Below are patterns for each of the six kinds of reading questions. Each pattern includes a description, the typical phrases or language we see in text or on tests, and strategies to help identify the kind you are looking at.
I. COMPREHENSION
Comprehension means understanding or mentally grasping the meaning of something. The answer to a comprehension question usually is something you can point to in the paragraph or passage.
Most comprehension questions look like this:
- According to this paragraph, . . .
- According to this passage, . . .
- According to this article, . . .
- According to this book, . . .
- You are to find . . . (answers will include phrases or sentences)
- This means . . .
- It is clear from this passage that . . .
Strategies for answering comprehension questions:
- Look for the word, phrase, or sentence(s) that answer the question directly.
- Be aware that some questions are just another way of saying something in the paragraph or passage.
