OSSLT - Ontario Secondary School Literacy Understanding Supporting Details Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In a passage about Canadian healthcare, which is a supporting detail rather than the main idea?
- Canada's universal healthcare provides coverage to all citizens and permanent residents.
- Emergency room wait times in Ontario averaged 4.2 hours in 2025. (Correct answer)
- Healthcare is important.
- Canadians value their medical system.
Correct answer: Emergency room wait times in Ontario averaged 4.2 hours in 2025.
The specific ER wait time statistic is a supporting detail.
Supporting details are specific pieces of evidence. The ER wait time statistic is specific and measurable.
Question 2: A paragraph argues physical education should be mandatory. Which supporting detail is most effective?
- Some students don't like gym.
- Physical education is one of many subjects.
- A 2024 Ontario Medical Association study found students with daily physical activity show 23% better concentration. (Correct answer)
- Exercise is good for you.
Correct answer: A 2024 Ontario Medical Association study found students with daily physical activity show 23% better concentration.
This provides specific, authoritative evidence that directly supports the argument.
Effective supporting details are specific, relevant, and from credible sources.
Question 3: Read: 'The Group of Seven transformed Canadian art. Their bold landscapes captured wilderness beauty. Tom Thomson painted iconic works like The Jack Pine.' What type of detail is the Thomson reference?
- A statistical detail
- A specific example that illustrates the broader point (Correct answer)
- A counterargument
- An unrelated fact
Correct answer: A specific example that illustrates the broader point
Tom Thomson and The Jack Pine serve as a specific example illustrating the broader point.
The reference is a specific example - a named artist and work - illustrating the claim about transforming Canadian art.
Question 4: Which sentence contains an expert opinion as a supporting detail?
- Many people enjoy visiting national parks.
- According to Dr. Sarah Chen, a marine biologist at Dalhousie University, Atlantic salmon has declined by 40% since 2010. (Correct answer)
- Fish are important to the ecosystem.
- The ocean is very large.
Correct answer: According to Dr. Sarah Chen, a marine biologist at Dalhousie University, Atlantic salmon has declined by 40% since 2010.
This cites a named expert with credentials and specific data.
Expert opinions include the expert's name, credentials, and specific claims.
Question 5: A paragraph about recycling includes: 'My favourite colour is blue.' How does this affect the paragraph?
- It strengthens it with personal detail
- It weakens it because it is irrelevant to the main idea (Correct answer)
- It serves as a topic sentence
- It provides a smooth transition
Correct answer: It weakens it because it is irrelevant to the main idea
The sentence has no connection to recycling, weakening the paragraph's focus.
Every sentence should support the main idea. An irrelevant sentence weakens coherence.
Question 6: In a persuasive text about reducing plastic waste: 'Every year, Canadians discard approximately 3 million tonnes of plastic waste, with only 9% recycled.' What makes this effective?
- It uses emotional language
- It provides specific, quantifiable data demonstrating the problem's scale (Correct answer)
- It tells the reader what to do
- It presents the opposing viewpoint
Correct answer: It provides specific, quantifiable data demonstrating the problem's scale
The specific numbers demonstrate the scale of the problem.
Quantifiable data makes abstract problems concrete and measurable.
OSSLT - Ontario Secondary School Literacy Understanding Supporting Details Questions and Answers 2
In a passage about Canadian healthcare, which is a supporting detail rather than the main idea?