Revised: 2/19/19

Carolyn McAllister Videos on Reading for TEAS

Episode 1: Getting Started

1. Read the question first!

2. Don’t leave questions blank! Narrow down, guess, and move on!

3. Primary source = ORIGINAL! (Ex: Photos, diaries, letters, eye witness report)

-Newspapers are NOT a primary source!

-Biographies are NOT primary sources, Autobiographies ARE!

Episode 2: Passage Types

Scan the passage first!

1. Expository:

-Factual, informative. (Ex. Textbook, Encyclopedia)

-Where would you find this passage?

-Historical passages

-If you see numbers, the majority of the time it will be expository.

2. Persuasive:

-Opinion words (Ex: should, good, best, most, seemed)

-Persuades

3. Narrative:

-Personal story

-Personal pronouns (Ex. We, I, They, My)

-Fiction (Ex. Harry Potter, Game of Thrones)

-Dialogue

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Episode 3: Reference Materials

1. Dictionary:

-Meaning of a word.

2. Thesaurus:

-Varying word choices

-Similar words

3. Appendix:

-Supplemental information

-Appears in back of book

-Graphs, maps, etc.

4. Almanac:

-Book/calendar

-Predictive (Ex. Solar eclipse outlook)

5. Index:

-Very back of book

-Specific and detailed

-Includes page numbers

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Episode 4: Key Ideas and Details

1. Main idea:

-Thesis statement: Last sentence of first paragraph

2. Summary:

-First sentence of the last paragraph

3. Topic sentence:

-ALWAYS the first sentence of every paragraph

4. Supporting details:

-Will appear in the same paragraph as the topic sentence

-Supports

Episode 5: Recipes

Types of recipe questions:

1. Asks what is the first thing that needs to be done.

2. Asks what should be done before a specific step.

3. Also, be sure that you are familiar with different words that describe an action.

Side note: Recipes are EXPOSITORY!

EXAMPLE QUESTIONS start on next page.

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EXAMPLE QUESTIONS:

1. Asks what is the first thing that needs to be done.

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2. Asks what should be done before a specific step.

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3. Be sure that you are familiar with different words that describe an action.

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Episode 6: Maps

You could have a map question that might tell you someone is driving in one direction and makes multiple turns and

then ask you to determine which direction the driver was then headed.

Q: A driver is headed towards the west he drives 10 miles and then turns left. He continues to drive and at the third

traffic light, he turns left again. He turns right at the stop sign and arrives at his destination. What direction is the

driver heading?

1. There will not be a map for that question.

2. Take a scratch piece of paper and quickly sketch a compass with the directions N, S, E, and W:

- Always start in the opposite direction of where the driver is going. (If the driver is heading West, then you

have to start on the East side.)

- Place your pencil on the East side and start drawing a line toward the West.

- He drives 10 miles and then turns left. (Turn left)

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- He continues to drive and at the third traffic light, he turns left again.

- He turns right at the stop sign and arrives at his destination. What direction is he heading? (Draw an arrow at

the end of the line.) SOUTH!

Episode 7: Facts and Opinions

1. Fact:

-Information that can be verified.

-Information that can be proven. (Ex. Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in Ford’s Theater.)

-Do not contain any opinions.

-If a passage contains numbers, it is almost always a fact.

-Do not reveal the author’s feelings.

Question Example:

Q: Which of the following statements is a fact?

a.) It seems like college education is becoming more expensive every day.

b.) The game starts at 7:30 Thursday evening.

c.) Students should always take notes during lectures.

d.) The A&P I professor is the best I have ever had.

The correct answer is B.

The words: seems, should, and best in the other answer choices indicate opinions.

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2. Opinions

-Contain a writer’s feelings or beliefs.

-They are not true or false.

-Contain one person’s viewpoint.

-Words that indicate an opinion: should, best, seems, most, good, better, worst

Question Example:

Q: Which of the following statements contain an opinion?

a.) Daylight Savings Time begins next weekend.

b.) The University of Maryland requires a 3.0 GPA for their Nursing Program.

c.) We should be sure to get enough sleep every night.

d.) Thanksgiving is celebrated on the third Thursday in November.

The correct answer is C.

All other answer choices are facts and can be verified.

Episode 8: Commas and Semi-Colons

1. Commas

-Use a comma when you have a series of 3 or more items.

(Ex. The students are focusing on reading, science, and math.)

-Use a comma to separate day and year in a date.

(Ex. She is taking the TEAS on November 13, 2018.)

-Use a comma when combining two complete sentences (also known as independent clauses) before the

FANBOYS. (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)

(Ex. We went to the football game, and our team won!)

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2. Semi-Colons

- Use a semi-colon to separate two complete sentences instead of using FANBOYS.

(Ex. We traveled to Rome; it was a beautiful city.) **The two sentences must be associated with each other.

- Use a semi-colon to separate items in a series that already have commas (complex series).

(Ex. The people attending the meeting included Al Jones, President; Lisa Smith, Vice President; and Diane

Jones, Treasurer.)

