Type of Questions on the PLAN/ACT Reading Test

Choosing the correct answer:

Just because an answer is familiar from the passage doesn’t mean it is the correct answer

Make sure your chosen response answers the QUESTION STEM

Knowing the QUESTION TYPE can help you

Six Question Types

① Detail Questions

② Inference Questions

③ Generalization Questions

④ Function Questions

⑤ Writer’s View Questions

⑥ Vocabulary-in-Context Questions

Detail Questions

These types of questions ask about specific details in the passage.

They are very straightforward and may even use wording from the passage

Answer choices may be exact wording or a paraphrase from the passage

Look for these phrases in the stem:

As stated in the passage,

According to the author,

According to the passage,

The passage states that

The writer states that

All of the following are cited in the passage EXCEPT

Inference Questions

Look for these phrases in the stem:

It may be inferred from lines . . . that

The author implies about . . . that

The phrase . . . suggests that

In lines . . . the author most likely means that

It is most reasonable to infer from lines . . . that

Inference questions ask about something that is implied, or suggested, in a small part of the passage.

These are NOT opinion questions

Answers to inference questions are closely related to the words in the passage

Inference questions refer to a specific part of the passage

Function Questions

Ask you to determine what the author is trying to accomplish in a specific part of the passage.

These type of questions require that you try to think like the author. For this reason, they can be difficult.

They ask about the function of a word, sentence, detail, quote, punctuation, or paragraph.

Require that you focus on the main idea rather than the details

Stems are very specific:

The author does _____ in order to . . .

The phrase _____ serves to . . .

The placement of _____ in quotation marks is meant to . . .

Help for Answering Function Questions

1. Actively answer the passage, taking notes as you go.*Why is more important than what.*Keep straight who said what.

2. Examine the question stem, looking for clues.*The answer is in the passage.

3. Predict the answer and select the choice that matches your prediction.

Generalization Questions

Generalization questions look a lot like inference questions

This type of question also asks you to draw a conclusion

Generalization questions, however, ask about a larger part of the passage

You may need to draw on multiple portions of the passage to answer the question

This type of question requires that your answer fits with the passage as a whole, not just one part of the passage

Key words found in the stem:

Probably

Most likely

Implies

Inferred

suggests

Writer’s View Questions

Asks about something in the passage from the point of view of the writer or narrator

This type of question also asks you to make an inference that’s based on the passage

Two things to keep in mind:

1. Keep straight who ways what. If the passage describes multiple viewpoints, make sure you know which viewpoint the author agrees with.

2. Pay attention to the tone of the passage. Even a single word such as fortunately, unfortunately, or regrettably can be a big clue in helping your determine the author’s view.

Possible phrasings in a Writer’s View Question

The author would most likely agree that

The view of the narrator regarding . . . appears to be

The author’s view of . . . is

The writer’s attitude toward . . . is

Vocabulary-in-Context Questions

This type of question asks about the meaning of a word or phrase AS IT IS USED IN THE PASSAGE

The word or phrase is always printed in italics

The question stem will always tell you exactly where in the passage you need to look to answer the question

Follow these steps to answer Vocabulary-in-Context questions:

1. Look in the line referenced by the question stem, and pretend that the word you’re looking to define is actually a blank line in the sentence.

2. Read that sentence and look for clues to help you determine what word or phrase would make sense in the blank. Use that word or phrase as your prediction for this question.

3. Look at the answer choices and choose the one closest to your prediction.

Help for Vocabulary-in-Context Questions

Do not skip the prediction! Words used for Vocabulary-in-Context questions are often chosen because they have more than one meaning. You need to choose the appropriate meaning based on the context of the passage.

If you can’t find clues within the sentence where the word is used, look at the sentences before and after it.

Connection words and phrases are often the key to making your prediction. Pay particular attention to words such as yet, but, and however. These contrast clues may tell you that your prediction should be the opposite of another word that’s used in the sentence.