How to Answer Comprehension Questions
Comprehensions are in every test and exam. You have to read a text and then answer questions on the article, advert or poem you read. Some questions are easy, and some require interpretation and deeper understanding of the text.
Why do schools ask comprehensions?
Comprehension questions are tested for many reasons. Some of these reasons include:
Reading for gist (you need to be able to find general information without reading things in detail).
Reading for understanding (you need to be able to understand the detail of information and formulate responses in the context of the text).
Critical thinking (you need to be able to construct arguments and respond to contextual questions by applying what you already know to information you have just learned).
Life Skills (you need to be able to read instructions, contracts, or news articles to understand information in various aspects of daily life).
These reasons all play a role in the types of questions you could get in a test or exam. Comprehension questions range between four different levels of difficulty. Level 1 is the easiest, and level 4 is the most difficult.
Steps for Answering Comprehension Questions
Read the questions
Check the questions
Read the text
Answer the questions
We will now unpack each of the steps below.
Step 1: Read the Questions
Read the title of the article first, then move straight to the questions, so that you can discover what you need to look for when you read the text.
Step 2: Check the Questions
Once you have read the questions, check what the instruction words are for each one.
Highlight the instruction words in a special colour so that you can answer according to what they actually want from you.
Check out the Levels of Questions download to determine how much you need to write for each type of question.
Instruction verbs will help you, so take note: does it ask you to choose, explain, describe, etc.?
Step 3: Read the Text
Read the text once to understand it for yourself.
Try to understand the main point of the text, summarise it as follows: Why was the text written?
Was it written to inform? To educate? To entertain? To state the author’s opinion?
Take note of diction and tone used in the text (the previous point will help you do this).
Then look for the information the questions are asking you about.
If you have enough time, read it again before answering the questions.
Step 4: Answer the Questions
Multiple choice questions
Choose the most appropriate answer from the list.
Make sure you understand exactly what the question relates to.
Longer questions
Make sure you answer according to the instruction verb.
For example: If they want you to describe, then you should write a sentence. If they want you to list, then a paragraph will not be acceptable.
Your response will most likely start by rephrasing the question.
Check if they want proof. If they want you to justify, quote or use evidence from the text, do so in the appropriate manner.
Do not quote entire sentences, only relevant information to prove your point.
If you do not want to quote, you can reference the line or paragraph.
Comprehensions in Real Life
You will find that when you are not in school, you will still need to be able to read and understand certain things. Whether you are reading a recipe from a cookbook or blog, or reading a website to find out where to submit your tax returns for the year, you will always need to be able to take information from a source and apply it.
Another great skill to have is to be able to apply context to information. Not all information is relevant in every situation! It takes practice to know what details to use, so keep working on it, and remember the steps from this post. Figuring out why you need the information will help you figure out what is needed for any particular situation.
Real Life will often require you to read something and understand how to apply it.
Your turn! Can you think of examples of real life comprehensions? Let us know what you like and dislike about reading comprehensions! You can get in touch here.
Happy reading!
