How many supporting details should you have in an academic essay?

Every main idea should be supported by at least 2 supporting details.

Explanation:

Supporting details include any of the following:

1. COMPARISONS in which one thing is shown to be like another.

EXAMPLE: Skilled college students are like the unskilled students in their desire

for a diploma.

2. CONTRASTS in which one things is shown to differ from another.

EXAMPLE: Skilled students are different from unskilled students in that they use a method to read a textbook.

3. STATISTICS

EXAMPLE: 75 percent of the students who do not attend class regularly receive grades of C or worse.

4. GRAPHS

5. QUOTATIONS from authorities

EXAMPLE: Professor Smity admits, “I tell students they don’t need to attend

my class if they don’t want to. I know, however, that if they don’t

come, they won’t pass.”