Reading Comprehension Question Types
Identify the question type:
Which detail from the passage best supports author's claim that pineapple on pizza is yummy?
Supporting Idea
Which sentence contains an error in construction?
(1) In 1835, a New York newspaper published a series of articles. (2) Claiming that astronomers had discovered bat‑winged moon people. (3) The stories described crystal forests, unicorn‑like creatures, and entire lunar cities in vivid detail. (4) Readers believed the reports for days before the paper admitted it was all an elaborate hoax.
BONUS: What is the error?
Sentence 2
Fragment
This is a participial verb (-ing verb) phrase and NOT an independent clause.
Where should sentence 6 be moved to clarify the flow of ideas?
(1) Xbox has long had a weak reputation in Japan. (2) Japanese players strongly prefer Nintendo and Sony, which have decades of cultural loyalty behind them. (3) Many Japanese gamers also favor titles created by Japanese studios, so Xbox’s library has historically felt less appealing. (4) Microsoft entered the Japanese market late and struggled with early missteps, including an unpopular first‑generation console design and poor release timing. (5) Although Xbox’s reputation remains limited, recent efforts to partner with Japanese studios and expand PC‑based play have slightly improved its standing. (6) These factors created a cycle in which fewer Japanese developers prioritized Xbox, leading to fewer locally resonant games and even lower interest.
Between sentences 4 and 5
Hevea brasiliensis, a tree in the Amazon rainforest, is the world’s main source of natural rubber. The tree produces a milky substance called latex that is used to make rubber. The bark of Hevea brasiliensis is helpful for the process of making rubber because it has a unique structure that makes it easy to collect latex. A network of tubes in the tree’s inner bark helps the latex to flow out easily when people make small cuts into the bark.
What feature of Hevea brasiliensis does the text say is helpful for the process of making rubber?
A. Its latex produces rubber of an especially high quality.
B. Its bark has a unique structure that makes it easy to collect latex.
C. It is able to grow in a wide variety of climates around the world.
D. It is one of only two trees in the Amazon that produce latex.
B. Its bark has a unique structure that makes it easy to collect latex.
The bark of Hevea brasiliensis is helpful for the process of making rubber because it has a unique structure that makes it easy to collect latex.
Generally it takes Tule geese about four days to migrate south for the winter. From their summer breeding grounds in Cook Inlet, Alaska, the birds begin by flying over the Gulf of Alaska about 100 miles from the Canadian shore. They pause to rest on the Pacific Ocean, then fly toward Summer Lake, Oregon, before finally arriving at their winter destination of Sacramento Valley, California.
Which choice best states the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?
A. It illustrates a change in Tule geese’s usual flight behavior.
B. It suggests an explanation for why Tule geese breed in Alaska.
C. It compares Tule geese to other birds that migrate south for the winter.
D. It describes part of the Tule geese’s typical winter migration journey.
D. It describes part of the Tule geese’s typical winter migration journey.
Identify the question type:
Which of the following best characterizes the speaker's opinion of his wife's family?
Which sentence has an error in construction?
(1) Scientists recently discovered a huge metal-rich structure buried deep beneath the moon’s south pole. (2) Researchers believe it may be the remains of an ancient asteroid that strikes the moon billions of years ago. (3) The structure is so large that it noticeably affects the moon’s gravitational field. (4) This discovery helps scientists better understand how the moon formed and how early impacts shaped our solar system.
BONUS: What is the error?
Sentence 2
Verb tense agreement
"Billions of years ago" means the verb tense should be past, so the sentence should say an ancient asteroid that struck the moon...
What is the best way to combine these sentences?
(1) Many apps quietly track your activity.
(2) You can protect your privacy by turning off unnecessary permissions.
A. Many apps quietly track your activity since you can protect your privacy by turning off unnecessary permissions.
B. Unless many apps secretly track your activity, you can protect your privacy by turning off unnecessary permissions.
C. Many apps quietly track your activity, for you can protect your privacy by turning off unnecessary permissions.
D. While many apps secretly track your activity, you can protect your privacy by turning off unnecessary permissions.
D. While many apps secretly track your activity, you can protect your privacy by turning off unnecessary permissions.
The subordinating conjunction while creates a dependent clause that shows the contrasting relationship between the two ideas.
It was not really a pretty house at all; it was quite ordinary, and mother thought it was rather inconvenient, and was quite annoyed at there being no shelves, to speak of, and hardly a cupboard in the place. Father used to say that the ironwork on the roof and coping was like an architect’s nightmare. But the house was deep in the country, with no other house in sight, and the children had been in London for two years, without so much as once going to the seaside even for a day by an excursion train, and so the White House seemed to them a sort of Fairy Palace set down in an Earthly Paradise.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. Although their parents believe the house has several drawbacks, the children are enchanted by it.
