Scribd
Upload
169 views2 pages

Reading Comprehension Tips

Uploaded by

Charmone oosthuizen
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
169 views2 pages

Reading Comprehension Tips

Uploaded by

Charmone oosthuizen
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Reading Comprehension: Tricks

One question that constantly plagues every student's mind is - How to improve in
reading comprehensions? You have to admit, Reading Comprehension questions
are a tricky ball game. RC passages can be time consuming, energy sapping and
information intensive. On the other hand, the rewards they offer are fascinating: if
you grasp a passage well, you should be able to get most questions in a single
passage correct, and this means you gain quite a few marks by solving one set of
questions. At the best of times, you are likely to find a passage that you have never
read previously. One of the most significant factors for solving reading
comprehensions and being accurate in this area actually revolves around the
approach you adopt for this topic. How do you cope with such a challenge actually
becomes a central aspect of how you perform in reading comprehensions. While
ensuring that you strike a fine balance for this area, it is important that you keep a
number of things in your mind and ensure you do not fall into the common pitfalls.
With regards to the approach, you should adopt for reading comprehensions, keep
the following points in mind:
• Before you read the comprehension text, first go through the questions.
See what kind of information they want you to fine in the text like for example
the 5 W’s (Who, what, Where, When, Where and Why), highlight or underline
what they want from you and circle the mark allocation on the side.

Before you have even read the text you will now know what is asked and it will
help you look for answers when you read the text for the first time. You can
now highlight or underline the answers as you read through the text, this will
help you allocate the answer to its question and also help you with spelling
specific words correctly. Here are some more tips.
1. Do not over-emphasize trivialities
Details are important but don't be obsessed with examples, illustrations and so on.
You just need to get a hang of the main point and not the examples. Comprehending
the overall flow and structure will help you analyse and answer the questions.
2. Do not memorize
You do not need to memorize every word present in the passage. Understanding the
flow, structure and the main points in the passage should be your priority. For factual
or specific point questions, you can always re-read the passage.
3. Do not read the passage first
Always go through the questions first and then the passage. This will prepare you to
focus on the things you need to look in the passage. Focus only on the questions,
and not on a particular answer option. A quick overview of the questions is sufficient.
4. Do not over-emphasize on vocabulary skills for RCs
Having a strong vocabulary is great however having Shakespearean vocabulary will
not prevent you from understanding the passage. So do not put yourself under stress
in this area, and while reading the passage, make sure that you understand the gist
of the passage and do not get stuck on particular words.
5. Do not spend time on RCs that you cannot comprehend at first
At times we come across a passage that we are not able to comprehend. If you are
struggling with one such passage in the exam, make sure you have the patience to
avoid such a passage. Focus on the ones that you can manage easily. Go back to
the tricky passage in case of absolute necessity.
6. Do not think the correct option would come from outside the passage
Any of the options that is out of scope is never the correct answer. The right answer
is always based on the information given within the passage. Do not focus on any of
the options that distract you from the passage.
7. Do not rely on 'trigger words'
You might get trapped in the web of 'trigger words' if you don’t read attentively
through the passage. A passage may focus on one point for quite a bit of sentences
and then change it towards the end with trigger words like 'but' or 'however'. This will
usually confuse readers who skim through the passage or rush through it in haste.
8. Make Notes
While reading obscure /abstract text, make sure you make some quick notes for
ready reference. You can write the general flow, structure, paragraph-wise flow and
important points. Remember that you do not have make really long notes, just make
a quick note of the important markers/points in the passage.
9. Try to pre-empt questions
This is a really difficult skill but if you can master this, you will surely by the 'King of
Reading Comprehensions'. While reading the passage, try to identify the possible
questions that could be asked, and which parts of the passage seem the most likely
candidates for question-setting.
10. Opening and Closing paragraphs require extra focus
Questions such as the main idea question are based on the overall subject of the
passage, and majority of the times the answer for this question type lies in the first
and last paragraph of the passage. Ensure you derive the maximum possible
information from these paragraphs.
11. Constantly question yourself while reading the passage
In order to maintain your concentration while reading, make sure that some basic
questions keep playing at the back of your mind: What is the author's main point?
Why is the author writing

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy