Critical Reading:Detail Questions

(REVIEW)

Remember the following facts about Detail Questions:

They make up about 1/3 of all questions on the ACT Reading Test.

You should expect to see 13 or 14 of them per test.

The following are common phrases indicating detail questions:

According to the author…According to the passage…In the passage…In the third paragraph, the author

states…

What makes detail questions easy to answer is that the answers to the questions appear directly in the passage.

What makes this type of question difficult to answer is that there are lots of details from which to choose in the passage.

Remember the strategy we’ve learned for answering detail questions: Track It Down:Track down and reread the part of the

passage that contains the answer. Point out the important information. (You

should be able to put your finger on a specific part of the passage that will lead to the correct answer.)

Critical Reading:Function Questions

Unlike Detail Questions, Function Questions on the ACT Reading Test ask us to consider how a smaller part contributes to a larger whole.

Function questions ask you to think about the author’s motivation and subsequent decisions.

Function questions represent about 1/6 of all questions on the ACT Reading Test. You should expect to see 6 or 7 of them per test.

What makes Function Questions easy to answer is that your notes will help you.

What makes this type of question difficult to answer is that you will not be able to put your finger directly on the correct answer in the passage.

Identifying Function QuestionsFunction questions use distinctive phrasing that make them easy to identify. Sometimes they even use the word “function.”

The following are examples of function questions:The phrase xxxx serves to:The placement of xxxx in quotation marks is

meant to:Xxxx helps establish that:The primary function of xxxx is most likely to:The author refers to xxxx to illustrate that:The author does xxxx in order to:The function of xxxx in relation to the passage

as a whole is to:

Read the sample question stems on your handout.

Label each question as to its type, paying close attention to the Function Questions.

Sample Question Stems:1. It is most likely that the author mentions Athena

(lines 7-8) in order to demonstrate:2. The central purpose of the passage is to:3. As it is used in line 20, secure most nearly means:4. The main function of the fourth paragraph (lines

42-44) in relation to the passage as a whole is to indicate that:

5. In the second paragraph (lines 16-18), the author states that arms were decorated as a way of:

6. The last paragraph mentions famous artists in order to show how armsmaking:

Sample Question Stems:1. It is most likely that the author mentions Athena

(lines 7-8) in order to demonstrate: (FUNCTION)2. The central purpose of the passage is to:3. As it is used in line 20, secure most nearly means:4. The main function of the fourth paragraph (lines

42-44) in relation to the passage as a whole is to indicate that:

5. In the second paragraph (lines 16-18), the author states that arms were decorated as a way of:

6. The last paragraph mentions famous artists in order to show how armsmaking:

Sample Question Stems:1. It is most likely that the author mentions Athena (lines

7-8) in order to demonstrate: (FUNCTION)2. The central purpose of the passage is to: (Author’s

Purpose)3. As it is used in line 20, secure most nearly means:4. The main function of the fourth paragraph (lines 42-

44) in relation to the passage as a whole is to indicate that:

5. In the second paragraph (lines 16-18), the author states that arms were decorated as a way of:

6. The last paragraph mentions famous artists in order to show how armsmaking:

Sample Question Stems:1. It is most likely that the author mentions Athena (lines

7-8) in order to demonstrate: (FUNCTION)2. The central purpose of the passage is to: (Author’s

Purpose)3. As it is used in line 20, secure most nearly means:

(Vocabulary-in-Context)4. The main function of the fourth paragraph (lines 42-44)

in relation to the passage as a whole is to indicate that:5. In the second paragraph (lines 16-18), the author

states that arms were decorated as a way of:6. The last paragraph mentions famous artists in order to

show how armsmaking:

Sample Question Stems:1. It is most likely that the author mentions Athena (lines 7-8)

in order to demonstrate: (FUNCTION)2. The central purpose of the passage is to: (Author’s

Purpose)3. As it is used in line 20, secure most nearly means:

(Vocabulary-in-Context)4. The main function of the fourth paragraph (lines 42-44) in

relation to the passage as a whole is to indicate that: (FUNCTION)

5. In the second paragraph (lines 16-18), the author states that arms were decorated as a way of:

6. The last paragraph mentions famous artists in order to show how armsmaking:

Sample Question Stems:1. It is most likely that the author mentions Athena (lines 7-8)

in order to demonstrate: (FUNCTION)2. The central purpose of the passage is to: (Author’s

Purpose)3. As it is used in line 20, secure most nearly means:

(Vocabulary-in-Context)4. The main function of the fourth paragraph (lines 42-44) in

relation to the passage as a whole is to indicate that: (FUNCTION)

5. In the second paragraph (lines 16-18), the author states that arms were decorated as a way of: (Detail)

6. The last paragraph mentions famous artists in order to show how armsmaking:

Sample Question Stems:1. It is most likely that the author mentions Athena (lines 7-8)

in order to demonstrate: (FUNCTION)2. The central purpose of the passage is to: (Author’s

Purpose)3. As it is used in line 20, secure most nearly means:

(Vocabulary-in-Context)4. The main function of the fourth paragraph (lines 42-44) in

relation to the passage as a whole is to indicate that: (FUNCTION)

5. In the second paragraph (lines 16-18), the author states that arms were decorated as a way of: (Detail)

6. The last paragraph mentions famous artists in order to show how armsmaking: (FUNCTION)

Answering Function Questions

Remember that in Step 3 of the 3-Step Method for ACT Reading Comprehension, we find the important information we need to answer the questions.

For Detail Questions, we use the “Track It Down” strategy:

Track down and reread the part of the passage that contains the answer.

Point out the important information

For Function Questions, we will use both research and reasoning to Think Like the Author:Find and reread the part of the passage

referenced in the question.Ask yourself why the author included

this part of the passage.Consider how the part contributes to

the whole.

KEEP IN MIND:An “author’s purpose” question asks you why the author wrote the piece.

A “function question” asks you why the author included a certain part of the piece.”

Predicting with Function QuestionsAfter you use “Think Like the Author,” remember to make a prediction based on your conclusion about why the author did what she did.