🎯 What Are These Questions?
These questions ask you to identify the specific part of the text that best supports a claim, answer, or idea — either from a previous question or a general interpretation.
🔍 Example Prompts
- “Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?”
- “Which sentence from the passage best supports the idea that X?”
🧠 Strategy to Answer These Questions
1. Answer the First Question Independently
Choose the answer to the interpretive question based on your own understanding first.
2. Ask: What Line or Sentence Proves It?
Find the sentence in the passage that directly supports your answer.
3. Match Keywords or Concepts
Look for synonyms or repeated ideas. Eliminate vague or off-topic lines.
4. Use Process of Elimination
Eliminate options that mention the topic but don’t directly support the claim.
5. Be Literal and Exact
The correct line must directly support the idea — not a vague inference.
❗ Common Traps
| Trap Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Close but not quite | Seems relevant but doesn’t fully support the idea. |
| General statement | Too broad or vague to prove a specific claim. |
| Right idea, wrong line | Correct concept, but not the best supporting sentence. |
| Distractor with keyword | Has similar words, but lacks logical connection. |
✅ Example
Passage Excerpt: “Researchers found that the new algae strain could survive in low-light conditions and still produce significant oxygen levels, making it a promising candidate for Martian environments.”
Question 1: What does the passage suggest about the potential use of the algae?
- A) It may be suitable for use in space habitats.
- B) It needs more light to survive.
- C) It cannot grow outside Earth.
- D) It produces less oxygen than expected.
Command of Evidence:
- A) “Researchers studied the algae over three weeks.”
- B) “It was placed in a controlled laboratory environment.”
- ✅ C) “...could survive in low-light conditions and still produce significant oxygen levels…”
- D) “The research was funded by NASA.”
📈 Practice Tips
- Use Bluebook and Khan Academy for official SAT paired questions.
- Try answering without looking at evidence choices first.
- Justify your answer with direct lines from the passage.