English (1123)
Factual/Literal: Answer is directly stated in the text. "What colour was the car?" Inferential: You must read between the lines. "Why was the character nervous?" Vocabulary in context: What does a word mean in this specific passage? Writer's effect: How does the writer create a particular mood or feeling?
Read the questions FIRST — know what to look for Read the passage carefully, underlining key points Answer in your OWN words (unless asked to quote) Use evidence from the text to support your answers For "explain" questions, use PEE: Point, Evidence, Explain
Copying whole sentences from the passage (paraphrase!) Not using evidence from the text Writing too little or too much Not answering what was actually asked
Simile: "as cold as ice" Metaphor: "the road was a ribbon of moonlight" Personification: "the wind whispered" Alliteration: "big, bold, beautiful" Imagery: vivid descriptions that create pictures in your mind
Topic 1 of 1Cambridge O Levels
Reading Comprehension
Understanding passages and answering questions effectively
Reading comprehension tests your ability to understand, analyse, and respond to written texts.
Types of Questions:
How to Approach Comprehension:
Common Mistakes:
Writer's Techniques:
Key Points to Remember
- 1Read questions FIRST, then the passage
- 2PEE structure: Point, Evidence, Explanation
- 3Paraphrase — don't copy directly from the text
- 4Know the difference between simile, metaphor, and personification
Pakistan Example
Reading Pakistani Literature
Imagine a comprehension passage about a monsoon in Lahore: 'The sky turned an angry grey as the first drops hammered the dusty streets. Children burst from doorways like birds released from cages, their laughter mixing with the drumming rain.' If asked 'How does the writer convey excitement?', you'd analyse: the simile 'like birds released from cages' suggests freedom and joy; 'burst' is an energetic verb; 'drumming rain' uses onomatopoeia. This is the kind of analysis that scores top marks!