Reading: Literary Text
What to Know
Literary text questions ask about stories, poems, and plays. You need to track characters (who they are and how they change), setting (time and place), plot (what happens first, next, last), and theme (the lesson or big idea). Know the difference between a character's words and the narrator's words, and between a retelling (events in order) and a summary (the most important events).
Traps to Watch
- Trait vs. feeling: A trait is lasting (kind, curious); a feeling is temporary (excited, nervous). Questions often mix them.
- Theme vs. topic: A topic is one word (friendship); a theme is a full sentence (Good friends help each other).
- The last event is not always the lesson. Do not pick an answer just because it happened.
- Speaker vs. author: In a poem, the speaker is not always the poet.
Worked Example
A story says: "Maya practiced every day, even when her fingers hurt. On recital night, she played without a single mistake." A question asks for the theme. The trap answer is "Maya plays piano" (that is a topic/event). The correct answer is "Hard work pays off" because it is a full lesson supported by her practice.
Rule of Thumb
For any answer, ask: Can I point to words in the text that prove this? If not, it is probably a trap.