Paragraph Comprehension
Paragraph Comprehension tests main idea, supporting details, inference, tone, author's purpose, and sequence. The passages are short, so every sentence usually carries information; missing one can change the answer.
Main idea and details
Ask what the passage is mostly about, not what one sentence says. The main idea must cover the whole passage. A detail can be true and still be wrong for a main-idea question. For sequence questions, track time words such as before, after, and meanwhile, plus cause-effect links.
Inference and tone
An inference must follow from clues in the passage plus ordinary knowledge, not from speculation. Tone is revealed by word choice: neutral, critical, cautious, or approving. Purpose answers why the author wrote: to inform, explain, persuade, or entertain.
Worked example
Passage: The deck department began painting the hull at 0600. By 0900, rain had streaked the fresh paint. The chief ordered the crew to stop and cover the scaffolding. Work resumed the next morning after the surface dried. The main idea is that weather interrupted and delayed the painting job. The 0600 start time is a detail. It is reasonable to infer that the streaked sections needed attention before work resumed, but it is not stated that the crew repainted the entire hull.
Traps
Do not select a true detail as the main idea. Do not bring in outside facts about painting or weather. Avoid extreme answer choices such as always or never unless the passage supports them. Distinguish an inference from a prediction; a prediction goes beyond what the clues support.