COMPREHENSION SKILLS GR 9

Reading Comprehension
AN APPROACH TO COMPREHENSION
- Comprehension is the decoding and
understanding of spoken, written and
visual texts.
- It is the power of the mind to take

information in and to understand it fully.
- The skills one acquires is not only for

use in the English classroom or the
examination. They are skills that are
needed for every subject across the
curriculum.
- They are skills that one acquires for life.

Basic strategies for reading
an unknown text
A. Previewing:
Skim the passage to get an overview of

the passage:
 Read the title – it gives us a hint of

what the passage is about as well as
the intention of the writer.
 The name of the author gives an idea

of the era, style and the subject matter.
 Look at whatever other clues the
writer gives – subheadings,
footnotes, where the text comes
from, etc.
 Read through the passage - ask

questions about the purpose and
meaning of the text.
Questions one should ask
• Who is the narrator and who is the audience?
• Where does the text come from? This will

influence the subject matter and style of the text.
• What is the passage about?
• What is the author’s intention in writing this

passage? This will influence the style of writing.
• Where and when does it take place?
• How does the author communicate the message –

what language techniques (style, tone and
register) are used?
Finding the main ideas in the passage:
passage
Texts usually have an introduction,

development and conclusion.
You need to find the main ideas of the
text by reading each paragraph
carefully and deciding what the main
ideas are.
Each paragraph usually has one main
idea. This will enable you to develop an
understanding of the passage.
Read through the questions
• Read through the questions, as

these will give clues about where to
find the answers in the passage.
• It is important to understand the

questions on the text as much as
you have to understand the
comprehension text itself.
• If you don’t understand what the

question requires from you, then you
won’t be able to answer the
questions.
• Each question contains an
instruction word. Identify these
words and underline them. These
words will tell you exactly what has
to be done in order to answer the
question.
• Also underline key words or ideas in

the question. These key words focus
on the content of the text and will
give you an idea of where to find the
answers in the passage.
Verbs used in Questions:
The verbs used in the questions give an indication of what is expected:
[Source: Unisa BEDALE8/301/4/2010 - General Tutorial Letter 301, 201 0]
Analyze: Discuss the main ideas and their relative importance
Comment: Discuss, criticize and explain in detail
Compare: Show similarities and differences
Define: Distinguish accurately between what is and what is not
Describe: Give a detailed account of the topic.
Discuss: This calls for arguments in favour of and against the statement.
Evaluate: Discuss the worth, truth and importance of the statement.
Explain: Interpret and clarify, with reasons.
Illustrate: Give concrete examples and comparisons.
Interpret: Use your own ideas and give examples.
Relate: Argue how two or more aspects are related to each other.
Mention: Briefly name what is required.
Outline: Give the main points arranged in the correct order.
State: Give a description of the most important aspects of the topic.
Synthesize: Integrate the information and draw conclusions.
Tabulate: Draw up a table and fill in the particulars needed.
Levels of questioning
• For you to fully understand how
comprehension will be tested, it is
important to understand the different levels
of questions.
• Take the time to understand how the

Barrett’s Taxonomy works.
Barrett’s Taxonomy:
Level 1: Literal
(these questions deal with information stated
explicitly in the text)
Types of questions found in this category:
 Name the ... ; List the ... ; Identify the ... ;
Describe the ... ; Relate the
 Name the things/people/places ...
 State the facts/reasons/points/ideas .
 Identify the reasons/persons/causes .
 List the points/facts/names/reasons .
 Describe the place/person/character .
 Relate the incident/episode/experience ...
Level 2: Reorganisation
(these questions require you to organise
material, summarise, group similar things
together, etc.)

 Summarise the main
ideas/points/pros/cons ...
 State the differences/similarities ...
 Group the common factors ...
 Give an outline of ...
Answers to questions in categories 1 and 2
are most often found in the passage.
These questions usually occur at the
beginning of a set of questions.
40% of questions
should come from levels 1 and 2
Level 3 - Inference
(these questions require you to think about the
story, explain certain ideas, themes and
concepts, discuss the writer's and
characters' motivations, etc.)

