Adult Literacy Beginner Quiz: Describing Simple Problems
10 questions · exam conditions
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Describing Simple ProblemsQuestion 1 of 10

Your appointment card says Wednesday at ten. A phone reminder says Tuesday at ten. You do not know which day is right.

What should you say when you call the office?

My card says Tuesday. My reminder says Wednesday.
My card says Wednesday. My reminder says eleven.
My card says Wednesday. My reminder also says Wednesday.
My card says Wednesday. My reminder says Tuesday.
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Adult Literacy Beginner Quiz

Adult Literacy Beginner Quiz: Describing Simple Problems

Practice Describing Simple Problems in Adult Literacy Beginner with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Describing Simple Problems, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Adult Literacy Beginner.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

Your appointment card says Wednesday at ten. A phone reminder says Tuesday at ten. You do not know which day is right.

What should you say when you call the office?

  1. My card says Tuesday. My reminder says Wednesday.
  2. My card says Wednesday. My reminder says eleven.
  3. My card says Wednesday. My reminder also says Wednesday.
  4. My card says Wednesday. My reminder says Tuesday. (correct answer)
Explanation: When reading for details, your job is to match information exactly as it appears in the passage — no swapping, no changing. This question tests whether you can accurately report two specific facts: what the appointment card says and what the phone reminder says. Go back to the passage. The card says Wednesday. The reminder says Tuesday. You need the answer choice that states both of those details correctly. Choice D says "My card says Wednesday. My reminder says Tuesday." That matches the passage perfectly — Wednesday on the card, Tuesday on the reminder. This is the correct answer because it gives the office both pieces of conflicting information, which is exactly what you would need to say to clear up the confusion. Choice A gets the two sources swapped — it says the card says Tuesday and the reminder says Wednesday, which is the opposite of what the passage tells you. Choice B gets the card right (Wednesday) but changes the reminder's time from ten to eleven, which is a detail that never appeared in the passage at all. Choice C says both the card and the reminder say Wednesday, but that would mean there is no conflict — and the whole point of the passage is that the two sources disagree. A good strategy for detail questions like this: slow down and match each part of the answer to the passage one piece at a time. Wrong answers often flip two details, change a small word, or make the conflict disappear. If an answer sounds "close," check it piece by piece before choosing it.

Question 2

You paid your rent online on Friday. You received an email receipt. On Monday, the rental office sent a notice that your rent was not paid.

What should you say to the rental office?

  1. I paid on Monday. My receipt gives Friday as the due date.
  2. I paid on Friday. The notice says my rent is unpaid. (correct answer)
  3. I did not pay on Friday. The notice is correct.
  4. I paid on Friday. I did not receive a receipt.
Explanation: When you need to respond to a mistake someone else made, the key is to say what you did correctly and point to the evidence that proves it. In this situation, you paid on Friday and received an email receipt — those are your two important facts. Answer B is correct because it states both facts accurately: you paid on Friday, and you have the notice in hand showing a discrepancy. This gives the rental office the information they need to look into their error. It is calm, factual, and supported by your receipt. Answer A contains a factual error — it says you paid on Monday, but you actually paid on Friday. Always check that the dates in your response match what really happened. Mixing up dates could make you look dishonest or confused. Answer C is simply wrong. It says you did not pay, which is the opposite of the truth. Agreeing with an incorrect notice when you have proof of payment would only hurt you — you could be charged a late fee or even face eviction. Answer D says you did not receive a receipt, but the passage clearly states you did receive one. Your receipt is your most important proof here, so leaving it out of your response would weaken your case significantly. A good strategy for questions like this: always look for the answer that matches all the facts in the passage, not just some of them. Distractors often change one detail — a date, a fact, or a piece of evidence — to make you second-guess yourself. Read carefully and check every detail before choosing.

Question 3

Your manager said you could have Monday off. The new schedule says you must work Monday at eight.

What should you say to your manager?

