Reading Comprehension: Questions, Evidence, Inference, and Summary

Reading means more than saying the words on a page. Comprehension means those words make sense to you. A story, poem, letter, article, or set of directions is a text.

Meet your thinking tools

A reading strategy is something you do on purpose to understand. Here are eight useful ones.

You will also meet monitoring, or checking your understanding. It helps you notice when to clarify. Summarizing means giving the main points in a few words. To do that, you first decide what matters.

Watch a reader think

Read this short story: “Theo stared at the empty leash in his hand. His throat felt tight. ‘Biscuit!’ he called again, but the park stayed quiet.”

First, picture a child holding a leash in a quiet park. That is visualizing. Next, join the empty leash to what you know about dogs. You can infer that Theo is looking for his dog. Ask, “Where could Biscuit be?” That is questioning. You might predict that Theo will keep searching because he calls again.

These moves work together. You do not need to finish one before starting another. Nor do you need every strategy on every page. Choose what helps with the reading in front of you.

Choose a moment to think

Before reading, look at the title and pictures. Think about what you know, and make a prediction. During reading, pause to ask questions and check the meaning. Afterward, pick out the main points and think about how the ideas fit together.

Reading faster will not always help. Slow down when an idea needs thought. You can use these tools while listening to someone read, too.

Words can help you build a scene in your mind. You can also connect a scene to things you know. Both moves help you stay close to the meaning.

Make a mind picture

Visualizing means using the words to imagine what happens. Look for describing words and action words. Your picture can include sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings.

Try this sentence: “The kite rose high above the trees.” Picture the treetops first. Place the kite higher in the sky. Imagine its tail moving and the string pulling. Those details help you follow the movement. The sentence does not tell you the kite's color, so your imagined color is your addition.

As you read on, add new details. If you imagined sunshine but next read about falling snow, change your picture. The words guide the scene. Two readers can imagine different details while both following those words.

Nonfiction can make a mind picture, too. If a bee waggles along a straight line, picture that movement. Then explain the steps in your own words. A clear picture can help, but explaining checks that you understand the process.

Make a connection that helps

A connection links the reading with something you already know. That stored knowledge is your background knowledge.

Do more than name a match. “I have a dog” gives a connection, but leaves its use unclear. Add how it helps: “I care about my dog, so I understand why Theo keeps looking.” Now the connection helps explain his actions.

Keep the reading in view

Your memories can help you understand, but the character's experience may differ. Your dog might return quickly; Theo is still searching. Keep checking the words as your connection grows. Each new reading also adds knowledge you can use another time.

Have you ever reached the bottom of a page and lost the meaning? You can stop and find it again. Strong readers notice confusion and do something about it.

Notice the problem

Monitoring means checking that you understand while reading. At a paragraph break, ask, “What did I just read?” Try saying the idea in your own words. If you cannot, find where the meaning became unclear.

You might notice an important word you do not know. A sentence might sound wrong. Perhaps you cannot follow who is speaking, or you cannot picture the action. Those are signs to pause.

Pick a fix that fits

Clarifying means clearing up the problem. Match your next move to what went wrong.

• For a confusing sentence, slow down and reread it carefully.
• For a lost stretch, return to the last part you understood.
• For an unknown word, look at nearby words and familiar word parts.
• For a tricky idea, check a heading, picture, or diagram.
• If the next sentence might explain something, read on a little.

Ask someone for help if these moves leave you stuck. Say which part confused you so they can help with that part.

Follow a repair

Suppose you read, “The family lived in a small horse.” You know the sentence sounds wrong. Look closely at the last word. It says “house.” Reread the whole sentence with that word. The family now lives in a place that makes sense.

Sometimes the words are right but the idea surprises you. “Honeybees talk without using words” may make you wonder how bees can talk. Read on about their dance. Now you can see that “talk” means sharing information here.

Reading on helps only if the meaning becomes clearer. If you remain lost after another sentence or two, go back. Later ideas may depend on the part you missed.

