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Introduction to Reading Comprehension
The unseen passage or the comprehension questions cover the maximum part of the verbal ability section. Each passage asked in the exam comprises a subpart, based on the information given in the passage.
What is Reading Comprehension?
Reading Comprehension (RC) is the ability to actively read the information (mostly passages) provided and assimilate the information to answer a given set of questions.
So, to solve the reading comprehension questions, one must be able to:
- Understand the crux of the passage
- Answer questions based on the text provided
- Develop a perspective on the tone and tenor of the given passage
- The most followed rule in the RC section is to understand what you read. It will prove a boon for you if you are able to read fast. Nevertheless, speed is always secondary to understanding. Below are some tips for exam-preparation.
You must answer these questions before starting your preparation for RC:
- What are the types of questions that are asked in a Comprehension?
- What should be the strategy to follow for answering Comprehension?
- What skills can be tested in Comprehension?
- How should one improve in Comprehension?
The length of the passage or the vocabulary used in the passage might appear to be complicated for a candidate but when he/she starts reading the passage, understanding it as well as answering it becomes easier.
Scoring in the passage questions is not difficult because the answers are straightforward and hidden in the passage. Candidates must ensure that they practise more and more comprehension questions to get the hang of how to scan the passage and answer the related questions, without wasting much time.
Reading Comprehension – Passage Types
Apart from the length, difficulty level, and the vocabulary used in the passage, another or rather the most vital aspect of these questions is the topics on which the passage may be asked.
The comprehension is generally based on a piece of recent news or topics related to the competitive exam or can be from any other sphere of life. However, it is essential to note that even if the candidate has a broader idea of the topic, his answers should only be based on the passage’s information.
Given below are a few spheres from which the topic for reading comprehensions may be picked:
- Current Events: Mostly, the passage is picked from a recent development across the world, which may be hype and is in the news.
- Economy Related: Passage related to economic growth or the development of a country may also be put up in the comprehension part.
- Social Sciences: This is another sector from which the passage may be put forth in the Verbal Ability section.
- Philosophy & Psychology: The comprehension may deal with philosophy and psychology topics, making the topic moderately complicated for the candidate.
- Imaginary Events: It is also possible that the passage may be based on fictitious information which may not be realistic and just be imaginary.
The comprehension is based on the current events maximum times because applicants may have come across the news through various platforms and may be aware of the topic.
Important Rules to Follow While Answering RC Passages-
- One should understand the author’s main point.
- Identify the key arguments being put forward to prove that point.
- Identify the author’s tone, which can be mocking, curious, respectful, condescending, etc.
- Check for negative conjunctions, and these words will definitely reveal a change in the tone of the author. So, the implication of the author may not be what the initial statement suggests. Examples are: But, nevertheless, however, in spite of, etc.,
- See if there are negative qualifiers words which create doubt about the fact being stated. E.g. perhaps, appears, somewhat, seems like, etc.