Reading Short Passages

A short passage is a small paragraph or excerpt from a story, article, or speech. It can be factual, fictional, descriptive, or persuasive, and is usually followed by questions that test your understanding, vocabulary, or analysis skills.

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✨ Types of Short Passages (Explained for Beginners)

1. Narrative Passages

Tells a story or incident (real or imagined)

Purpose: To entertain or share a sequence of events.
Language Style: Personal, emotional, uses characters and past tense.

Features:

• Has a beginning, middle, and end.

• Includes a plot, setting, and characters.

• Focuses on actions or events.

Example:

“Riya opened her exam paper and froze. The questions seemed unfamiliar. She took a deep breath, recalled her training, and began writing confidently.”

How to Identify:

• Are characters involved?

• Does it describe what happened step-by-step?

• Does it feel like a story?

2. Descriptive Passages

Paints a picture with words

Purpose: To describe a scene, object, person, or situation vividly.
Language Style: Full of adjectives and sensory language (what we see, hear, feel, smell, or taste).

Features:

• Focus on details and appearance.

• No action or story development.

• Helps the reader visualize something.

Example:

“The garden was a rainbow of colors—roses, marigolds, and sunflowers blooming together. The soft fragrance of jasmine floated in the air.”

How to Identify:

• Is it focused on describing one thing or scene?

• Can you easily visualize the scene?

• Is it rich in sensory words?

3. Expository Passages (Informative)

Explains or informs using facts

Purpose: To give knowledge, define concepts, or explain a process.
Language Style: Formal, objective, clear.

Features:

• Gives factual information (no opinions).

• Includes data, statistics, or logical explanation.

• Seen in textbooks, articles, or instruction guides.

Example:

“A volcano is an opening in Earth’s crust that allows molten rock to escape. There are three types: active, dormant, and extinct.”

How to Identify:

• Are there facts or data?

• Is the tone neutral?

• Does it explain a concept or define something?

4. Argumentative or Persuasive Passages

Tries to convince you of something

Purpose: To express an opinion or point of view, and persuade the reader to agree.
Language Style: Assertive, uses logic or emotion.

Features:

• Contains opinions, arguments, and reasons.

• May include evidence or examples.

• Uses persuasive language like should, must, clearly, etc.

Example:

“Students should have less homework. Studies show that excessive homework causes stress and reduces creativity.”

How to Identify:

• Is the author trying to convince you?

• Does it sound like an opinion or debate?

• Are reasons or examples given to support a claim?

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🔁 Quick Recap Table

Type	Purpose	Tone	Clues
Narrative	Tell a story	Emotional, casual	Characters, events, and story flow
Descriptive	Describe a scene	Artistic, vivid	Adjectives, senses, rich in detail
Expository	Explain facts	Neutral, clear	Definitions, facts, explanations
Argumentative	Convince or persuade	Strong, opinionated	Opinions, logic, and emotional appeal

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✍️ Practice Questions with Answers

✅ Passage 1 – Narrative

"It was Rohan’s first day in a new school. Nervously, he stepped into the class. All eyes turned to him. The teacher smiled warmly and introduced him to the class. By the end of the day, he had already made two new friends."

Q. What type of passage is this?
A. Descriptive
B. Expository
C. Narrative
D. Argumentative

✅ Answer: C. Narrative
📘 Explanation: This is a story with a character (Rohan), a setting (school), and a sequence of events (first day, making friends).

✅ Passage 2 – Descriptive

"The room was filled with the sweet smell of incense. Velvet curtains hung from the tall windows, and a golden chandelier sparkled from above. The polished floor reflected every beam of light."

Q. What is the main feature of this passage?
A. It gives information
B. It tells a story
C. It describes a scene
D. It argues a point

✅ Answer: C. It describes a scene
📘 Explanation: The focus is on vivid description using senses—no events, just imagery.

✅ Passage 3 – Expository

"Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants make their own food using sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide. It occurs in the chloroplasts of plant cells."

Q. What is the passage trying to do?
A. Tell a story
B. Explain a concept
C. Describe a place
D. Convince us of something

✅ Answer: B. Explain a concept
📘 Explanation: The passage gives factual, scientific information without emotion or opinion.

✅ Passage 4 – Argumentative

"Mobile phones should not be allowed in classrooms. They are a constant distraction, and students tend to misuse them during lessons. Learning should remain the focus."

Q. What is the author’s goal?
A. Tell a past event
B. Describe phones
C. Inform about mobiles
D. Persuade the reader

✅ Answer: D. Persuade the reader
📘 Explanation: The passage presents an opinion and reasons, using a convincing tone.