Leave yourself a small note

Annotating means making marks or short notes about your thinking. On your own copy or a sticky note, put a question mark beside a confusing line. Underline a useful detail, or write a few words about a question. Choose marks you can understand when you return.

A question word tells you what kind of answer to find. Read the whole question, then look for information that fits.

Match the answer to the question

Read this story: “Nadia built a kite out of paper and sticks. On Saturday she ran across the field, but the kite crashed. Her brother Sam noticed that the tail was too short. They tied on a longer tail made of ribbon. On the next try, the kite rose high above the trees.”

Now try asking about it. “Who built the kite?” asks for Nadia. “Where did she run?” asks for the field. “When did she run?” asks for Saturday. Each answer comes from the story, but each does a different job.

For “Why did they tie on a longer tail?” give a reason: “Because the first tail was too short.” For “How did they fix the kite?” explain their action: “They tied on a longer tail.”

Look beyond the word how

Read the words that follow “how.” “How many?” wants a number. “How far?” wants a distance. “How did she feel?” wants a feeling. “How did they fix it?” wants the way they did it.

A true detail can still answer the wrong question. For “When did Nadia run?” the answer “across the field” tells a place. Check the question again, then replace it with “on Saturday.”

You can borrow words from the question for a full sentence: “Nadia ran on Saturday.” This keeps the answer focused.

Ask as you go

Before reading, you might ask, “What could this be about?” During reading, ask why something happened or what a word means. After reading, ask what you learned or what you would have done.

Some questions have answers in the words. Others need clues and thought. A question about how real kites fly might need another reading or someone who knows. Keep an interesting question even when this story does not answer it.

Some answers sit right on the page. Other questions ask you to think about clues or make a judgment. Find out what kind of work the answer needs.

Three ways to answer

For the literal question, return to the kite story. It names ribbon. You can point to that word. You may hear literal questions called “right there” or “thin” questions.

For the inferential question, notice the short tail and the repair. The story does not directly say what caused the crash. The tail was the problem they noticed, and the longer one helped. You can infer that the short tail caused the trouble. Some teachers call questions needing this thinking “thick” questions.

For the evaluative question, decide what you think about Sam's help. “Sam was helpful because he noticed the short tail” gives a judgment and a reason. Add that they fixed it and the kite flew. Your judgment now has support from the story.

Question words give hints

“Name,” “list,” and “find” often ask you to retrieve information. “What does this suggest?” often asks for an inference. “Do you agree?” often asks for a judgment.

Still, check the passage. A “why” question can have a literal answer. Read: “Sea otters often wrap themselves in kelp so they do not drift away while they sleep.” The reason is stated after “so.” You can find it directly.

Support a judgment

Two readers can give different good judgments when each uses details. One might value Sam noticing the problem. Another might focus on the successful flight after his help. Both answer the question about Sam.

“I like kites” gives an opinion, but it does not judge his help. Keep your reason tied to the person, action, or idea the question asks about.

You do not always need the same reading speed. Sometimes you want an overview. Sometimes you need one small fact. Choose the way of reading that fits your job.

Skim for an overview

Skimming means looking quickly to learn what a text is mainly about. Look at the title, headings, pictures, and first sentences. You are finding the general subject, so you do not read every word yet.

A heading about blue whales helps you decide whether that section could answer a question about them. It does not give every answer inside the section.

Scan for a target

Scanning means searching quickly for a particular item. Start by picking key words that carry the meaning of your question.

Read: “The blue whale is the largest animal on Earth. It can grow to about 100 feet long. It feeds on tiny animals called krill.”

For “How long can a blue whale grow?” your targets include “blue whale” and “long.” Move your eyes through the passage until you find the length. Then slow down and read the sentence. “About 100 feet long” includes the amount, the unit, and “about.”

For “What do blue whales eat?” you will find “feeds on” instead of “eat.” Look for words with the same meaning. A search can fail if you expect the question's exact wording.

Numbers and capital letters can stand out. Still, numbers may appear as words, such as “ten.” A time might appear as “Saturday.” Look for the kind of information you need, as well as its shape.

Use a book's finding tools

If the index says “bees, 12–15,” turn to those pages. Then scan for your particular fact.

