Unlike previous years
when comprehension is only used by examination bodies to know how a student
understood a particular passage, it is now gaining more popularity as even
organisations use it to test the English proficiency of their applicants before
employing them.
Therefore, it is
important you know how to approach a given comprehension passage in order to be
on a safer side. As a student, it is important you know how to approach a given
comprehension passage in order to pass your English Exam very well. This article
will help you on this.
Comprehension is the
process of reading, understanding and explaining what is written in a passage.
In comprehension, the thoughts of the writer are presented to the students for
reading, understanding and explaining.
SSCE comprehension is
aimed at knowing to what extent a student understands a given passage. This is
judged by the student's ability to reproduce what he or she has read in the
passage in his or her words.
However, if a student is
able to reproduce what he has read through mindless liftings (i.e. by lifting
words from the passage), it shows that the student has not really understood
the passage and might be penalized for that. Although the student is at liberty
to make use of words from the passage, he/she must be careful not to be reckless
in copying down the portion of the passage which he/she feels answers the
question.
How to Approach SSCE Comprehension
Do not be in a hurry to
answer your comprehension passage without taking time to understand the
passage. Many students have failed English language because of this.
SSCE English examination
(WAEC precisely) has two comprehension passages, each carrying 20 marks, making
a total of 40 marks, so hasty answers might snatch these 40 marks from you.
Hope you know what it means to lose 40 marks in any examination.
However, a careful
follow-up of the steps below will keep your 40 marks intact:
1. Read the passage very
carefully more than ones (at least three times) and make sure you understand
the passage. The first reading brings you into close contact with the underlying
message/theme of the passage. Read the passage the second time and while
reading it, take note of the author's attitude to the underlying message of the
passage. After the second reading of the passage, read questions in order to
know the main points emphasized in the passage. Then, read the passage for the
third time. While reading, note the relevant points that answer the question on
the passage.
Please, the reading of
the passage should be done quickly with full attention in order to have a total
understanding of the passage. Until you understand the passage, do not answer
the questions that follow.
2. Your answers should be
in sentences unless otherwise stated.
3. Avoid mindless
lifting. Though you are at liberty to use the words from the passage in your
answers, you must be able to use your own words or expressions to show that you
really understood the passage.
4. If you are asked to
show comparison between two things or more in the passage, your answer must
show such comparison.
5. Where you are asked to
replace an underlined word in the passage with another word, your answer must fit
in perfectly in terms of the contextual meaning and collocation. For example,
if the underlined word is a noun, you must use another noun to replace it and
it must have the contextual meaning of the underlined word.
6. Your answers must make
sense before any part of it is accepted for scoring. Therefore, endeavour to
give the correct answers.
7. Do not spell words
wrongly. Spelling your words correctly shows your diligence. Therefore, you
must take pains to spell your words correctly.
8. Avoid grammatical
blunders because there is penalty for the use of wrong grammar. There must be
an agreement between the subject and verb in your sentence.
Why Students Lose Marks in Comprehension
Students lose marks in comprehension due to the following reasons:
1. Giving two answers
to a question. You don't need a soothsayer to tell you that you are expected to give
one answer to a question. Where a student gives two answers to a question and
one of them is wrong, zero is awarded to that answer.
2. Replacing underlined
words or phrases with wrong synonyms. (See no. 5 above).
3. Grammatical and
Expression error(s). For any grammatical and expression blunder committed, the
penalty is a deduction of one and half mark from the total marks awarded to
that question.
4. Giving answers that
are not contained in the passage. In a comprehension passage, your opinion is
not needed. You only reproduce and explain (in your own words) the thoughts of
the writer as contained in the passage. You will not score any mark for writing
answers which are not in the information provided in the passage.
If the the aforementioned
are adequately followed, you will no doubt come out of the examination hall
smiling.