Answer Factual Comprehension Questions About Details Stated in the Text - TACHS Reading

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Why Factual Comprehension Matters

Have you ever read a passage on a test and then been asked, "What did the author say about...?" That is a factual comprehension question. It is asking you to find information that is written right there in the text. This type of question has been a key part of reading tests for over a hundred years.

Teachers and test makers have long wanted to know whether students can understand what they read. Over time, they developed different kinds of questions. One of the most basic and important types is the factual detail question. Let's look at how this skill became so important.

1910s • First Standardized Reading Tests

Schools began giving reading tests with short passages and questions. Most questions simply asked students to recall facts from the text.

1950s • Bloom's Taxonomy Created

Educator Benjamin Bloom classified thinking skills into levels. "Knowledge" and "comprehension" — recalling and understanding facts — formed the foundation.

1980s • State Assessments Expand

States began requiring standardized reading tests. Factual comprehension questions became a core part of every exam, including tests like the TACHS.

Today • Modern Reading Tests

The TACHS and similar exams still test your ability to find facts in a passage. This skill is the building block for all other reading skills.

So, the big question this lesson answers is: How do you find the right answer when a question asks about a fact or detail that is stated directly in the passage? Let's dig in.

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Core Principles of Factual Comprehension

Before you can answer factual detail questions well, you need to understand a few key ideas. These principles will guide you every time you face a reading passage on the TACHS or any other test.

The Answer Is in the Text

Factual questions only ask about information that is stated directly in the passage. You do not need to guess or use outside knowledge.

Key Words Are Your Clues

Look for key words (important nouns, names, dates, or numbers) in the question. Then scan the passage for those same words or close synonyms.

Read Around the Detail

Once you find the key words in the passage, read the full sentence — and the sentences before and after it. This is called reading in context.

Watch Out for Tricky Wrong Answers

Wrong answer choices, called distractors, often use words from the passage but twist the meaning. Always double-check your answer against the actual text.

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KEY TAKEAWAY

Think of a factual comprehension question like a scavenger hunt. The "treasure" (the answer) is hidden somewhere in the passage. The question gives you clues about where to look. You just need to match the clues to the right spot in the text and grab the answer!

SECTION 3

The Factual Question Process — A Visual Guide

Answering a factual detail question follows a clear, step-by-step process. The diagram below shows you exactly what to do, from reading the question to confirming your answer.

This flowchart shows the five steps you should follow every time you answer a factual detail question. Start at the top and work your way down.

Notice how every step keeps you connected to the passage. You never have to make something up. The answer is always waiting for you in the text. Your job is to follow these steps like a detective following a trail of clues.

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How Factual Questions Work on the TACHS

On the TACHS, factual comprehension questions follow a pattern. Understanding this pattern makes it easier to recognize them and respond correctly.

Common Question Stems

A question stem is the beginning part of a question. Factual detail questions often start with phrases like these: "According to the passage...," "The author states that...," "Which detail from the passage...," or "What does the text say about...?" When you see these phrases, you know the answer is stated directly in the reading.

How Answer Choices Try to Trick You

Test makers design wrong answers, called distractors, to look tempting. Some distractors use words from the passage but change a key detail. Others state something that is true in real life but is never mentioned in the passage. Still others twist the information so that it sounds close but is actually wrong.

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Watch Out!

A common trap is an answer choice that is generally true but is not stated in the passage. For factual questions, the only correct answer is one supported by specific words in the text.

The "Go Back and Check" Rule

Never rely on memory alone. Always go back to the passage and find the exact sentence that supports your answer. This takes a few extra seconds but prevents careless mistakes. Think of the passage as your answer key — it is right there in front of you!

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Types of Factual Detail Questions

Not all factual questions look the same. They come in different forms, but they all ask you to find information stated in the text. The diagram below breaks down the main types you will see on the TACHS.

Factual detail questions come in five main types: Who/What, When/Where, How/How Many, Specific Detail, and Sequence/Order. Recognizing the type helps you know what to look for.

Each type of question points you toward a different kind of detail. A Who/What question sends you looking for a name or a thing. A When/Where question sends you looking for a date or a place. Once you identify what type of fact the question is after, your search through the passage becomes much faster.

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Worked Example: Finding the Answer Step by Step

Let's walk through a complete example. Read the short passage below, and then we will answer a factual detail question together.

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Sample Passage

The Great Wall of China stretches over 13,000 miles across northern China. Construction began during the 7th century BC, when several small walls were built by individual states. Emperor Qin Shi Huang connected many of these walls around 221 BC to protect against invasions from the north. Most of the wall that tourists visit today was built during the Ming Dynasty, which lasted from 1368 to 1644 AD. The wall is made of stone, brick, tamped earth, and other materials.

Question: According to the passage, during which dynasty was most of the wall that tourists visit today built?

Step-by-Step Solution

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Step 1 — Read the Question Carefully

The question asks "during which dynasty" the wall that "tourists visit today" was built. Notice the stem "According to the passage" — this tells us the answer is stated directly in the text.
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Step 2 — Identify Key Words

The key words are "dynasty," "tourists visit today," and "built." These are what we need to search for in the passage.
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Step 3 — Scan the Passage

We scan for the word "tourists" and find it in the fourth sentence: "Most of the wall that tourists visit today was built during the Ming Dynasty." We also see the word "dynasty" right there.
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Step 4 — Read in Context

The full sentence says: "Most of the wall that tourists visit today was built during the Ming Dynasty, which lasted from 1368 to 1644 AD." This gives us the answer and extra details about the time period.
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Step 5 — Choose the Answer

The passage clearly states it was the Ming Dynasty. We can confidently select that answer.

Answer: The Ming Dynasty

See how straightforward it is when you follow the steps? You found the key words, located them in the passage, read the sentence, and picked the answer. No guessing needed!

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Strategies vs. Common Mistakes

There are strong strategies that help you answer factual questions correctly, and there are common mistakes that can trip you up. The table below compares them side by side so you can see what to do — and what to avoid.

Strong Strategy ✅	Common Mistake ❌
Go back to the passage and re-read the relevant sentence before choosing an answer.	Rely on memory and pick the answer that "sounds right" without checking the text.
Look for key words from the question in the passage to locate the answer quickly.	Re-read the entire passage from the beginning for every question, wasting valuable time.
Check that your answer is supported by specific words in the text.	Choose an answer because it is true in real life, even though the passage does not state it.
Eliminate distractors by comparing each answer choice to the passage.	Pick the first answer that uses familiar words from the passage without checking if the meaning matches.
Read the sentence before and after the key detail for full understanding.	Read only the exact phrase that matches and ignore important surrounding context.

Strategies for Success vs. Common Pitfalls

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KEY TAKEAWAY

Imagine you are a detective solving a case. A good detective never says, "I think the suspect did it" without looking at the evidence. You should treat the passage like your evidence file. Every answer you choose must be backed up by something you can point to in the text.

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Factual Questions vs. Inferential Questions

Now that you understand factual detail questions, it helps to see how they compare to inferential questions (questions that ask you to figure something out that is not directly stated). Knowing the difference keeps you from over-thinking a factual question or under-thinking an inferential one.

Feature	Factual Detail Question	Inferential Question
Where is the answer?	Stated directly in the text	Not stated — you must figure it out from clues
Common stems	"According to the passage..." "The author states..."	"You can infer..." "The author implies..."
What skill is tested?	Locating and recalling specific facts	Reading between the lines and drawing conclusions
Best strategy	Find the exact sentence in the passage	Combine clues from multiple sentences

Factual vs. Inferential Questions

As you move forward in your reading skills, you will use factual comprehension as a foundation. Once you can find facts confidently, making inferences becomes much easier. Think of factual skills as the first floor of a building — everything else is built on top of them.

SECTION 9

Practice Problems

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Practice Passage

Monarch butterflies are famous for their incredible migration. Every fall, millions of monarchs travel up to 3,000 miles from Canada and the United States to the forests of central Mexico. They gather in oyamel fir trees, where the cool temperatures help them conserve energy. The butterflies begin their return trip northward in March. Along the way, female monarchs lay their eggs on milkweed plants, which are the only food source for monarch caterpillars. Scientists have tracked the butterflies using tiny adhesive tags placed on their wings.

Question 1: CONCEPTUAL

According to the passage, where do monarch butterflies travel to every fall?

Show answer

The passage states that monarchs travel "to the forests of central Mexico." This is a straightforward Who/Where factual question. The key words to look for in the passage are "every fall" and "travel." The third sentence tells us they gather in oyamel fir trees in Mexico, which confirms the destination.

Question 2: BASIC

According to the passage, how far do monarch butterflies travel during their migration?

Show answer

The passage says monarchs travel "up to 3,000 miles." This is a How Many question. By scanning for a number in the passage, you can quickly locate "3,000 miles" in the second sentence. The phrase "up to" tells us that 3,000 miles is the maximum distance, not an exact number every butterfly flies.

Question 3: INTERMEDIATE

What is the only food source for monarch caterpillars, as stated in the passage?

Show answer

The passage says that "milkweed plants" are "the only food source for monarch caterpillars." The key words to scan for are "food source" and "caterpillars." Notice how the question says "as stated in the passage." This tells you the answer must come directly from the text. A distractor might mention nectar or flowers, but milkweed is the only answer supported by the passage.

Question 4: APPLIED

According to the passage, how have scientists tracked monarch butterflies?

Show answer

The last sentence says scientists tracked them "using tiny adhesive tags placed on their wings." To find this answer, you would scan for the key word "scientists" or "tracked." A tricky distractor might say "using GPS devices" or "using colored paint," which are methods used in real life for other animals but are not mentioned in this passage. Always check your answer against the actual words in the text.

Question 5: CRITICAL THINKING

A student claims that monarchs begin their northward trip in February. Based on the passage, is this claim supported? Explain your reasoning using a specific detail from the text.

Show answer

No, the claim is not supported by the passage. The text specifically states, "The butterflies begin their return trip northward in March." The student's claim of February contradicts this stated fact. This question tests your ability to verify or reject a claim by going back to the text. On the TACHS, you might see answer choices that are close to the correct detail but slightly off — like February instead of March. Reading carefully and matching exact details prevents you from falling for these traps.

SUMMARY

Lesson Summary

Summary

Factual comprehension questions ask about information that is stated directly in the passage. To answer them, follow five steps: read the question, identify key words, scan the passage for those words, read the surrounding context, and match the detail to the correct answer choice. Always go back to the text to verify your answer instead of relying on memory.

Watch out for distractors — wrong answers that use words from the passage but twist the meaning. Common question types include Who/What, When/Where, How/How Many, Specific Detail, and Sequence/Order questions. Mastering factual comprehension builds the foundation for harder skills like making inferences and analyzing an author's purpose.