After finding a possible answer, read closely. Include the nearby sentences so you know what the words mean.

Finding the right area is only the start. Retrieving means finding stated information and bringing it into your answer. Check exactly what the question wants before you write.

Find, read, answer, check

Read this passage: “Honeybees talk without using words. When a bee finds flowers, it flies back to the hive and does a waggle dance. The angle of the dance shows the direction of the flowers. How long the bee waggles during each straight part of the dance tells other bees how far away the flowers are. Other bees follow the dancer closely and use their antennae to sense its movements. Then they fly out to find the food.”

Question: “What does the angle of the dance show?”

1. Pick out “angle” and “shows” in the question.
2. Find the sentence about the angle.
3. Read that whole sentence carefully.
4. Answer, “The direction of the flowers.”
5. Check it against the question and passage.

“How far away the flowers are” is a nearby detail. It answers a different question, about how long the bee waggles. Nearby words can be tempting, so match the fact to the correct part.

Follow the requested form

For “Give two things the dance shows,” give direction and distance. One answer leaves out a part. The information may come from separate sentences.

For “Find and copy one word,” copy exactly one matching word. In the kite story, the word naming the longer tail's material is “ribbon.” Changing it to “cloth” changes the answer, even though ribbon can be made from cloth.

To put events in order, locate each one and follow the sequence. A bee finds flowers, returns, dances, and other bees fly out. For true-or-false statements, compare the statement with the passage. Saying the bees fly out before the dance reverses the order.

Check every part of the page

Captions, labels, charts, and tables can hold answers too. Read the label or column heading so you know what a number describes.

Use the passage even when you know the topic well. In a story about a hen with blue eggs, “blue” is the retrieval answer. Your memories of other hens cannot replace the story's detail.

An author can help you understand something without saying it directly. You can work out that hidden meaning by following clues.

Separate words from hints

Stated information is said directly. You may hear it called explicit meaning. Implied, or implicit, meaning is hinted at. An inference is the idea you work out from those hints and what you know.

Read: “Leo's hair dripped onto the floor. He shook out his umbrella by the door.” The words state that his hair dripped. They do not state that rain is falling outside. Wet hair and the umbrella are clues. You know why people carry umbrellas. Together, those clues suggest that Leo has been out in the rain.

Build an inference

Start with the question. Find details that help answer it. Join those details with useful knowledge. Then check your idea against the whole passage.

For the Leo passage, your answer could be, “Leo has probably been in the rain because his hair is dripping and he shakes out an umbrella.” Both clues belong in the reason. You can point back to the words that led you there.

A guess about Leo being late for school has no support here. Neither a school nor a time appears. An inference needs a link you can explain.

Check all the clues

In Theo's story, a tight throat by itself could suggest illness or worry. Add the empty leash and his calls for Biscuit. Worry about a missing dog fits those details together. Choose the idea that fits the strongest clues, then keep checking as you read.

If later words change the situation, change your thinking. You are working with the evidence you have at each point.

Infer from facts too

A nonfiction passage says a blue whale can grow to about 100 feet long and eats tiny krill. You know a huge animal needs plenty of food. You can infer that it eats a great many krill. The passage names its size and food; your thinking joins them.

Use the frame “I can tell that … because …” when it helps. The first part gives your idea. The part after “because” shows the clues and the connection.

A character's actions can tell you about feelings and reasons. You can also use clues to work out relationships and places. Read around each clue before deciding what it means.

Choose a feeling that fits

Look at what a person does, says, and thinks. Notice descriptions of their face and body.

Theo stares at an empty leash, feels his throat tighten, and calls for Biscuit. These clues suggest that he is worried. “Worried” gives a clearer meaning than simply “bad.” Other useful feeling words include “disappointed,” “lonely,” “proud,” and “relieved.” Choose the one the details support.

One action can have several meanings. Tears can come with sadness or joy. Read the surrounding events. Tears after good news need different thinking from tears after a loss. Feelings may also change: Nadia could feel disappointed when her kite crashes and proud when it flies.

