DAT Reading Comprehension key terms

Information stated directly in the passage in plain words, leaving nothing for the reader to work out. Questions about it ask what the text literally says or reports.

A specific fact, example, name, date, or figure inside a passage that backs up a broader claim. It answers who, what, when, where, or how much rather than why the author wrote.

A restatement of the passage's content in different words while keeping the same meaning. Correct answer choices usually paraphrase the text instead of copying its phrasing word for word.

The exact words or lines in a passage that justify an answer. Locating evidence means finding the sentence that proves a claim before choosing an option.

The central point the whole passage is built to convey, broad enough to cover all its parts. It is more general than any single detail but more specific than the topic alone.

The subject the passage is about, usually expressible in a short phrase. The topic names what is discussed; the main idea says what the author claims about it.

The sentence or two in which the author states the passage's central claim, often near the beginning or end. Everything else in the passage supports, explains, or qualifies it.

The author's main reason for writing, such as to explain, persuade, compare, or describe. Purpose questions ask why the passage exists, not merely what it says.

The effect or response the writer hopes to produce in readers, such as convincing them, informing them, or moving them to act. Intent is often implied rather than stated outright.

A sentence, usually first in a paragraph, that announces what that paragraph will develop. Tracking topic sentences helps map the passage's structure and locate the main idea.

A conclusion drawn from clues in the passage plus ordinary reasoning, though never stated outright. A valid inference must be forced or strongly supported by the text, not merely possible.

A meaning the author suggests without saying directly, which the reader must supply. Unlike a bare guess, it follows from what is written and from the author's apparent attitude or emphasis.

An unstated belief the author treats as true and relies on to make the argument work. Spotting assumptions helps evaluate whether a conclusion actually follows from the evidence given.

Carrying a passage's stated trend or principle beyond the cases it directly discusses. Test writers use it to check whether you can apply the author's logic to a new situation.

The attitude a passage conveys toward its subject, shown through word choice, examples, and emphasis. Tone may be admiring, skeptical, neutral, urgent, or ironic, among many possibilities.

The author's stance toward the topic or toward opposing views, such as supportive, critical, cautious, or ambivalent. Attitude questions often ask how the writer regards a specific claim or group.

The writer's choice of particular words, which shapes tone and precision. Loaded or technical diction can signal bias, expertise, or emotional distance.

The emotional or cultural associations a word carries beyond its literal meaning. Words like 'regime' and 'government' denote similar things but carry very different connotations.

A gap between what is literally said and what is actually meant, or between expectation and outcome. In tone questions, irony often signals mild mockery or detached amusement.

Describing something as less significant or extreme than it is, often for emphasis or dry humor. It can signal restraint, modesty, or a critical attitude toward the subject.

Surrounding words, phrases, or sentences that hint at an unfamiliar word's meaning. Contrasts, definitions, examples, and appositives are common types of clue in exam passages.

The literal, dictionary meaning of a word, apart from emotional coloring. Vocabulary questions often test whether you know the denotation that fits the passage's specific context.

A noun phrase placed beside another noun to rename or explain it, often set off by commas. Appositives frequently define technical terms directly in the passage.

Language that departs from literal meaning to create comparison or effect, such as metaphor, simile, and personification. Recognizing it prevents misreading a figure of speech as a factual claim.

A comparison that treats one thing as another without using 'like' or 'as', as in calling a city 'a sleeping giant'. It conveys attitude and shapes how readers perceive the subject.

The order and arrangement of a text's parts, such as chronological, cause-and-effect, comparison, or problem-solution. Structure questions ask how ideas are sequenced or grouped.

A word or phrase that signals the relationship between ideas, such as 'however', 'therefore', or 'similarly'. Transitions reveal whether the next sentence continues, contrasts, or concludes.

The job a particular paragraph does within the whole passage, such as introducing a problem, offering evidence, or rebutting an objection. Function questions ask what a paragraph accomplishes, not what it says.

A recognizable pattern of development, including narration, description, exposition, and argumentation. Identifying the mode helps predict how details will be arranged and what the author aims to do.

A stated reason or piece of evidence offered in support of a conclusion. Mapping premises to conclusions exposes gaps that inference and assumption questions often target.

The claim an argument is trying to establish, supported by the premises offered. In a passage, it may appear first as a thesis or last as a summing-up.

An answer choice designed to look correct but that misstates, exaggerates, or only partly matches the passage. Common types include reversed logic, true-but-irrelevant details, and overly extreme wording.

The range of material a question or answer choice covers, such as one paragraph versus the whole passage. An option that answers a broader or narrower question than asked is out of scope.

A flaw in reasoning that makes an argument unreliable, such as a false dilemma, hasty generalization, or attack on the person. Recognizing fallacies helps evaluate the strength of an author's case.

An extended comparison drawn between two situations to explain or persuade. Analogies can clarify an abstract idea but may also smuggle in assumptions if the cases differ in important ways.

Biting or mocking language in which the speaker says the opposite of what is meant, usually to criticize. It signals a hostile or contemptuous attitude rather than neutral reporting.

Deliberate exaggeration used for emphasis or effect, not meant to be taken literally. It can intensify tone or, in argument, signal that a claim is overstated.