 Explain the main idea ...
 What is the writer's intention ...
 What, do you think, will be ...
 Compare the ideas/attitudes/actions ...
 What is the writer's (or character's)
intention/attitude/motivation/reason ...
 Explain the cause/effect of ...
Level 3 – Inference (continue)

 What does an action/comment/attitude
(etc.) reveal about the
narrator/writer/character ...
 How does the metaphor/simile/image
affect your understanding ...
 What, do you think, will be the
outcome/effect (etc.) of an
action/situation ...
 True/False questions
 Multiple choice questions
 Choose the correct option (from a given
list)
 Fill in the blanks (using contextual clues)
These questions need a different approach
from you. You must interact with
information given to you in the text, and
you must use your own life experience
or knowledge to formulate your answers.
In this category or types of questions it is
usually important for you to explain your
reasons for your choice of answers.
40% of questions
should come from level 3!
Level 4 – Evaluation
(these questions require you to evaluate the
values and themes in the text)

 Do you think that ... ; Discuss critically ...
 Do you think that what transpires is
credible/realistic/possible…?
 Is the writer's argument
valid/logical/conclusive ...
 Discuss/Comment critically on the
action/intention/motive/attitude/suggestion
/implication ...
 Do you agree with the
view/statement/observation/interpretation
that ...
Level 4 - Evaluation (continue)

 In your view, is the writer/narrator/character
justified in suggesting/advocating that ...
 Is the character's attitude/behaviour/action
justifiable or acceptable to you?
 What does a character's
actions/attitude(s)/motives ... show about
him or her in the context of universal
values?
 Discuss critically/Comment on the value
judgments made in the text.
 These questions usually end with an
instruction such as, Substantiate your
response/Give reasons for your answer.
Level 5 - Appreciation
(these questions require you to express your own
substantiated opinion about the text)
 Types of questions found in this category:

 Discuss your response...; Comment on the
writer's use of language...
 Discuss your response to the
text/incident/situation/conflict/dilemma…
 Do you empathize with the character? What
action/decision would you have taken if you
had been in the same situation?
 Discuss/Comment on the writer's use of ...
 Discuss the effectiveness of the writer's
style/introduction/conclusion/imagery/metapho
rs/use of poetic techniques/literary devices ...
 These questions usually end with an
instruction such as, Substantiate your
response/Give reasons for your answer.
 Answers to questions in this category
can vary and still be correct, depending
on the substantiation or reasons given
for answer.
 Moral and value judgements, reasoning
behind actions and the acceptability of
those judgements become important
answers.
 These questions require intense
thinking before formulation of answers.
20% of questions
should come from levels 4 and 5
Tips on answering comprehension exercises
Answer in full sentences
 Unless the question specifically asks for a
one-word answer or a phrase, answers
should be written in the form of a
sentence.
 Sentences should not begin with
conjunctions such as ‘because’, ‘and’ or
‘but’.
 Abbreviations or symbols such as ‘&’ for
‘and’ should be avoided.
 Numbering should correspond with the
numbering of the questions
 Use the mark allocation as a guide.
 Answer questions in clear and simple
language. Avoid using big words and
long-winded ways of saying things as
this wastes time and the examiner
may have difficulty in understanding
what has been said.
 When quoting from the text, enclose
the text inverted commas. Quote the
relevant part of the passage in full.
Do not use ellipsis.
 If a question asks for a one-word
answer, do not give two or three
words.
 Use your own words unless asked to
quote. This shows that the passage
has been understood.
 Keep the tense of your answer the
same as the tense of the question.
 If you are providing a synonym or
antonym for a word in the passage, it
must be the same part of speech as
the original word. For example, the
synonym for ‘pretty’ is ‘beautiful’ (both
are adjectives) not ‘beautifully’ (an
adverb).
 Proof-read to check whether
questions have been
answered correctly. Spelling
and grammar errors result
in an unnecessary loss of
marks.
Strategies to improve
comprehension skills
• READ more and to read with
understanding.
• Practise your comprehension skills
on a daily basis when listening to
conversations, instructions or the
radio; when watching television
programmes or films; when reading
books, newspapers or magazine
articles.
• Expose yourself to different styles of
writing and comprehension
passages – gradually progress to
more complex and challenging texts.
• Practice as frequently as possible
Work through past exam questions
and familiarize yourself with
questioning techniques.
• Set comprehension exercises of
your own. You will immediately
become aware of facts and possible
questions.
• Focus on key instructional words
used in exam papers.

COMPREHENSION SKILLS GR 9

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

COMPREHENSION SKILLS GR 9

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

COMPREHENSION SKILLS GR 9

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Reading Comprehension

- It is the power of the mind to take

- The skills one acquires is not only for

- They are skills that one acquires for life.

Skim the passage to get an overview of

 Read the title – it gives us a hint of

 The name of the author gives an idea

 Read through the passage - ask

• Where does the text come from? This will

• What is the passage about?

• What is the author’s intention in writing this

• Where and when does it take place?

• How does the author communicate the message –

Texts usually have an introduction,

• Read through the questions, as

• It is important to understand the

• If you don’t understand what the

• Also underline key words or ideas in

• Take the time to understand how the

Types of questions found in this category:

Types of questions found in this category:

Types of questions found in this category:

Types of questions found in this category:

Types of questions found in this category:

 Types of questions found in this category:

You might also like