Work out a reason

A motive is the reason someone acts. Try this short scene: “Ravi's ball broke the office window. No one was watching. Ravi carried the ball to the office and said, ‘I need to tell you something.’”

Ravi goes to the office even though no one saw him. His words suggest that he plans to admit what happened. Joining his action and speech supports that motive. The broken window alone would not tell you why he approaches the office.

Read relationships and places

Read: “Grandpa saved the last slice for Mina, as he did every week, and she drew him a smiling sun.” Grandpa's repeated kind act and Mina's gift suggest that they care about each other. Explain both sides of that link when asked how they get along.

For a place, look for objects, sounds, weather, and light. “Rows of books lined the walls. A desk sign said ‘Returns,’ and people spoke in whispers.” Those clues suggest a library. Several details help you choose a likely place.

A picture can add clues, such as a lowered head or a raised fist. Describe what you can actually see, and connect it to the question. Check that your reading of the picture fits the words beside it.

You can think ahead while reading. A prediction is an idea about what comes next, built from clues. The reason behind your idea matters.

Look for a starting clue

Before reading, look at the title, pictures, and headings. During reading, notice what has happened and how people act. Use knowledge that fits this kind of text.

Stop Nadia's story after the new tail is tied on. The first tail was too short. Sam noticed that problem, and they changed it. You can say, “I predict the kite will fly because they fixed the short tail.” Your prediction follows the repair.

“I hope the kite flies” gives a wish. Add what the story suggests and why to make a prediction. Your favorite ending may be different from the ending the clues point toward.

Predict, read, check

Follow a cycle:

1. Predict what may come next, with a reason.
2. Read on to see what happens.
3. Keep or change the prediction after checking.

Nadia's next try sends the kite above the trees. That matches the prediction. If a later sentence had said the wind stopped, you would need to think again about its next flight.

You can make a sensible prediction that turns out differently. An author may surprise you. Judge your earlier thinking by the clues available then, and use the new clues for your next idea.

Think ahead in nonfiction

A heading called “How Beavers Build Dams” suggests that the next part will explain materials and actions. A sentence beginning “There are three reasons” prepares you to read three reasons. You are predicting the information ahead, even without story events.

Use “I predict … because …” to share your thinking. Name a useful clue after “because.” “It happened that way in another book” can help only when the details of this reading fit too.

A new word can interrupt your reading. The words around it may help you work out its meaning. Those nearby words and sentences are its context.

Look for the kind of clue

Some clues explain a word directly. “An arid place gets very little rain” tells you that “arid” means very dry. That is a definition clue.

Other clues give a word with nearly the same meaning. “The cargo, or load, was lifted onto the ship.” The word “load” explains “cargo.” This is a synonym clue.

An antonym clue uses an opposite. In “Sara was timid, but her brother was bold,” the word “but” signals a difference. “Timid” means shy or easily scared.

Examples can help too. In “Gourds such as pumpkins and squash grew along the fence,” the examples point toward a group of plants. You can begin to understand the word through familiar members of that group.

Use the whole scene

You may need more than one sentence. Read: “After hiking all day, the campers were famished. They finished every bite of stew and asked for more.”

First, notice their long hike. Next, notice how much they eat and their request for more. These clues point to “very hungry.” Now swap that meaning into the sentence: “The campers were very hungry.” It fits both their meal and their request.

“Very sleepy” might fit a long hike, but it does not explain the food clues as well. Check the whole passage when two meanings seem possible.

Try, then test

1. Reread the sentence and nearby sentences.
2. Find a definition, similar word, opposite, example, or scene clue.
3. Think of a meaning that fits.
4. Replace the new word with your meaning and reread.

Sometimes context gives too little help. Read on a little, look for known word parts, or use a dictionary. You can skip a small unfamiliar word when the meaning stays clear. If an important idea depends on it, stop and work it out.

A familiar word can have an unfamiliar job. Check what it means here, and notice the picture the author wants you to build.

Choose the meaning that fits

A bank can keep money or be the land beside a river. In “The boat drifted toward the bank of the river,” the river helps you choose. Try the meaning inside the sentence. Land beside the river fits where a boat could drift.

