NB ELPA Reading cheat sheet

The main idea is the single claim the whole passage supports; a topic is only what the passage is about, not what it says about it.

Test a candidate main idea by asking whether every paragraph supports it; if one paragraph is irrelevant to it, the candidate is too narrow or too broad.

Gist questions on short passages usually resolve to the opening sentence's claim, restated in the final sentence.

A correct main-idea choice covers the entire passage; a distractor that is true but covers only one paragraph is too narrow.

Too-broad distractors use words like always, all, every, or society in place of the passage's specific subject.

When paragraphs describe a problem and then a solution, the main idea is the solution, not the problem's details.

When a passage compares two things, the main idea states the relationship (which is better, or how they differ), not just that both exist.

If the first sentence is a hook or anecdote, the main idea usually appears at the end of the first paragraph or in the second.

Supporting details answer who, what, when, where, how much, or why; they never restate the main claim as the answer itself.

Detail questions are answered by locating a keyword in the passage and reading the sentence before and after it, since answers often span two sentences.

Numbers, dates, and proper names in a question are locator cues; scan for them rather than rereading from the start.

A detail choice that is plausible from general knowledge but absent from the passage is wrong even if factually true.

Order-of-events questions require mapping each step to a paragraph position; the passage's order, not logic, determines the answer.

Except and NOT questions are answered by finding the three details the passage does state and eliminating them.

Details that appear in a subordinate clause or example still count as stated; do not discount them for being brief.

When two answer choices both appear in the passage, the correct one matches the exact scope (same subject, same qualifier) of the question.

A valid inference follows necessarily from stated text plus common knowledge; it is not merely consistent with the passage.

Words like suggest, imply, and most likely signal that the answer will not be stated verbatim and must be derived.

Predict the answer before reading choices; then reject any choice that adds a cause, motive, or outcome the passage never supplies.

Extreme quantifiers (never, only, all, impossible) in an inference choice usually signal overreach unless the passage itself is absolute.

An implication about the author's attitude must be supported by word choice, not by the topic alone.

If a passage states a cause and an effect, an inference may reverse them only when the text explicitly supports the reversal; otherwise avoid it.

Inference about a hypothetical situation (what would happen if X) requires finding the passage's stated rule and applying it unchanged.

A choice that is a restatement of a stated detail is a detail answer, not an inference, and is wrong on inference questions.

Context meaning overrides dictionary meaning; the correct choice must fit the sentence's grammar and the surrounding logic.

Substitute each choice into the original sentence and reread the full sentence plus one neighbor; the fit must be seamless.

Connotation matters: a neutral word and a loaded word can share a dictionary sense but differ in tone.

Words with multiple senses (bear, capital, run, fine) are tested on the sense used in the passage, often signaled by a nearby noun.

Contrast signals (but, however, unlike, rather) indicate the word means the opposite of a nearby term.

Appositive definitions set off by commas, dashes, or parentheses supply the meaning directly.

A familiar word used unusually is usually the tested item; check whether the passage uses it literally or figuratively.

Reject choices that fit the topic but not the sentence's syntax, such as a noun where the passage needs a verb.

Pronoun reference is resolved by number and gender agreement plus the nearest preceding noun that fits the verb's logic.

It and this can refer to an entire clause or idea, not just a noun; check whether the following verb needs an event as its subject.

They and them require a plural antecedent; a collective noun like team or group takes a singular pronoun in formal prose.

Such and this + noun (this policy, such claims) point backward to the immediately preceding statement, not to the passage's main idea.

Former and latter map to the first and second items of the most recent two-item list.

Another and other refer forward to a new item; the other and the others refer to what remains of a defined set.

When two nouns could be the antecedent, the one that makes the sentence's logic coherent is correct.

Transition words signal cohesion: however marks contrast, therefore marks result, moreover marks addition, for example marks illustration.

Common structures: cause-effect, comparison-contrast, problem-solution, chronological, classification, and claim-evidence.

Cause-effect passages contain causal verbs (lead to, result in, because of) and often distinguish immediate from underlying causes.

Comparison passages weigh similarities and differences; the conclusion typically states which item the author favors and why.

Problem-solution passages place the problem first and the solution later; the solution's constraints are often the tested point.

Chronological passages are organized by time markers; a flashback is signaled by a shift to past-perfect verbs.

A paragraph's function can be topic sentence (claim), body (evidence), or final sentence (qualification or consequence).

A sentence that begins with for example or for instance functions as illustration, not as a new main point.

Questions asking why a paragraph is included are answered by its function in the argument, not by its content summary.

Purpose is one of: to inform, to persuade, to explain, to entertain, or to criticize; the verb in the question must match the passage's dominant mode.

Persuasive passages contain evaluative adjectives and calls to action; informative passages favor neutral verbs and cited data.

Tone is carried by adjectives, adverbs, and figurative language, not by the topic; a serious topic can have a humorous tone.

Attitude choices must be supported by at least one quoted word or phrase; if no line supports it, the choice is wrong.

Watch for hedges (somewhat, arguably, may) that signal a measured or qualified tone rather than an extreme one.

Irony is signaled when the literal meaning contradicts the surrounding praise or blame.

The author's attitude toward a subject can differ from the attitude of a person described in the passage; keep the two separate.

An author who presents both sides before concluding is balanced, not indifferent; the conclusion reveals the actual stance.

Read the passage's first and last sentences first to establish topic and claim before answering detail questions.

Answer main-idea questions after detail questions when the passage is dense, because details build the summary.

Line-reference questions are answered from the cited lines plus one sentence of context on each side.

Vocabulary and reference questions are fastest and can be answered first to secure points before longer inference items.

Eliminate choices containing words the passage never uses about the subject; unfamiliar terminology is usually a distractor.

For EXCEPT questions, verify each of the three stated options against a specific line before choosing the remainder.

Time allocation guideline: spend roughly equal time per question, and flag any item requiring more than two rereads.

When two choices remain, prefer the one whose scope and strength match the passage's own qualifiers.