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Year 6 comprehension: Repairing the footpath

Read this non-fiction passage, then answer six questions about details, word meanings, inferences and purpose.

Before you read

Read once for the main idea, then look back for details. You can use the passage while answering.

Repairing the footpath

A footpath repair involves more than covering a damaged patch. Consider a village path where rainwater collects at one bend. The surface has broken up, and walkers use the verge to avoid the puddle. Over time, that detour widens the damaged area.

Before choosing a repair, the team needs to understand where the water comes from and where it can go. A blocked channel might prevent drainage. A hollow in the path might hold water even when the channel is clear. These problems would require different work. Filling the surface without checking the cause could leave the puddle returning after the next rain.

The team also considers who uses the route. A surface that seems manageable to someone in walking boots may be difficult for a person using a wheelchair or pushing a pram. Inspection should consider the route as a continuous journey, including its entrances and joins, rather than looking only at one repaired patch.

A temporary diversion needs clear signs showing where it begins and where it rejoins the route. If the alternative includes steps or a steep slope, that information matters before someone enters it.

After the repair, the team checks the bend during wet weather. A dry-day inspection can show that the surface is smooth, but it cannot by itself demonstrate that water now drains away. Different questions need different observations.

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Practise reading

Check your understanding

6 questions. Keep the passage open above and look back for evidence. This practice score stays on this page until you leave or restart. It is not an exam grade or a saved assessment.

Read all questions and answers

  1. 1. Why do walkers use the verge in the example?

    • A. To reach a different village
    • B. To collect paving slabs
    • C. To avoid a steep staircase
    • D. To avoid a puddle
    Show answer 1

    To avoid a puddle: The opening paragraph describes walkers stepping onto the verge to avoid the puddle.

  2. 2. When does the team check the repaired bend?

    • A. Only before any work begins
    • B. During wet weather
    • C. Only when the route is empty
    • D. After the signs have all been removed
    Show answer 2

    During wet weather: The last paragraph specifies a wet-weather check after the repair.

  3. 3. What is a “diversion” here?

    • A. A new type of paving slab
    • B. A drain beneath the path
    • C. An inspection carried out in sunshine
    • D. An alternative route around the work
    Show answer 3

    An alternative route around the work: The temporary diversion directs people along another route while work is taking place.

  4. 4. Why might filling the broken surface be insufficient?

    • A. The verge is always wider than the path
    • B. The cause of the water collecting could remain
    • C. Every damaged path must be closed permanently
    • D. Smooth surfaces prevent signs from being read
    Show answer 4

    The cause of the water collecting could remain: If a blocked channel or hollow remains unresolved, the puddle could return.

  5. 5. Why should information about steps be given before someone enters the diversion?

    • A. The steps must be painted before anyone sees them
    • B. Every walker prefers the longest route
    • C. The repair team needs to avoid describing the main path
    • D. People need to know whether the route is usable for them
    Show answer 5

    People need to know whether the route is usable for them: A person using wheels may be unable to use steps, so the warning must come before committing to that route.

  6. 6. What principle connects the final paragraph with the earlier inspection?

    • A. Every problem can be assessed in dry weather
    • B. Signs are more useful than any inspection
    • C. An observation must answer the specific question being checked
    • D. The smoothest-looking route always drains best
    Show answer 6

    An observation must answer the specific question being checked: Checking a surface’s smoothness and checking drainage require different observations, just as earlier causes need investigation.

Explore comprehension skills

An original passage written for Trace Learn. Authored 2026-09-30. These are teaching questions, not a school entrance paper.

Questions parents ask

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Should I look back at the passage?

Yes. Find the words that support your answer. For an inference, explain how the details suggest your idea.

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