A dictionary may give several meanings. Read them before choosing. The first meaning you see may be one you know well, but another may fit this sentence better.

Break a word into useful parts

In “unbreakable,” “un-” means not, “break” is the base, and “-able” means can be. Put them together: “cannot be broken.” Then check that meaning in the sentence. A known word part gives you a useful start, and context checks your idea.

Listen for a special meaning

Some phrases have meanings beyond their separate words. “The test was a piece of cake” means the test was easy. The phrase is an idiom. Read around a phrase when its everyday word meanings do not fit.

A word can also be used in a special way. “Honeybees talk without using words” uses “talk” for sharing information. The dance explanation helps you understand that use.

Notice why the author chose a word

“The wind howled” makes the wind sound wild, like an animal's call. “The wind blew” gives less of that feeling. To explain the choice, connect the word with its effect: “The word ‘howled’ makes the wind seem fierce because it suggests an animal's loud cry.”

Words can also guide your view of a person. “Curious” often sounds approving, while “nosy” sounds disapproving. Ask what the chosen word adds to the plain action or idea. Simply saying “it is a good word” leaves its effect unexplained.

Your reader needs to see how you reached an answer. Evidence is the detail that supports it. Choose a useful detail, then explain its link to your idea.

Build the answer in parts

Use three connected parts: your answer, evidence, and an explanation. Some classes use RACE: restate the question, answer, cite evidence, and explain. Restating helps you begin a sentence. Citing means pointing to the detail you used.

Question: “How does Theo feel while calling for Biscuit?”

Start with the answer: “Theo feels worried.” Then give evidence: “His throat felt tight.” Explain the link: a tight throat can happen when someone is afraid or about to cry. With an empty leash and unanswered calls, worry fits the scene.

A full answer could be: “Theo feels worried. The story says, ‘His throat felt tight.’ That feeling, along with his calls for Biscuit, suggests that he is scared about his missing dog.”

Choose evidence for this answer

“Theo is in the park” gives a true detail, but does little to show worry. The tight throat describes how he feels in his body. His repeated calls add another helpful clue.

For a bigger question, you may need details from several places. If asked how the story shows Theo's worry, use the empty leash, tight throat, and repeated calls. Explain how those details fit together. A longer list helps only when the details support the point.

Give the detail clearly

You can quote the exact words or tell the detail in your own words. Follow the question if it requests a quote. You can locate evidence with “In the second sentence …” or “At the end ….” With several readings, name the title too.

Pictures can provide evidence when the question uses them. Name the picture and describe the feature you see. For example, lowered shoulders may help support a reading of sadness. Connect that visible feature to your answer, and check the words beside it.

Make the link visible

“He is worried because the story says so” gives no detail. “He is worried. ‘His throat felt tight’” supplies evidence but leaves its meaning for the reader to guess. Add the reason that body feeling supports worry. Useful starters include “This shows …” and “This suggests ….”

Quotation marks tell your reader which words belong to the author. A quote copies those words exactly. Choose a small piece that helps prove your point.

Copy and check

Find the part that supports the answer. Copy its words, spelling, and punctuation carefully. Put double quotation marks around the copied words. Then check them against the passage, word by word.

For Theo’s feeling, you can write: The story says, “His throat felt tight.” If you change it to “Theo felt a tight throat,” you are using your own wording. That cannot stand as the author's exact words.

You can quote a whole sentence or fit a phrase into your sentence. For Nadia's successful flight, you could write: On the next try, the kite “rose high above the trees.” The quotation marks surround only the words taken from the story.

Keep a quote short and useful

If asked to show how high the kite flew, “rose high above the trees” gives the useful part. The entire story would bury that detail. After the quote, explain what it shows about the flight.

An ellipsis, written “…,” signals words left out. From the bee passage, you might quote: “When a bee finds flowers, it … does a waggle dance.” The omission keeps the action true. Check the meaning after shortening. Leaving out a word such as “not” could reverse what someone said.

