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Comprehension Skills

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

When a question asks what a word like 'this' or 'however' refers to, how do you trace the link back through the text?

Answer flow questions by identifying what connecting words and references point back to in the text
A focused answer to flow questions in O-Level Comprehension: working out what pronouns and connectives like this, it and however refer to, and explaining how ideas link across sentences and paragraphs.
8 min answer →

When a question asks why a writer chose a particular word or image, how do you explain its effect on the reader?

Analyse a writer's language choices and explain the effect they create on the reader
A focused answer to language-use questions in O-Level Comprehension: identifying a writer's word choice and imagery, explaining the effect it has, and using the quote, technique, effect pattern to answer well.
9 min answer →

How do you tell when a question wants a fact lifted from the text and when it wants you to read between the lines?

Distinguish literal from inferential comprehension questions and answer each with the right evidence
A focused answer to literal and inferential comprehension for O-Level English: recognising what each question type wants, locating direct answers, and supporting inferences with evidence from the text.
8 min answer →

When a question says 'in your own words', how do you rephrase the passage without changing its meaning or just swapping a few words?

Answer 'in your own words' questions by genuinely rephrasing the passage while keeping the meaning exact
A focused answer to own-words comprehension questions for O-Level English: why lifting loses marks, how to substitute the key words rather than the easy ones, and how to keep the meaning precise while changing the wording.
8 min answer →

When a question asks what a word means here, how do you give the sense it carries in the passage rather than a dictionary definition?

Explain the meaning of words and phrases as used in context, capturing the writer's intended sense
A focused answer to vocabulary-in-context questions for O-Level Comprehension: using surrounding clues to fix a word's intended sense, capturing connotation, giving a contextual not dictionary meaning, and phrasing it in your own words.
8 min answer →