Reading: Comprehension Strategies and Evidence
What the task asks for
Reading tests present a range of texts, from short literary extracts to informative and persuasive pieces. Questions ask you to locate information, infer meaning, interpret vocabulary in context and identify the writer's purpose or viewpoint.
Concepts to master
Distinguish literal questions, whose answers sit on the page, from inferential questions, which require combining clues. Track pronoun reference so you know what it, they or this points to. Understand text structure: headings, captions, diagrams, and the difference between a fact and an opinion. Learn to identify tone from word choice, and to spot persuasive devices such as emotive language, rhetorical questions and appeals to authority.
Traps
- Choosing an answer that is true in general but not supported by the text.
- Confusing what a character says with what the writer believes.
- Ignoring the exact wording of a question, such as mainly or the main reason.
- Missing negative questions: Which is NOT stated?
- Answering from background knowledge rather than evidence.
Worked example
A text says: The council claims the new bike lane will reduce traffic, yet the figures it cites cover only one street. A question asks for the writer's attitude. The word claims and the contrast with yet signal scepticism, so the answer is that the writer doubts the council's evidence, not that the writer opposes bike lanes in general.
Rule of thumb
For every answer, find the sentence that supports it and check that the sentence actually says what the option claims. If you cannot point to evidence, the option is likely a distractor.