Handle speech inside a quote

Theo's story already includes spoken words. Use single quotation marks inside your double quotation marks: The story says, “‘Biscuit!’ he called again, but the park stayed quiet.” The outside marks show your quote; the inside marks show Theo's speech. Keep the exclamation mark with his call.

Quote or paraphrase?

“The kite flew above the treetops” paraphrases the flight. It uses changed wording, so do not label it as an exact quote. Name the story or sentence when your reader needs help finding the evidence.

Reading questions come in different forms. You can use the same careful start, then shape your answer to fit the question.

Start with the reading

Read the whole passage first. Then read the question, find its key words, and decide what kind of thinking it needs. Go back for the information or clues. Check the answer against both the passage and the question.

A question about an animal you know still asks about this passage. Return to its details, even when a different fact comes easily to mind.

Compare all the answers

For multiple-choice questions, read every answer before choosing. Cross out ideas that conflict with the passage or fail to answer the question. Then check the strongest remaining answer against the words.

In Theo's story, “Why does Theo call ‘Biscuit!’?” asks why he calls that name. You might think of food because “biscuit” is a food word. But the empty leash points to a dog. The surrounding scene helps you choose “He is looking for his dog.”

An answer can copy a word from the passage and still use it wrongly. Matching a familiar word is not enough; matching its meaning matters.

Make written answers complete

For a short answer, notice the requested number of details. If a question asks for two, find two separate details. The points available can help you judge the amount needed. Read the wording too: two points may reward two details or an answer with support.

A longer answer usually needs your idea, evidence, and an explanation. Words such as “explain” or “how do you know” ask for connected thinking. Plan the point before collecting your evidence so each detail has a job.

Link two-part answers

Some questions have a Part A and Part B. The first may ask how a character feels. The second may ask for evidence. If Part A says Theo is worried, Part B should support worry, such as his tight throat. A true sentence about the park may not support that answer.

If you get stuck, mark the question and return later. Leave time to check missing parts, exact copying, and whether each reason matches your answer.

A reading can hold more details than you need for a short account. Determining importance means deciding what matters most for your purpose.

Separate three kinds of information

A topic often fits in a few words. A main idea needs a full thought. “Bees” names a subject, but leaves out what the writer says about bees.

Work from the details

Ask, “What is this mostly about?” Then ask, “What does it say about that?” Test your answer against the details. In the bee passage, direction, distance, and following the dance all fit the idea of sharing food information.

The main idea may be stated near the beginning, middle, or end. Sometimes you need to put it into words yourself. Read all the important details before deciding. The first sentence gives a possible start, not an automatic answer.

Keep support, sort small extras

Ask of a detail, “Does this help explain or support the main idea?” The length of each straight waggle part helps explain how bees share distance. It is a key detail even if you could understand the general idea without it.

A detail can be interesting without helping the main point. If an article about a class garden mentions a visitor's striped hat, the hat may add color to the scene. It need not belong in a garden summary.

Look for more than one main idea

Read: “Beavers build dams across streams. They stack sticks and pack them with mud. The dam makes a deep pond. The pond helps other animals too. Ducks nest along its edges, and fish hide in the still water.”

One main idea is that beaver dams make ponds. Sticks and mud explain their building. Another is that these ponds help other animals; ducks and fish support it. A whole-passage summary should keep both ideas.

Your purpose affects what you select. For a question about ducks, the nesting detail matters directly. For the whole passage, include it only if that level of detail is needed.

You can tell someone about a reading in different amounts of detail. A retelling follows what happened. A summary keeps only the most important points.

Choose the kind of account

For a retelling, use “first,” “next,” “then,” and “finally” to keep the order clear. A retelling of Nadia's story includes building the kite, its crash, Sam finding the short tail, the repair, and the successful flight. It may include Saturday and the paper and sticks.

A paraphrase stays close to one idea. “The kite flew above the treetops” puts “The kite rose high above the trees” into new words. A summary selects across the whole story and leaves many details out.

Use a story frame

Try Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then.

• Somebody: Nadia.
• Wanted: to fly her kite.
• But: it crashed.
• So: she and Sam added a longer tail.
• Then: it flew high.