B. The children don’t like the house nearly as much as their parents do.
C. Each member of the family admires a different characteristic of the house.
D. The house is beautiful and well built, but the children miss their old home in London.
A. Although their parents believe the house has several drawbacks, the children are enchanted by it.
Mother and Father find several faults with the house, but the children like that it's far from the city in the middle of nature.
Streams and rivers carry soil and rocks from one location to another. But there is another way for these geological materials to move. Scientists call this process “aeolian transport,” in which winds move small particles of soil or rock over potentially great distances. Geologist Melisa Diaz and her team studied dust in Antarctica to find out if it was moved by aeolian transport. They discovered that the dust matched geological material in Australia. Aeolian transport had carried it from one continent to another, across thousands of miles of open ocean.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?
A. It presents Melisa Diaz’s remarks about difficulties that her team encountered.
B. It introduces a scientific term that is used in the discussion that follows.
C. It emphasizes the surprising nature of the findings that are presented.
D. It explains the difference between two kinds of geological material.
B. It introduces a scientific term that is used in the discussion that follows.
It introduces aeolian transport, and then the rest of the paragraph discusses it.
Identify the question type:
Which statement best summarizes the author's argument in the section titled, Why I am so smart?
Central idea
Which sentence contains an error in construction?
(1) Scientists discovered a new species of deep‑sea jellyfish living more than 3,000 meters below the surface. (2) The creature glows with shifting rings of light that help it confuse predators. (3) Using a remote‑operated submersible, the jellyfish was discovered in an unexplored trench in the Pacific Ocean. (4) This finding shows how much of Earth’s ocean life remains unknown and waiting to be studied.
BONUS: Identify the error
Sentence 3: misplaced modifier
The jellyfish was not using a remote-operated submersible.
Read the sentence:
Nandini told her counselor that she needed more time to figure some things out about school.
Which of the following is the most precise revision of the phrase “ to figure some things out”?
A. to think about her school options.
B. to decide what she wanted to do about school.
C. to consider which school she was applying to.
D. to submit her application to the school her counselor recommended.
C. to consider which school she was applying to.
This gives the most detail about what precisely Nandini intends to do "about school."
D may seem precise, but it has a different meaning.
The average age at which people in the United States start businesses is 35. Economist Andrés Hincapié studied why young adults are relatively less likely to start businesses and whether there are ways to increase entrepreneurship in early adulthood. Hincapié found that many young adults simply don't know how businesses are started; he further found that simply providing young adults with resources on the topic significantly motivates them.
Based on the text, what would Hincapié most likely say is a promising way to increase entrepreneurship in early adulthood?
A. Creating social networks of young adults who are interested in starting a business
B. Encouraging young adults to brainstorm business ideas
C. Providing young adults with practical information about how to start a business
D. Giving young adults training opportunities at a variety of businesses
C. Providing young adults with practical information about how to start a business
The young adults don't know how to start businesses.
Companies are providing consumers with more opportunities to purchase customized products than ever before. Whether buying customized sneakers, jewelry, or clothing, consumers can participate in the design of products to meet their specific needs and tastes. In turn, companies profit too: studies have shown that consumers are willing to pay more and wait longer for a customized product. Still, it can be difficult for companies to offer customization while keeping costs low, as the standard methods of mass production may not be able to accommodate making a unique product each time.
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
A. It discusses several recent innovations in product manufacturing and then suggests some potential applications of those innovations.
B. It describes a company’s recent success with new products and then explains multiple factors that may have contributed to that success.
C. It introduces a trend in consumer products and then explains how the trend both benefits and poses a challenge to companies.
D. It presents two contrasting product-marketing techniques and then provides examples of one of those techniques.
C. It introduces a trend in consumer products and then explains how the trend both benefits and poses a challenge to companies.
Trend: customizable products
Benefit: profit
Challenge: unique products can't be mass produced
What do the narrator's questions in paragraph 4 suggest about his character?
Inference
Which sentence contains an error in construction?
(1) American singer-songwriter Mitski creates emotional music that explore identity and longing. (2) Born in Japan, she lived in several countries before moving to the United States. (3) She began releasing music while studying at SUNY Purchase. (4) Many fans connect deeply with the honesty in her lyrics.
BONUS: What is the error?
Sentence 1
Subject-verb agreement
The pronoun that is referring to the singular subject music, so the verb should be explores
Which of the following would best follow and support the sentence?
Students are more likely to participate in class when they feel a sense of belonging.
A. Students in group projects and study groups often say they feel more comfortable working with classmates they already know.
B. Students who feel isolated often avoid speaking in class even when they know the answer.
C. Several teachers have noticed that students who join school clubs or attend community events seem happier at school.
D. In a recent survey, students who felt connected to their classmates were twice as likely to raise their hands during discussions.
