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Question

Dear Mitch,

How do you read between the lines on reading comprehension questions?

Alesia

Answer

Dear Alesia,

Good question, and I appreciate your ability to be succinct (SAT word meaning: 'concise, clear, and to the point')! 

However, when I read between the words of your single line, I think I notice a few questions packaged together. So...

First, I think most of the 'reading between the lines' comes into play on the actual reading passages more so than on the actual questions, though it can certainly be important in both places.  

Generally, I have found that on the SAT exam the very old expression 'reading between the lines' actually refers to reading between the paragraphs, as that's when you can see the direction the author is taking, especially if you view the whole passage as a road map of a pathway and each paragraph as another leap forward.  In other words, when you combine the transition words that begin and/or end each paragraph, you can get an excellent feel with what facts or opinions the author agrees with, disagrees with or thinks is most important or least important.  You can also see what the author thinks is the cause and what is the effect, in the case of such a cause/effect type of explanatory passage.

For example:  If a paragraph begins with the phrase, "However, the foregoing is not the actual cause of the current dilemma," you know that that writer is now about to negate the importance of the information he/she just gave and go on give what he/she thinks is the more important facts.  In fact, there are an infinite number of phrases that authors use to accomplish the exact same thing.  A few that bounce off my keypad include:

Even still... 

Be that as it may... 

The valid but limited view notwithstanding...

Yet... 

Despite such accepted ideas...

Recent research, however, has provided a different view...

Unfortunately, such an idealistic interpretation is unrealistic...

A less romantic and more pragmatic method would be to...

Ironically, it is exactly such a view that leads to the eventual demise of...

And perhaps, those who adhere to such a doctrine will one day be able to figure out some method to turn fantasy to fact...

BUT HOW CAN THIS HELP??? 

LIKE THIS:

There are certain questions on every reading comprehension test (and, of course this includes the big famous tests) that are called inferences questions.  For an inference question you must draw a conclusion from separate parts of the passage, putting them together and using logically to see what they IMPLY.  (Imply is the reverse side of infer; i.e., someone implies something and then you can make an inference from it.  SO, the first step in an inference question is to SPOT one.  AND THAT IS EASY.  HOW?  They have certain key words n them like, from this passage we can most likely assume... 

Or from the first two paragraphs, the author most probably...

Or, from the tone of the second and third paragraphs we can infer that the author is not in favor of... 

For these questions, you will NOT find the answer in any one line of the passage, as you would for a fact question, or a definition in context question, but must READ BETWEEN THE PARAGRAPHS, which means look at the transitions and the tone and direction the author takes to figure out how he/she feels about the subject or part of the subject then think of that author as a real person and make your best guess as to how he/she would act or decide something in a particular NEW or past situation based on what you feel is his/her way of thinking and feeling.  It takes some practice, but you can do it!

There are other situations that would be appropriate to your question, but I think this is enough to swallow in one reading!

But if you would like more, feel free to write in again!

Hope this helps,

Mitch