Tips and Tricks for Reading Comprehension

    i.Subject of the Passage: Which/what is the precise thing the author, is talking about.

   ii.Main Idea of the Passage: What the author is saying about the subject.

  iii.Author’s Tone of the Passage: Which is manner author has adopted in the passage. 

As soon as one figure out the above 3 tricks regarding reading comprehension and main point of the passage, one can easily familiar with the gist [GI – general Idea + S – Structure + T- Tone] of the passage. This will also help you to build a thematic composition and logical sequence of the passage. Thus enable you to answer questions from particular parts of the passage. 

But this sole approach is beneficial for the ones who generally read very fast. Then what approach should one follow in a reading comprehension below are the some of the approaches that one must try.

1. Instead of reading the entire passage, read critically the first and last paragraph of the reading comprehension. Generally what the author is saying can be identified in the first few lines of the passage, which in case of longer passages becomes roughly 1/3rd of the passage. For the rest passage examine hastily, what the author has said about the subject. Also for longer passages, try to put down in 10-15 words, for each paragraph, what you feel are the central points of the passage.

2. The next thing in this approach is to identify the structural words that tell you the important Ideas or Transitions in a passage. These structural words play a specific role in a sentence and paragraph. The most common structural words are given below:

       Continuity              Contrast          Conclusion Words 

           Similarity             Nonetheless        Thus 

           Moreover              However            Therefore 

           Additionally          But                     Hence 

           In the same way    Although           In summary  

           Likewise                Despite              In Conclusion 

   

These three kinds of words describe three roles that words can play in a paragraph. For example,

Continuity Words: The author would support his point of view further.

Contrast Words: The author would introduce a contrarian point of view.

Conclusion Words: The author would sum up his argument so far.

3. Further try to recognize the words that represent positive and negative role in the passage. These words will let you decide whether the author is for or against the subject. A few examples of such words are given below: 

Positive words are efficient, enthusiastic, bright, fortunate, passionate…etc.

      

    Negative words are foul, alarming, detrimental, pessimistic, stressful…etc.

Thus the above words can help you to establish the motive of the author.

4.Whenever a question is asked on a phrase given in the passage, just read the three lines above and below that phrase to have an idea of what is implicit from that phrase.

5. There are around 4-6 questions based on similar and opposite words, such MCQs can be answered if you have excellent vocabulary and if your vocabulary is not good, then read the sentence in which the word is used to get a rough idea of the meaning of the word.

Now let’s discuss how should attempt reading comprehension questions in the test. Generally, there are 2 techniques in which reading comprehension can be attempted which are given below:

1. PQ Approach (Passage 1st, then the questions)

·         Read the entire passage thoroughly first and then read the questions

·         Skim and Scan through the passage and keep going back and forth with questions and passage

·         Read the first 2 paragraphs, scan all the questions and see what you can answer, then read Para 3 and 4, scan the questions and see what you can answer, then read Para 5 and 6!!

2. QP Approach (Questions 1st, then the passage)

·         Read all the questions with their answer options first and then the passage

·         Read question 1 with all the options, then go through the entire passage to answer it. Then read question 2, go through the entire passage. Then question 3.

·         Just read all the question stems, without reading the answer options. Then read the passage and try answering the questions by reading them with the options.

After practicing all above strategy and approach, here is a list of tips you must follow while doing a reading comprehension.

1. Eliminate and Not Select: In most cases, elimination of choices work better than selection of choices. Here is an approach to eliminate which is ‘BANE’. Eliminate choices that are too broad, too narrow, that are alien (Strange) and too extreme.

2. Never Apply your Own Knowledge to the given passage. Confine your understanding to the given passage