  1. My day off is Tuesday. The schedule lists work on Monday.
  2. My day off is Monday. The schedule lists work on Monday. (correct answer)
  3. My day off is Monday. The schedule lists work on Tuesday.
  4. My start time is wrong. The schedule lists eight on Monday.
Explanation: When a situation has a conflict between what someone told you and what a document says, your job is to clearly state both facts — what you were promised and what the record shows. That's exactly what this question is testing: can you accurately report the details of the disagreement? Looking at the passage, your manager promised you Monday off, but the new schedule shows you working Monday at eight. So the correct summary of the problem is: your day off is Monday, and the schedule also lists work on Monday. That's answer B — it captures both pieces of information accurately, which is what you'd need to say to help your manager understand and fix the conflict. Answer A is wrong because it says your day off is Tuesday, but the passage clearly says Monday. This would confuse your manager and send them looking for the wrong day. Answer C is wrong in the opposite way — while it correctly says your day off is Monday, it claims the schedule lists Tuesday as your work day. That's backward; the schedule says Monday, not Tuesday. Answer D focuses on your start time being wrong, but the real problem isn't the time — it's that you're scheduled to work on a day you were promised off. This response misses the whole point of the conflict. A good strategy here is to slow down and match each detail in the answer choice back to the passage before choosing. These questions often include answers that get one detail right and one detail wrong — a half-right answer is still a wrong answer.

Question 4

Your doctor said to take one pill at night. The bottle label says to take one pill twice a day. You call the pharmacy.

What is the clearest way to describe the problem?

  1. My doctor said once at night. The label says twice a day. (correct answer)
  2. My doctor said twice a day. The label says once at night.
  3. My doctor said twice a day. The label says the same thing.
  4. My doctor gave no directions. The label is also blank.
Explanation: When describing a problem or conflict, accuracy matters most — you need to make sure the facts are stated in the correct order and matched to the right source. Here, the conflict is between what your doctor said and what the bottle label says, so your description needs to get both details right. Your doctor said to take one pill at night (once a day). The bottle label says to take one pill twice a day. Answer A captures this perfectly: "My doctor said once at night. The label says twice a day." Both facts are accurate, and the conflict is immediately clear to whoever is listening. Answer B gets it exactly backwards — it says the doctor recommended twice a day and the label says once at night, which is the opposite of what actually happened. Swapping the two instructions makes the description inaccurate and misleading. Answer C claims both the doctor and the label say the same thing (twice a day), but that's the whole problem — they don't match. Saying they agree hides the conflict entirely. Answer D says neither the doctor nor the label gave any instructions, which is completely false — both gave directions, just different ones. The trap in this question is reversing the two sources. When you're describing a disagreement between two things, slow down and ask: Who said what? Match each instruction to the correct source before you speak or write. Study tip: On questions like this, mentally label each source first — "Doctor said  . Label says  ." — then check each answer against your labels.

Question 5

You use a bank machine. It gives you your cash and receipt. It does not return your bank card.

What should you tell the bank worker?

  1. The machine kept my cash. It returned my bank card.
  2. The machine returned my card. It kept my receipt.
  3. The machine kept my card. It gave me no cash.
  4. The machine gave me cash. It kept my bank card. (correct answer)
Explanation: When reading a short passage like this, your job is to find the answer that matches exactly what the passage says — no more, no less. The passage tells you three things: the machine gave you cash, the machine gave you a receipt, and the machine did not return your bank card. Now look for the answer that reflects all of this accurately. Choice D says "the machine gave me cash" and "it kept my bank card." Both of those statements are true according to the passage. This is the correct answer because it reports the problem clearly — the card was kept by the machine, which is exactly what you'd need to tell a bank worker. Choice A is wrong because it says the machine kept your cash and returned your card — that is the opposite of what happened. Choice B says the machine returned your card, which is false, and says it kept your receipt — the passage says you received a receipt, not that it was kept. Choice C is wrong because it says you got no cash, but the passage clearly states the machine did give you cash. A common trap on reading questions is choosing an answer that sounds close to the passage but has one detail flipped or swapped. Wrong answers often take real words from the passage and mix them up — like saying "kept the cash" instead of "kept the card." Strategy tip: Before choosing, go back to the passage and check every detail in your answer. If even one word is wrong, the whole answer is wrong.

