← Back to the free libraryFree lesson · Language arts · 20 minutes

Read informational text: structure, purpose and numbers

Most passages on the language arts test are informational. Learn to spot how a text is built, what the author wants, what one paragraph or sentence is doing, and whether the numbers back up the words, using one short original article. Includes six questions with worked answers.

By FinishHigh · Published 2026-10-28 · Updated 2026-10-28

Why this matters on the test

GED Testing Service says about 75 percent of the texts on the GED® language arts test are informational: articles, workplace memos, speeches and science or history writing. Questions ask how the text is organized, why the author wrote it, what a part is doing, and whether the facts and numbers support the claims.

Read the passage once for the big picture. Then read the question and go back to the exact lines it points to.

Practice passage (original, made up for this lesson)

Brookvale Ends Library Fines

Brookvale Public Library went fine-free on January 1, 2025. For years, the library charged 25 cents a day for each late book. Staff noticed that many families with overdue books stopped coming in at all. Some owed only a few dollars, but they felt embarrassed. Other libraries had tried removing fines, so Brookvale ran a one-year test. The results surprised some board members. In 2024, 18 percent of books came back late. In 2025, 15 percent did. New library cards rose from 3,100 to 4,050. Critics said the library would lose money it needed. It did lose the $41,000 a year that fines had brought in. But staff estimated that billing, collecting and arguing over fines had cost about $29,000 in staff time. Would you rather have a dollar in the drawer or a reader in the building? The board voted in December to keep the library fine-free.

Table: Brookvale Public Library, before and after (made-up numbers). Books returned late: 18% in 2024 and 15% in 2025. New library cards: 3,100 in 2024 and 4,050 in 2025. Fine money collected: $41,000 in 2024 and $0 in 2025.

1. How is the text built?

Common structures and their signal words:

Time order (first, then, in 2024, later). Cause and effect (because, so, as a result, led to). Compare and contrast (however, in contrast, both, unlike). Problem and solution (the problem, one fix, to solve this). Claim and support (studies show, for example, the data).

The Brookvale article is mostly problem and solution: fines kept families away, so the library tried going fine-free. Inside it there is also time order (2024, then 2025, then the December vote) and a contrast (the money lost against the staff time saved). One passage can use more than one structure. Questions usually ask about the main one.

2. What is the author's purpose and point of view?

The main purposes are to inform (give facts), to explain (show how or why), to persuade (convince) and to entertain.

Look for clues. Word choice like "surprised" and the closing question show that this writer leans toward the fine-free side, even though the article mostly reports facts. A purpose can be implied, not stated.

Point of view is the position the author writes from. Ask what the author would agree with, and which facts the author chose to include or leave out.

3. What is this part doing?

Questions often ask why a sentence or paragraph is there. Common jobs: introduce the problem, give an example, give evidence, answer a critic (a counterargument), change direction, or conclude.

In the article, "Critics said the library would lose money it needed" brings up the other side. The next sentences answer it with numbers. That is a counterargument and rebuttal.

"Would you rather have a dollar in the drawer or a reader in the building?" is a rhetorical question. It is not asking for an answer. It pushes the reader to agree. Other techniques include repeating a key phrase, appealing to emotion, and citing numbers or experts.

4. Do the numbers support the words?

When a passage has a table or chart, check each claim against it. The data can support the text, add something new, or contradict it.

Worked: late returns went from 18 percent to 15 percent. That is a drop of 3 percentage points, which supports the claim that returns did not get worse. New cards rose by 4,050 − 3,100 = 950. The library lost $41,000 in fines but saved about $29,000 in staff time, so the net cost was about $41,000 − $29,000 = $12,000 a year. A careful reader notices that cost even though the author does not stress it.

Also watch for claims the numbers do not prove. The table does not show why more people got cards. The fine-free policy is one possible reason, not a proven one.

Where this comes from

GED Testing Service's Assessment Guide for Educators: Reasoning Through Language Arts lists reading targets R.5 (how parts of a text relate to the whole and to its structure), R.6 (author's purpose and point of view, including rhetorical techniques) and R.7 (how data or visuals add to, clarify or contradict a text). It says about 75 percent of the texts are informational. We checked the guide on October 28, 2026.

The Brookvale article, its numbers and the questions are original FinishHigh practice, made up for this lesson. They are not GED® test questions or real library data. GED® is a registered trademark of the American Council on Education. FinishHigh is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by it. This lesson teaches a few skills. It is not a full course or an official readiness result.

Next, try the questions below. Then read one news article this week and name its structure in one sentence.

Try this next: 6 questions ↓

ORIGINAL PRACTICE

Your turn.

Try each question before opening the explanation. These are FinishHigh practice examples, not GED® test questions.

What is the main structure of the Brookvale article?
Show the answer and why
Problem and solution. The problem was that fines kept families away. The solution was going fine-free, and the article reports what happened next. Time order and contrast appear inside it, but they support the main structure.
Which signal word in "But staff estimated that billing, collecting and arguing over fines had cost about $29,000" shows a change in direction?
Show the answer and why
"But." It turns from the critics' point (lost money) to the other side (money saved on staff time).
Why does the author include the sentence "Critics said the library would lose money it needed"?
Show the answer and why
To raise the other side's argument so the author can answer it. The next sentences reply with the $29,000 in staff time saved. That is a counterargument and rebuttal.
What is the purpose of the question "Would you rather have a dollar in the drawer or a reader in the building?"
Show the answer and why
It is a rhetorical question meant to persuade. It does not expect an answer. It frames readers as more important than fine money, which pushes the reader to agree with the board.
Using the table, by how many percentage points did late returns change? Does that support or contradict the idea that removing fines would make late returns much worse?
Show the answer and why
They fell 3 percentage points (18 − 15 = 3). That contradicts the worry that returns would get much worse. They actually improved a little.
About how much money did the library come out behind each year after going fine-free? Show the work.
Show the answer and why
About $12,000. It lost $41,000 in fines and saved about $29,000 in staff time: $41,000 − $29,000 = $12,000.