Reading Comprehension: Making Meaning from a Text
What you must understand
Reading comprehension questions ask you to show that you understand what a text says, what it means, and how it is put together. Three skills do most of the work. Main idea and supporting details: the main idea is what the whole passage is mostly about, not just its first sentence. Details support that idea. Inference: an inference is a conclusion drawn from clues in the text plus what you already know. The answer must be supported by the text, so you can always point to the words that led you there. Sequence and cause and effect: notice time words (first, then, finally) and cause words (because, so, as a result). Also be ready for questions about characters, setting, and lesson or theme.
Traps to watch for
- True but not the main idea: an answer can be a fact from the passage and still be wrong because it is only a small detail.
- Too broad or too narrow: the best main idea covers the whole passage, not one paragraph or the entire topic of the universe.
- Outside knowledge: an answer that sounds true in real life but is not in the passage is wrong.
- Extreme wording: words like always, never, and all are often signs of a wrong answer.
- Cause and effect mix-up: check which event actually came first and which one made the other happen.
Worked example
Suppose a passage describes how a class planted a garden, watered it daily, and finally shared vegetables with a food bank. A question asks for the main idea. "The class watered the garden daily" is true but too narrow. "Gardens need water" is too broad and not stated. "The class worked together to grow food for others" covers the whole passage and is the best answer.
Rule of thumb
Before choosing, ask two questions: Can I point to the words in the text that prove this? And does this answer cover the whole passage, not just one part?