Question 6

You paid at a cafe. You put your wallet in your coat. You left your keys on the counter. Now you have your wallet, but you cannot find your keys.

What is the best way to describe the problem to a worker?

  1. My wallet is missing. I last saw it on the counter.
  2. My keys are missing. I last saw them on the counter. (correct answer)
  3. My keys are missing. I last saw them by my car.
  4. My keys are missing. I last saw them in my coat.
Explanation: When you need to describe a problem to someone who can help, two things matter most: what is actually missing, and where you last saw it. Both details need to be accurate, because the worker will use that information to help you search. Looking at the passage, you left your keys on the counter — not your wallet. You already have your wallet, so that is not the problem. The keys are what you cannot find, and the counter is where you last saw them. That makes B the correct answer: "My keys are missing. I last saw them on the counter." It matches the passage exactly. Choice A gets the wrong item — it says your wallet is missing, but the passage tells you that you already have your wallet. Reporting the wrong item missing would send the worker looking for something that is not lost. Choice C gets the right item (keys) but the wrong location — the passage never mentions your car. Telling a worker you last saw your keys by your car would lead the search in the wrong direction entirely. Choice D also gets the right item but the wrong location — you put your wallet in your coat, not your keys. Mixing up which item went where is an easy mistake to make, and that is exactly what this answer is designed to test. A good strategy: before you choose an answer, go back to the passage and check two things — what is missing and where it was last seen. Make sure both match before you select your answer.

Question 7

Package tracking says your box was delivered to your front door on Monday. You checked the door on Monday and Tuesday. The box is not there, and your neighbor does not have it.

What should you tell the delivery company?

  1. The tracking says it is coming Tuesday. My box is late.
  2. The tracking says delivered. My neighbor has the box.
  3. The tracking says delivered. The box is not at my door. (correct answer)
  4. The tracking has no update. I found the box Tuesday.
Explanation: When a problem asks what you should tell someone, you need to match what you actually know to be true — no more, no less. Read the passage carefully and ask yourself: what does the tracking say, and what did you find when you checked? The tracking says the box was delivered. You checked your door and it was not there. That is exactly what answer C says — "The tracking says delivered. The box is not at my door." It reports the facts accurately and completely, which is exactly what a delivery company needs to help you. Answer A is wrong for two reasons: the tracking does not say the box is coming on Tuesday — it says it was already delivered on Monday. Calling it "late" misreads the tracking information entirely. Answer B is wrong because it says your neighbor has the box — but the passage clearly states your neighbor does not have it. Telling the company something false would send them looking in the wrong place. Answer D is wrong because it says the tracking has "no update," which is false — there is an update showing delivery. It also says you found the box on Tuesday, which never happened in the passage. A helpful strategy: on questions like this, go back to the passage and find two facts — one from the document or system (like tracking), and one from real life (what you found). The right answer will match both facts exactly. If an answer adds information that isn't in the passage or changes a detail, it's a trap.

Question 8

You bought one loaf of bread. Your receipt shows two loaves. You want the clerk to fix the charge.

What is the best way to explain the problem?

