TACHS: Reading interpretation

A method you can use

1. Begin by asking what the question requires: a stated fact, a supported inference, the central idea, a purpose, or a word meaning. Read the surrounding sentences before matching options. A detail answer should preserve the passage’s relationship, not merely repeat one familiar word.
2. Consider this original miniature passage: “Jules left the seed trays indoors during the cold morning. By noon the greenhouse had warmed, and Jules carried them outside.” If asked why Jules waited, the temperature change supports protecting the trays from cold. It does not support a claim that Jules forgot them; that alternative adds a motive the text never gives.
3. For a main idea, combine what the passage repeatedly develops. For an inference, identify both the stated evidence and the small reasoning step joining it to the answer. For vocabulary, substitute the proposed meaning in the actual sentence and check its tone and grammar.
4. Transfer: “The museum added a ramp; afterward, visitors using wheelchairs could enter through the main door.” The supported conclusion is that the ramp improved access through that entrance. It does not establish that every part of the museum is accessible. Check whether the answer’s scope stays within the evidence.

Before you answer

Read the directions first. Check whether the question wants one answer or several, and what your answer has to include.

Related section practice

96 practice questions cover this skill. Try a set below or use the question bank for more.