Overall Review Questions

Meeting 7

• One that asks about the passage as a whole rather than one small detail

Overall Review

Questions

Overall review questions are

NOT main idea questions.

They ask about some other

aspect of the passage as a

whole.

Where in the passage something

is found.

The tone of the passage

The author’s purpose in writing

the passage

Which course the passage might be a

part of

Most common types of overall

review questions

SKILL 12Determine where specific information is found

The answer choices will list possible locations for that information.

Study the questions to determine the information that you are looking for

Go to the lines listed in the answers and skim for that information

SKILL 13Determine the tone, purpose, or course

Tone

If the author is showing

any emotion in his or

her writing.

Type of tone in a passage

Informational

Explanatory

Factual

If the author is being funny, the tone might be humorous.

If the author is making fun of something, the tone might be sarcastic.

If the author feels strongly that something is right or wrong, the tone might be impassioned.

Purpose What the author is

trying to do in the passage.

By referring to the main idea and the organization of details in the

passage

Draw a conclusion about the author’s purpose

The main idea

George Washington’s

early life greatly influence his later

career.

The details give a history of his early

life

The author’s purpose

might be

To show how George

Washington’s early life

influenced his later career.

However..The answer to a purpose question is often more general than the main idea.

The more general author’s purpose is..

To demonstrate the influence of early experiences on later life (without any mention of George Washington.

Course

To decide which

university course might

have this passage as assigned reading.

Draw a conclusion about the course by referring to the topic of the passage and the organization of details.

If the passage is about George Washington and the details give historical background on his early life..

This would probably be assigned reading in an American class history.