  1. I bought two loaves. The receipt shows one loaf.
  2. I bought one loaf. The receipt shows no bread.
  3. I bought one loaf. The receipt shows two loaves. (correct answer)
  4. I bought two loaves. The receipt shows two loaves.
Explanation: When explaining a problem to someone, your goal is to state what actually happened and what was recorded incorrectly — both pieces need to be accurate. Think of it like telling two true facts: what you did, and what the receipt says. In this situation, you bought one loaf, and the receipt shows two loaves. That means you need to communicate exactly that — nothing more, nothing less. Answer C does this perfectly: "I bought one loaf. The receipt shows two loaves." Both statements match the facts in the passage, and together they clearly explain the mix-up to the clerk. Here's why the other choices fail. Answer A has both facts backwards — it says you bought two loaves and the receipt shows one, which is the opposite of what happened. Saying this would confuse the clerk and wouldn't get your problem fixed. Answer B gets the first fact right (one loaf purchased), but says the receipt shows no bread at all — that's not true either, so it misrepresents the problem. Answer D says you bought two loaves and the receipt shows two loaves — that describes no problem at all, so there's nothing for the clerk to fix. A helpful tip: when a question asks you to explain a problem accurately, check each part of the answer separately. Ask yourself, "Is the first sentence true? Is the second sentence true?" If either part is wrong or exaggerated, the whole answer falls apart. Accuracy in both facts is what makes C the correct choice.

Question 9

Your phone plan costs forty-five dollars each month. This month, the bill is sixty-five dollars. You did not add any new service.

How should you describe the problem?

  1. My plan is forty-five dollars. My bill is sixty-five dollars. (correct answer)
  2. My plan is sixty-five dollars. My bill is forty-five dollars.
  3. My bill is sixty-five dollars. I added a new service.
  4. My bill is due today. I cannot pay forty-five dollars.
Explanation: When describing a problem clearly, your goal is to state what you expected and what actually happened — nothing more, nothing less. This helps the other person understand exactly what went wrong. In this situation, your expected cost is forty-five dollars (your normal plan), but your actual bill is sixty-five dollars. A good problem description matches those two facts accurately and sticks to only what the passage tells you. Answer A does exactly that: "My plan is forty-five dollars. My bill is sixty-five dollars." It correctly identifies the normal plan cost and the unexpected bill amount, giving someone all they need to investigate the problem. Answer B flips the two numbers — it says your plan is sixty-five dollars and your bill is forty-five dollars. That's backwards and would confuse anyone trying to help you, because it actually sounds like you underpaid, not overpaid. Answer C states that you added a new service, but the passage specifically says you did not add any new service. Including false information in a problem description makes it harder — not easier — to solve the issue. Answer D mentions that the bill is due today, which does not appear anywhere in the passage. It also says you cannot pay forty-five dollars, which misrepresents the problem. The concern is the extra twenty dollars, not the base amount. A useful tip: when answering these questions, go back to the passage and ask yourself, "Does this answer match only what I was told?" If an answer adds new information or swaps facts around, it's almost certainly wrong. Stick to what the passage actually says.

Question 10

Cold water runs in your sink and shower. Water from both hot taps stays cold. The problem started this morning.

What should you tell the building manager?

  1. No water is working in the shower or sink this morning.
  2. The shower has no hot water, but the sink is fine.
  3. The cold water is not working in the shower or sink.
  4. The hot water is not working in the shower or sink. (correct answer)
Explanation: When reading a passage like this, your job is to match what the passage says to the answer that describes the problem accurately and completely. Read carefully — small details make a big difference. The passage tells you that cold water runs fine in both the sink and shower, but water from both hot taps stays cold. That means the hot water system is broken everywhere in the home — not just in one place. The clearest, most accurate thing to tell the building manager is that the hot water is not working in either location, which makes D the correct answer. Here's why the other choices miss the mark. A says no water is working at all — but the passage clearly states that cold water is running, so this overstates the problem and would confuse the building manager. B says the shower has no hot water but the sink is fine — this is the opposite of accurate, since both fixtures are affected equally. C says the cold water is not working, which directly contradicts the passage — cold water is actually the only thing working correctly. A helpful strategy: when a question asks you to summarize or report a problem, mentally check two things — what is broken and where. Then find the answer that gets both details right. Wrong answers on these questions often mix up which thing is broken (hot vs. cold water) or limit the problem to just one location when both are affected. Always go back to the passage to confirm before choosing.