Paragraph Comprehension
What to know
Paragraph Comprehension asks about main idea, supporting details, inference, vocabulary in context, author's purpose, and tone. Passages are short, so nearly every sentence carries weight.
Read the question stem first so you know what to hunt for. Then identify the topic and the sentence that states the point. For inference questions, the right answer is a small, safe step beyond the text, never a leap. For tone, watch adjectives and verbs: a writer who calls a plan costly and rushed is critical, even without saying so.
Traps
- True but irrelevant. A detail lifted from the passage that does not answer the question asked.
- Overreach. Choices that draw conclusions the passage never supports.
- Extreme language. Words such as all, never, only, and proves usually mark a wrong choice.
- Confusing main idea with best title or with the author's purpose, all of which can be asked.
- Vocabulary items where the everyday meaning of a word is wrong for this passage.
Rule of thumb
For main idea, apply the cover test: if this sentence were the headline, would it cover the whole passage? If it fits only one paragraph, it is a detail.
Worked example
Recycling programs often fail not because people are unwilling, but because bins are confusing. Clear labels raised participation by a third in one city.
- Main idea: confusing labels, not unwillingness, limit recycling.
- Wrong choice: recycling is unpopular. That contradicts the passage.
- Valid inference: better labeling can raise participation, which follows directly from the cited result.