How many siblings does Tom have?

How many siblings does Tom have?

• A. Three
• B. Four
• C. Five
• D. Six

Answer: (C)

Determining how many siblings Tom has comes down to counting everyone the text designates as Tom’s brothers and sisters, not including Tom himself. In the passage, five distinct individuals are identified as Tom’s siblings, each described as part of Tom’s family. So the total is five. To get it right, focus on who is explicitly called a sibling of Tom or described as sharing Tom’s parents and being a brother or sister; ignore parents, spouses, or other relatives who aren’t described as siblings. If you counted someone who isn’t labeled as a sibling, or missed someone who is, you’d end up with the wrong total.

Determining how many siblings Tom has comes down to counting everyone the text designates as Tom’s brothers and sisters, not including Tom himself. In the passage, five distinct individuals are identified as Tom’s siblings, each described as part of Tom’s family. So the total is five. To get it right, focus on who is explicitly called a sibling of Tom or described as sharing Tom’s parents and being a brother or sister; ignore parents, spouses, or other relatives who aren’t described as siblings. If you counted someone who isn’t labeled as a sibling, or missed someone who is, you’d end up with the wrong total.