D. In a recent survey, students who felt connected to their classmates were twice as likely to raise their hands during discussions.
This provides a concrete example of students being more likely to participate due to a sense of belonging.
Georgia Douglas Johnson wrote many plays in the 1920s and 1930s. At the time, professional theater companies rarely put on plays by Black women, so few of Johnson’s plays made it to the stage. Only a small number of her plays were published in her lifetime. But that doesn’t mean that Johnson never learned what other people thought of her plays. Johnson hosted weekly get-togethers for fellow Black writers and artists in her Washington, D.C., home. Attendees would read and discuss one another’s work, including Johnson’s own. These gatherings could therefore serve as ______
A. an occasion for professional theater companies to put on plays.
B. an opportunity for Johnson to get feedback on her plays.
C. a way for Johnson to learn about plays that were produced in other cities.
D. subject matter for future plays by Johnson.
B. an opportunity for Johnson to get feedback on her plays.
"But that doesn’t mean that Johnson never learned what other people thought of her plays."
San Francisco is known for the colorful murals painted on many of its buildings. The densest collection of murals is found on Balmy Alley in the Mission District neighborhood. In the 1970s, Latina artists painted vivid scenes of community life on walls along this block. As the original murals have faded, later generations of artists have painted new ones over them. As a result, Balmy Alley has become a living showcase of San Francisco’s artistic spirit, with its murals reflecting changes in the cultural life of the city.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
A. To compare the Balmy Alley murals to other murals in San Francisco
B. To offer an overview of the history and importance of the Balmy Alley murals
C. To urge people to protect the murals of San Francisco from decay
D. To describe the rise of mural painting in San Francisco beginning in the 1970s
B. To offer an overview of the history and importance of the Balmy Alley murals
Identify the question type:
Paragraph 9 develops a theme of the narrative by...
Function
Which sentence contains an error in construction?
(1) In 1911, a group of Parisian pranksters stole the doorknocker from Victor Hugo’s former home. (2) They claimed it possessed poetic powers and they insisted that anyone who touched it would write better verse. (3) Crowds gathered to witness the "miracle knocker." (4) The police eventually retrieved it, but not before the stunt became one of the city’s most ridiculous literary legends.
Sentence 2
Run-on
Two independent clauses joined with "and" but no comma.
Which of the following sentences is IRRELEVANT to the argument and should be deleted?
(1) Economic mobility often improves when cities invest in reliable public transportation. (2) When buses and trains run frequently, workers can reach jobs that are far from home without depending on expensive car payments. (3) Most cities have detailed maps of their metro systems to help commuters navigate to their destination. (4) Affordable transit options also reduce the financial burden on low‑income families who rely on commuting to maintain steady employment. (5) Expanding access to transportation means more residents are able to pursue stable careers and long‑term economic opportunities.
(3) Most cities have detailed maps of their metro systems to help commuters navigate to their destination.
The argument is about how public transportation contributes to economic mobility. The examples show public transportation alleviating costs and allowing people to have jobs. Sentence 3 is about maps.
Geoglyphs are large-scale designs of lines or shapes created in a natural landscape. The Nazca Lines were created in the Nazca Desert in Peru by several Indigenous civilizations over a period of many centuries. Peruvian archaeologist Johny Isla specializes in these geoglyphs. At a German exhibit about the Nazca Lines, he saw an old photograph of a large geoglyph of a whalelike figure and was surprised that he didn’t recognize it. Isla returned to Peru and used a drone to search a wide area, looking for the figure from the air.
What can we infer about the whalelike glyph?
A. It represents a species of whale that went extinct before there were any people in Peru.
B. It is actually located in Germany, not Peru, and isn’t part of the Nazca Lines at all.
C. It is in a location Isla hadn’t ever come across while on the ground.
D. It was created a long time after the other Nazca Lines geoglyphs were created.
C. It is in a location Isla hadn’t ever come across while on the ground.
Isla returned to Peru and used a drone to search a wide area, looking for the figure from the air.
Astronomers are confident that the star Betelgeuse will eventually consume all the helium in its core and explode in a supernova. They are much less confident, however, about when this will happen, since that depends on internal characteristics of Betelgeuse that are largely unknown. Astrophysicist Sarafina El-Badry Nance and colleagues recently investigated whether acoustic waves in the star could be used to determine internal stellar states but concluded that this method could not sufficiently reveal Betelgeuse’s internal characteristics to allow its evolutionary state to be firmly fixed.
Which choice best describes the function of the second sentence in the overall structure of the text?
A. It identifies the problem that Nance and colleagues attempted to solve but did not.
B. It describes a serious limitation of the method used by Nance and colleagues.
C. It presents the central finding reported by Nance and colleagues.
D. It explains how the work of Nance and colleagues was received by others in the field.
A. It identifies the problem that Nance and colleagues attempted to solve but did not.