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.
Look for these phrases in the stem:

As stated in the passage,
They are very straightforward
and may even use wording
from the passage

According to the author,

According to the passage,
Answer choices may be exact
wording or a paraphrase from
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:

Inference questions ask about
something that is implied, or
suggested, in a small part of the
passage.

It may be inferred from lines . . .
that

The author implies about . . .
that

These are NOT opinion
questions

The phrase . . . suggests that

Answers to inference questions
are closely related to the words
in the passage

Inference questions refer to a
specific part of the passage
 In lines . . . the author most
likely means that

It is most reasonable to infer
from lines . . . that
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
Possible phrasings in a Writer’s
View Question

This type of question also asks you to
make an inference that’s based on the
passage

The author would most likely
agree that

Two things to keep in mind:

The view of the narrator
regarding . . . appears to be

The author’s view of . . . is

The writer’s attitude toward . . .
is
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.
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 Vocabularyin-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.