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HESI Reading Comprehension Guide
Most careers require
... [Show More] a firm grasp of reading and writing. In nursing, having above average
reading comprehension skills is paramount to your success. If you cannot read a chart, or worse
yet, read a chart and immediately understand everything that is written, you could be
endangering the lives of your patients. Nurses need to read and read at a high level in order to
function in a professional manner.
The Reading Comprehension section of the HESI exam asks you to read a short scientific
paragraph and answer multiple questions about its content. Here are some key concepts you
should familiarize yourself with in order to do well on this portion of the exam:
Main Idea
The main idea of a paragraph is the essence of a paragraph. If you were to summarize a passage
in a single sentence or idea, you would find that passage’s main idea. To locate the main idea,
read the entire passage and pay close attention to the last few sentences. Typically, the main idea
is summarized at the close of the first paragraph, or at the close of a paragraph.
Supporting Details
Supporting details exist to support the main idea. In a paragraph format, these details come after
the topic sentence―the first sentence in a paragraph, usually―and before the final sentence.
Supporting details serve as pillars to “hold up” the main idea of a passage or paragraph, and
could also be identified as proof or evidence of an idea.
Author’s Purpose
Author’s purpose can be difficult to figure out. It differs from a main idea, in that it is the driving
force behind the main idea rather than the primary focus itself. An author’s purpose may be
found by asking the questions “why” and “how.” Why is the author composing this piece? How
is the author going about it? Discovering why the work is being written and how it is doing so
will identify the purpose of the piece; for instance, you might find an author is writing a piece to
inform his audience using persuasive language. This answers the why (to inform) and how
(persuade). From there, you can determine that the author’s purpose is to sway the audience to a
certain way of thinking.
Tone of the Piece
The tone of a piece is the attitude with which the piece is treated. “Tone” encompasses a wide
range of descriptors, ranging from broad (formal and informal) to incredibly detailed
(condescending). Tone is extremely important in deciphering the why and how of a piece
because it lends insight into the author’s frame of mind. A work taken at face value, for instance,
might not recognize an author’s ironic tone and, consequently, may be misunderstood or
misinterpreted. To determine tone, ask yourself how the piece is being treated. What kind of [Show Less]