- Use a semi-colon to join clauses using transitional words like: however, otherwise, therefore, subsequently, in

addition.

(Ex. It is going to snow 3 feet tonight; therefore, all classes tomorrow are cancelled.)

Episode 9: Logical Conclusions

1.) Based on the information given the answer would be A. because it says, “Seven eyewitnesses positively

identified Father Pagano as the robber.”

2.) Will never be “both of the above.” It does not say anywhere that Father Pagano committed the robberies;

therefore, the answer would be B because eyewitnesses identified the robber as Father Pagano.

3.) The answer would be A because in many cases, eyewitnesses are not always reliable and they eyewitnesses

identified the wrong man as the robber.

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4.) The logical conclusion would be answer B. They were named after the man who promoted him because the

man’s name is Dr. Graham.

5.) The answer is C because if there is “Dr.” in front of something, people may assume that it is healthy.

6.) Both of the above will not be the answer. B is not correct because they did influence him. So, we can conclude

that A is the answer.

7.) A is not the answer because there is clearly a lot of gold. C is not the answer because it could not have been

easy to count that much gold. The answer is B, because $10 is nothing compared to the large amount in the

passage.

8.) The answer is C because it would have been ignorant to only steal $10.

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Episode 10: Bias and Stereotype

Bias and stereotype are closely related. The best way to determine if a passage contains a bias or stereotype is to look

for opinion words. (Ex. should, best, good, seems, etc.)

1. Bias

-To determine whether a passage contains a bias, you have to quickly search the passage for words that

indicate an opinion.

1. Is the author biased?

-Read the first sentence of each paragraph. (Topic sentence)

-Look for a word that indicates opinion.

The author IS biased because he used the opinion word, should.

2. Does the author try to hide his bias?

No, he is not because he used an opinion word.

2. Stereotype: Grouping races or people together and labeling them (even though you don’t know them).

Includes racial and gender remarks.

-To determine whether a passage contains a stereotype, you have to quickly search the passage for words that

indicate an opinion.

-Also, look to see if the passage refers to/labels a group of people.

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Episode 11: Pronoun Antecedents

Pronoun: Takes the place of a noun. (Ex. Instead of saying “Mary is going to bed”, you say “She is going to bed”.)

Antecedent: The noun the pronoun refers to. (Ex. Instead of saying “The doctor went to the doctor’s car”, you would

say “The doctor went to his car”.)

Pronoun Antecedent Agreement:

-A pronoun takes the place of a noun.

-An antecedent is the noun that the pronoun refers back to.

(Ex. The nurse used the nurse’s stethoscope in the physical assessment. --- The nurse used her stethoscope in the

physical assessment.)

-The pronoun has to agree with the antecedent (singular vs. plural).

(Ex. The nurse used her stethoscope in the physical assessment.

Nurse is singular, so a singular pronoun must be used (her).)

-If there is a phrase or clause between the subject and the verb, the pronoun still must agree with the antecedent.

(Ex. The car on the road is screeching its tires.

Car is singular so it uses the singular pronoun (its).)

-Indefinite Pronouns:

-Singular and do not refer to something/someone specific

-One, someone, anyone, no one, everyone, each, somebody, anybody, nobody, everybody, either, neither,

something, anything, nothing, everything

-Compound subjects joined by “and” must have plural pronouns.

(Ex. Bill and Ted spent all their money on their excellent adventure.

Bill and Ted is a compound subject, so it must have a plural pronoun (their).)

-Compound subjects joined by “nor/or” uses a pronoun that agrees with the antecedent that is the closest pronoun.

(Ex. Neither the doctor nor the nurses took their break.

Nurses is plural, and it is the antecedent closest to the pronoun, so it must have a plural pronoun (their).)

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Episode 12: Story Elements

1. Exposition

2. Rising action

3. Climax

4. Falling action

5. Resolution

1. Exposition:

-The beginning of the story.

-Characters are introduced.

-Setting is described.

-Identifies the problem.

2. Rising Action

-Where the action is.

-Suspense builds.

-Leads up to the climax.

3. Climax

-Considered a critical moment.

-The part of the story when it really gets good!

-This is when you can’t put the book down!

4. Falling Action

-Everything that happens right after the climax.

-Solution to the problems appear.

-Characters work together to solve the problem.

5. Resolution

-The end of the story and all conflicts have been resolved.

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Episode 13: Subject/Verb Agreement

1. If the subject is singular, the verb ends in “s”.

(Ex. The dog barks at the cat. Dog = singular subject. Verb = must have an “s”.)

- If the subject is plural, the verb does not end in “s”.

(Ex. The dogs bark at the cat. Dogs = plural subject. Verb = does not have an “s”.)

2. Personal Pronouns (we, they, he, she) follow the same rules as the ones previously mentioned.

(Ex. He sees the cat. He = singular subject. Verb = must have an “s”.)

-EXCEPTION WHEN USING PERSONAL PRONOUNS (I and You):

(Ex. I speak with a loud voice. I = personal pronoun, singular subject. Verb = does not have an “s”.)

