O Level English Language 1123

Unit 8: Comprehension Questions

Recommended Prior Knowledge
Students should have some experience in reading English texts. They should be familiar with the idea of answering questions on written texts as a means of
demonstrating comprehension.

Context
This Unit should be done after Units 1, 2 and 7 and before Units 9 and 10. It can be done before or after any of Units 3, 4, 5 or 6, at the discretion of the teacher and
dependent on the preference and skill of the students.

Outline
The Unit explains the difference between literal and inferential comprehension questions and teaches students to recognise their signposts and how to answer
questions of each type. It teaches students how to recognise and answer questions which have to be answered in own words, with vocabulary, quotation and writer’s
craft questions, and questions which can be answered by lifting. It provides opportunities for group and pair discussion.

AO Learning outcomes Suggested Teaching activities Learning resources

(v) Understanding the Give a class-lesson in which you explain The Cambridge Revision Guide (Glover, Rodway, Shirley and Toner) Unit
difference between literal the difference between literal and inferential Chapters, 2, 3 and 5.
and inferential comprehension questions and how they are
comprehension questions signposted.

(v) To provide opportunity for Ask the class to work in groups to discuss English For O Level (Reynolds and toner ) Chapter 13
group discussion signposts of literal and inferential
comprehension questions.

(v) Answering literal Ask the class to complete some exercises English For O Level (Reynolds and Toner) Chapter 12
comprehension questions in literal comprehension questions.

(v) Answering inferential Ask the class to complete some exercises English For O Level (Reynolds and Toner) Chapters 12 and 13
comprehension questions in inferential comprehension questions

(v) Distinguishing between Ask the class to complete some exercises English For O Level (Reynolds and Toner) Chapter 14
and answering literal and in literal and inferential comprehension
inferential questions questions

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AO Learning outcomes Suggested Teaching activities Learning resources
(iii) To provide opportunity for Ask students to work with a partner to make Brick Lane (Monica Ali)
and group discussion up their own literal and inferential questions
(v) from given texts. On-line:
http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
http://www.dawn.com
http://www.independent-bangladesh.com

Ask students to work with a partner to http://creativewritingworld.britishcouncil.org/

select a short section of text and make up
their own literal and inferential questions
based on it.

(v) Understanding the nature Give a class-lesson in which you explain English For O Level (Reynolds and Toner) Chapters 15 and 16
of comprehension the difference between answering by lifting
questions which can be and answering in own words.
answered by lifting from
the text

(v) Answering questions Ask the class to complete some exercises English For O Level (Reynolds and Toner) Chapters 15 and 16
where the answer can be in comprehension questions which can be
lifted from the text answered by lifting.

(v) Understanding the nature Give a class-lesson in which you define the The Cambridge Revision Guide (Glover, Rodway, Shirley and Toner) Unit 3,
of own words nature of own words comprehension Chapter 4
comprehension questions questions.

(v) Answering own words Ask the class to complete some exercises English For O Level (Reynolds and Toner) Chapters 17 and 18
comprehension questions in own words comprehension questions.
On-line:
http://teachers.cie.org.uk, past question papers, 1123/2

Ask the class to provide synonyms for a http://www.lapasserelle.com

selection of given words.

(iii) To provide an opportunity Ask students to write a list of twenty words On-line:
for pair discussion in one column with jumbled synonyms for http://thesaurus.reference.com
these words in the other column. Ask them
to swap with a partner, who has to match

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AO Learning outcomes Suggested Teaching activities Learning resources
each word up with its correct synonym.

(v) Answering quotation Give a class-lesson in which you define English For O Level (Reynolds and Toner) Chapter 23
questions quotation, and differentiate between single
word, expression and consecutive words. On-line:
http://teachers.cie.org.uk, past question papers, 1123/2

(iii) To provide an opportunity Ask students to work with a partner to On-line:

for pair discussion produce a list of ten quotation questions http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
from a text, covering single word answers, http://www.dawn.com
two or more consecutive word answers and http://www.independent-bangladesh.com
expression answers.

(vi) Understanding the nature Give a class-lesson in which you define the English For O Level (Reynolds and Toner) Chapter 23
of vocabulary questions nature of vocabulary questions.

(vi) Answering vocabulary Give students an opportunity to complete On-line:

questions exercises in answering vocabulary http://thesaurus.reference.com
questions.
On-line:
http://teachers.cie.org.uk, past question papers, 1123/2

(iii) To provide an opportunity Ask students to work with a partner to On-line::

for pair discussion produce a list of ten words or expressions http://thesaurus.reference.com
for which synonyms are to be given by their
partner.

(vi) Appreciating the ways Give a class-lesson on the use of simile, English for O Level (Reynolds and Toner) Chapter 3
writers make use of metaphor, and personification. English Language And Literature (Toner and Whittome) Chapter 3
language
O Level English Scheme Of Work, Unit 2

Give a class-lesson on the meaning of On-line:

idiom. http://www.essdack.org

(vi) Answering questions on Give students an opportunity to complete English for O Level (Reynolds and Toner) Chapters 21 and 22
writers’ craft exercises in answering questions on writers’
craft. On-line:

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AO Learning outcomes Suggested Teaching activities Learning resources
http://teachers.cie.org.uk, past question papers, 1123/2

(vi) Appreciating the ways Give a class-lesson on contrast, alliteration, English Language And Literature (Toner and Whittome) Chapter 3
writers make use of onomatopoeia, exaggeration.
language On-line:
http://www.quia.com