Join the parts: “Nadia wanted to fly her kite, but it crashed, so she and Sam added a longer tail and it flew high.” This keeps the problem, action, and result. Ribbon and Saturday are not needed for this short account.

Sum up nonfiction

Find the main idea in each important part, then join those ideas. In the beaver passage, keep both making ponds and helping other animals. You could write, “Beavers' dams make ponds that provide homes for other animals.” Add the sticks and mud only if the requested summary needs that building detail.

Check the finished summary

Compare it with the whole reading. Does it keep the main points? Is it shorter? Does it use your words? Remove small extras and your own opinions. “I loved the kite story” tells your view, so it belongs in a response about your opinion.

When choosing a summary on a test, watch for an answer that includes one true detail but misses the rest. Check for added events too. The best short account covers the reading's important meaning without changing it.

Two ideas can help you see something bigger when you join them. Synthesizing means building a new understanding from parts of one reading or from several readings.

Join ideas across readings

Text 1 says, “Sea otters often wrap themselves in kelp so they do not drift away while they sleep.” Text 2 says, “Sea otters have the thickest fur of any mammal. The fur keeps them warm in cold water.”

The first tells how otters stay in place. The second tells how they keep warm. Put them together: otters have ways to meet different needs while living in the ocean. That joined idea is bigger than either detail alone.

You can track changed thinking with “At first I thought …, but now I think … because ….” The final part needs evidence. For Nadia, the successful flight after the repair can change your view of why the kite first crashed.

Reach a supported conclusion

A conclusion is an idea you reach after thinking about evidence. Collect the relevant details, ask what they add up to, and check your answer against them.

The beaver passage tells you that a dam makes a pond and other animals use that pond. You can conclude that damage to the dam could affect those animals' homes. This goes beyond the direct words, so it is an inference too. Say “could” because the passage does not tell you exactly what will happen to each animal.

A summary gives the important information already in the reading. A conclusion gives what you decide from evidence. Joining two stated facts may give a concise account without adding a new inference.

Compare as you join

Ask what is the same and what differs. Within Nadia's story, the first flight fails with a short tail; the next succeeds after the tail is lengthened. Comparing helps explain what changed.

Across sources, ask what they agree on, what each adds, and where they differ. Use words such as “both,” “also,” and “but” to show the connection clearly.

If sources disagree, check who wrote them, when, and what support they give. Look for another reliable source when you can. Choosing the version you like best leaves the disagreement unresolved.

Writers share facts and views. You can separate them and decide how well the writing supports its ideas.

Check a statement's kind

A fact is a statement that can be checked and shown to be true. An opinion gives someone's thought, feeling, or belief. People may disagree about an opinion.

“A honeybee has six legs” is a fact you can check. “Bees are the most amazing insects” expresses a view. Words such as “best,” “boring,” “should,” and “I think” often hint at opinions. Use the meaning too; an opinion need not announce itself with “I think.”

Being checkable tells you how to test a claim. You still need to check it before accepting it as a true fact. Confident writing alone cannot make a wrong number correct.

One sentence can mix kinds: “Bees make honey, which is the most delicious food in the world.” Making honey is factual. Calling it the most delicious gives a taste judgment. Check each part separately.

Judge with a reason

Evaluating means making a thoughtful judgment. You might judge a character's choice, a writer's advice, or how clearly a passage explains something.

For “Was Sam a good helper?” you could answer, “Yes. He noticed that the kite's tail was too short, which helped them choose the repair.” That gives a judgment, a detail, and why the detail matters. “I liked Sam” leaves the help unexplained.

Opinions can have strong support. A writer who recommends planting flowers because bees use them for food gives a reason to examine. “Plant flowers because I said so” gives no support you can check.

Think about information you use

When reading to learn, ask who wrote it and what evidence they give. Check whether it is recent enough for your question. Ask whether it answers what you need and whether the writer is trying to persuade you.

For a changed opening time, a current notice from the place itself gives better help than an old visitor's memory. For a story judgment, return to the character's actual actions. The kind of evidence you need depends on the question you are answering.