3. Past tense: Both singular and plural subjects use the same form of the verb.

(Ex. The dog barked at the cat. Dog = singular subject. Verb = past tense = “ed”.)

4. Helping verbs:

-If the subject is singular, the helping verb ends in “s”.

(Ex. The dog has barked at the cat. Dog = singular subject. Helping Verb = must have an “s”.)

-If the subject is plural, the helping verb does not end in “s”.

(Ex. The dogs have barked at the cat. Dogs = plural subject. Helping Verb = does not have an “s”.)

5. Some indefinite pronouns might sound plural, but they are singular. Therefore, they use verbs that end in “s”.

-either, neither, other, anybody, anyone, anything, somebody, someone, something, everybody, everyone,

everything, nobody, no one, nothing, each, one.

(Ex. Someone has the winning lottery ticket. Someone = singular subject. Verb = ends in “s”.)

6. Some indefinite pronouns are plural and use verbs that do not end in “s”.

-both, many, few, several, others

(Ex. Both have a winning lottery ticket. Both = plural subject. Verb = does not end in “s”.

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Episode 14: Tone & Mood

1. Tone

-Author’s attitude toward something

-Usually biased, judgmental, and/or emotional.

-Uses words to express a positive, negative, or neutral meaning

(Ex. Delightful, Tragic, Questioning)

-Uses different words to influence the reader’s reaction to the passage.

-Types of tones: optimism, bitterness, tolerance, humorous, anger, respectfulness, kindness, and

revengefulness.

(Ex. Although we did not have any money for gifts, we still had each other. (Optimism)

(Ex. The nurse worked long hours and took very good care of her patients. (Respectfulness)

-Formal Tone: Any passage that is factual – expository.

(Ex. Passages from textbooks, encyclopedias, and biographies.)

-Nostalgic Tone: Passages that appear to reminisce about the “good old days.”

-Narrative passages are usually nostalgic.

-Will usually contain personal pronouns.

(Ex. I remember when I received my first bicycle.)

-Tragic Tone: Passage that might appear in a newspaper, reporting a disturbing event.

(Ex. Someone used force to enter the food pantry and stole all the food that was to be distributed to the

needy.)

-Reflective Tone: Often Narrative passage. Uses personal pronouns and describes how and individual

might feel about an experience.

(Ex. I realize now that I can learn as much from students as they might learn from me.)

2. Mood

-Readers reaction to the author’s tone.

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Episode 15: Quotation Marks

When do we need to use quotation marks?

1. Direct quotes

(Ex. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate

cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”)

2. Titles

(Ex. “To Kill a Mockingbird”, “The Diary of Anne Frank”, “Romeo and Juliet”)

3. Dialogue

(Ex. The weather man said, “It is going to be a very cold and snowy winter.”)

Punctuation and Quotation Marks:

1. Commas and period always go inside quotation marks.

(Ex. “Please be sure to clear your desks before the exam,” said the professor.)

(Ex. The proctor informed us that “No one is permitted to use a personal calculator during the TEAS exam.”)

2. Question marks and exclamation points can go either on the inside or outside of quotation marks, depending

on the sentence.

(Ex. The student asked, “Does anyone have any paper I can borrow?”)

(Ex. Did the student ask, “Does anyone have any paper I can borrow”?

3. Semi-colons always go outside the quotation marks.

(Ex. Everyone should be finished reading “Sherlock Holmes”;)

(Ex. The label read “First call 911”; you would be wise to follow those instructions.)

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Episode 16: Parts of Speech (Part 1): Nouns

Noun: A person, place, or thing.

(Ex. girl, child, car, computer, school, sky, New York City)

-Always includes names.

Two types of nouns:

1. Common

(Ex. cat, house, sport, plate, book)

-Not capitalized unless they are the first word in a sentence or are part of a title.

(Ex. Eagles have very strong talons.)

(Ex. “To Kill a Mockingbird”

2. Proper

-Includes people’s names and titles, cities, states, countries, and the names of companies and other

businesses

(Ex. Nancy, Editor-in-Chief, Los Angeles, Maryland, Canada, Amazon, Harvard University)

-Always capitalized.

(Ex. The student grew up in a village in Ghana.)

(Ex. Benjamin applied to two different universities: Columbia University and Louisiana State University.)

(Ex. Internships are available at Microsoft, Apple, and Google.)

(Ex. Doctor Ahmed prescribed medication for the sick little boy.)

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Purpose of nouns:

-Subject of a sentence (the person or thing doing the action)

(Ex. The cat ate. (cat is doing the action [ate]))

(Ex. The child cried. (child is doing the action [cried]))

-Subject complement (used with linking verb)

(Ex. The teacher is a scholar. (scholar tells who the teacher is))

(Ex. The women are veterans. (women tells who the veterans are))

-Object (direct object, indirect object, object of preposition)

(Ex. The boy ate the ice cream. (ice cream tells what the boy ate))

(Ex. The students read books. (books tells what the students read))