Hints for Comprehension

1. When you read, try to picture what is happening in your mind. Read a few sentences, then close your eyes and try to build the scene and the events like a filmshow.

2. Ask yourself questions as you read, to help you understand - questions like:
Where and when is this happening?
Why did that happen?
Are there any clues to tell me how these people are feeling?
What is this person trying to do?

3. There will be many difficult words. Many of them will have an explanation or a clue to their meaning in the sentence that follows.

4. Read the questions VERY carefully. The examiner will want an exact answer, so you must be sure you know exactly what is being asked.

5. Watch out for these phrases in questions: "in your own words", "find ONE word", "find A word", "find TWO phrases". These must be answered exactly.

Mr J. Wolstenholme's book "Key Skills in Comprehension and Summary" focusses on the difficulties of the questions and will train you to answer. Ask your teacher about it.