In the image reading and recording apparatus, a separating and feeding unit, a paper end detecting unit, a reading unit, a conveying unit, and a recording unit are arranged in this order from the upstream of the conveying direction. The separating and feeding unit has a switching unit for selectively switching between a separating function of separating the uppermost one of stacked sheets and a feeding function of feeding each separated sheet at a predetermined speed. After a sheet is separated, switching from the separating function to the feeding function is carried out before the paper end detecting unit detects the top end of the sheet.