STUDY

Instructions are like a special recipe or a set of rules to follow. You get instructions from your teachers at school and from your bosses at work. When you get instructions, you need to read them carefully to do the job correctly. However, sometimes instructions are hard to understand. Here are some suggestions to make sure you know what to do:

1. Read the instructions slowly and then read them again.

2. Circle important verbs like "write" or "draw".

3. Make a checklist to help you remember what you need to do in longer assignments, such as:

• brainstorm ideas
• do some research
• et cetera

4. Understand different types of questions so that you can answer them correctly. Use the exercise below to identify different types of questions.

INSTRUCTIONS: Look back at the questions on the previous page. What types of questions do you see? Match the question with its type.

A. Fill-in-the-blank
B. True/False
C. Multiple choice (choose one)
D. Multiple choice (choose more than one)
E. Short answer
F. Ordering
G. Matching

Question 1
Question 2
Question 3
Question 4
Question 5
Question 6
Question 7

What strategies do you already have for answering these different types of questions?

INSTRUCTIONS: Read these suggestions about how to answer different types of test questions.

Multiple Choice

Read the entire question. Do you need to choose only one answer? Or do you need to choose more than one answer? Then look for keywords, such as words like "not" or "except". For example:

Which of the following is NOT an invention that uses the wheel?

• A. car
• B. airplane
• C. train
• D. boat

All of these inventions use wheels EXCEPT:

• A. car
• B. airplane
• C. train
• D. boat

After you read the question, try to answer it in your mind. Look at the answer choices. Cross out any that you know are incorrect. Then think about the differences in the other answer choices. Focus on the best answer, not just the answer that seems correct.

Finally, if you don't know, make a guess. Usually a good guess is better than no answer at all.

True/False

Read the entire question. Often, only one word makes the sentence true or false. For example:

"The sky is blue." is correct, but "The sky is always blue." is not. Therefore, look at each word or phrase separately. If you find one false thing, then the whole statement is false.

On the other hand, flexible words like usually, often, and sometimes often point to a true statement because they allow room for the statement to also be false.

A big challenge with true/false questions is the use of negatives, such as not and cannot. Try this: Remove the negative word from the sentence and read it again. Is this new sentence true? If so, then your answer to the question with the negative is false. For example, if the statement is: "A duck cannot swim," you would change cannot to can and ask yourself whether the new sentence is true. It is, because ducks can swim. Therefore the original sentence is false. Try it with this sentence: "An apple is not a fruit." False

Fill-in-the-Blank

Read the sentence. What kind of information is it? Can you determine the part of speech? If so, then scan the text for words that use the same part of speech. Also pay attention to the word that comes before the blank. For example:

• an (the next word must begin with a vowel sound)
• many (if the next word is a noun, it will be plural)

Compare the sentence in the question to sentences in the text. Scan for similar patterns, keywords, or other context clues. These often point to the correct answer.

Focus on the number of blanks, not the length of the blank. A shorter space does not usually mean a shorter word.

Matching

Look at both lists carefully.

• What are the relationships between the two columns?
• For example, are you matching a word and its definition? Or are you combining words into phrases?
• Focus on one list first. Choose a word. Then scan the second list for its match. If you don't find a match, then continue with the next item of the first list. Don't choose something from the second list and start scanning the first list. Work through one list completely first.
• Remember that some answers may be similar. You might need to change an early answer after you see more options later. Therefore, it's better to first answer only those that you know for sure are correct. Then go back and look at the remaining items. In this way, you have a smaller list to study more carefully.

Ordering

Ordering questions want you to put information in the correct sequence. What is first? What is second? There is only one correct solution. All the answers must be used, and they must be in the correct order.

• Be sure to understand the sequence you need to use. Low to high? Beginning to end? Most to least? Least to most? Alphabetical? Numerical? Time order?
• Begin by looking back at the article. Label the topic of each paragraph. Then scan for transition words, such as first, next, then, finally. If you are completing a timeline, look for dates. If you are ordering quantities, look for numbers.
• Sometimes you need to put sentences in the correct order to form a paragraph. A paragraph usually begins with a topic sentence that gives the reader the main idea. Supporting details then explain the main idea. They often build on each other, so look for words such as also, furthermore, however. You should also notice pronouns such as this, that, these, and those that point back to something said earlier.

Short Answer

Keep your answer short and think carefully about what the teacher wants. Should you write in complete sentences? Or just a word?

• Write in complete sentences if your teacher uses phrases like these, especially if they have a modal verb: Give your opinion about this topic... Compare/contrast these two countries... What should the main character do when... A complete sentence has a subject + verb + complete idea; it uses standard spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.
• If the question is simple and direct, then a word, phrase, or even numerical answer is probably enough. For example: When did the U.S. join World War II? ... Who wrote the book "In the Time of Butterflies"? ... Where is the city of Taipei?
• Pay close attention to what the question wants and give only that type of answer. For example:

• What is pottery? Give a definition.
• What is one kind of pottery art? Give an example.
• Why do potters use a wheel? Give an explanation.
• What is the relationship between the wheel and art? Give the connection.