossible just a few years ago.' Which statement best synthesizes how the hyphenated details support the main idea?
A.The text is human-like, which means it is emotional.
B.The hyphenated terms 'deep-learning' and 'human-like' specify the advanced nature of the technology and the quality of its output, providing strong evidence of rapid evolution.
C.The algorithms are learning deeply, and the grammar is almost perfect.
D.The article uses complex, hard-to-understand terms to seem more credible.
Challenging
A general statement reads: 'The city's infrastructure needs improvement.' Which of the following sentences provides the most effective supporting detail by using a hyphenated compound adjective for maximum precision?
A.The city must repair its seventy-year-old water mains to prevent future breaks.
B.The city has many old pipes that are in bad-condition.
C.The water-mains are very old and need to be fixed soon.
D.According to a recently-completed study, the infrastructure is failing.
Challenging
A student wrote: 'The team recovered the black box recorder from the wreckage.' An editor suggests changing it to: 'The team recovered the black-box recorder...' Why is the editor's suggestion critical for accurately identifying the supporting detail?
A.The editor is wrong; 'black box' is two separate words.
B.The hyphen makes the phrase more visually appealing in the text.
C.Without the hyphen, it could be misinterpreted as a recorder that is physically black in color, rather than the specific, crash-proof flight recorder known as a 'black-box'.
D.The hyphen indicates that 'black' and 'box' are of equal importance.
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