Reading: Main Idea, Inference, and Evidence
Reading items ask you to understand literary and informational passages: main idea, supporting detail, inference, vocabulary in context, text structure, author's purpose, and selecting evidence.
Core rules and concepts
- Main idea = topic + the author's point about it. A topic ('volcanoes') is not a main idea ('volcanoes can be predicted by monitoring tremors'). Supporting details must connect to that point.
- Inferences must be forced by the text. Combine stated evidence with everyday knowledge, but reject conclusions the passage only makes possible.
- Context clues come in types: definition (often set off by dashes or 'that is'), example ('such as'), contrast ('unlike,' 'however'), and cause-effect.
- Structure signals: compare-contrast ('similarly,' 'whereas'), cause-effect ('therefore,' 'as a result'), problem-solution, chronological ('first,' 'after'), and description.
- Purpose and tone: persuade, inform, explain, entertain. Tone comes from word choice, such as 'reckless' versus 'bold.'
- Best-evidence questions want the single sentence that directly supports the claim, not a sentence merely on the same topic.
Worked example
Sentence: 'Though the bridge opened in 1883, engineers still inspect it yearly, replacing worn cables before they fail.' What can you infer about maintenance? The contrast word 'Though' signals that age has not ended upkeep, and 'before they fail' shows preventive repair. The supported inference is that the bridge receives regular preventive maintenance. 'The bridge is unsafe' is too strong, and 'the bridge was rebuilt' is never stated.
Traps that cost marks
- Choosing an answer that is true in real life but unsupported by the passage.
- Extreme wording ('all,' 'never,' 'only') in otherwise plausible choices.
- Picking a literal detail when the question asks for an inference, or the reverse.
- Selecting a familiar dictionary meaning instead of the meaning the passage establishes.