How to Correctly Answer English Comprehension Passages Questions

Quick Steps on how to Correctly Answer English Comprehension Passages:

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The English language WAEC paper consists of three parts Namely;

Easy writing.,
Comprehension/summary,
and the literature part.

The comprehension aspect of the English paper carries 30 marks. This means, in order to pass this paper, you should be able to score meaningful marks in the comprehension part of the English language.

But the sad thing is that many students find it difficult to answer and pass the comprehension part of the WAEC English language not because they’re dumb but because they lack skills in answering the Comprehension/summary part of the paper.

In this article, we are going to see the Quick Steps on how to Correctly Answer English compression/Summary Questions in Waec and Neco examination.

Table of Contents

Quick Steps on how to Correctly Answer English Comprehension Passages.

If you are looking for simple steps and tips on how to answer the English language comprehension paper correctly, then below are some o the quick steps on how to do that.

First Read The Questions Below the Passage: When the question paper is given to you, before you start the comprehension part of the questions, first, go down to the question aspect of the comprehension and read them before you begin to read the main passage. Doing this will give you clues of the areas to focus much on once you start to read the main passage.

Read the Full Passage at least two times and Underline the Relevant information: It is always advisable to read the full passages, understand and focus much on what’s required of the question by underlying the various key points. This will help easily locate the answers to all the questions asked from the passage.

Read the Questions again to Make sure what you have underlined are correct and can suit the demands of the Questions. Once you are ready to answer the questions, you can read the Question below the passages once again to make sure you’ve actually underlined the right answers to each of the questions asked. This is to ensure that, you’ve not underlined the wrong answers or have not to interchange the answers to the various questions.

Pick out the Major Answers in the Passage as Instructed by the Questions: Most of the questions asked come from the passage and the examiners expect you to answer based on what’s written in the passage. Do as instructed. Do not bring answers which are out of the passage. Try to limit your answers to the passage. Once the questions instructed you to answer the passage if you haven’t seen the answers from the passage doesn’t mean the answers are not there. it means you have not read and understood the passage well. so always try and understand the passage, there you will see the answers to the question asked.

Always remember to keep your answers short: Do not prolong your answers to the passage. Most of the answers that come from the passage are usually short and must be written as seen from the passage. do not try to add what’s not in the passage because you want to make your answers long. Keep them short and simple, and easy to understand.

See below a sample of Comprehension Passage from BECE 2021 with their Answers.

Read the passage carefully and answer all questions which follow

The academic performance of students in the olden days was golden. Students knew the essence of education and made efforts to achieve excellence. Reading whatever material they came across not only helped in their mental development but also made them self-reliant and confident. Students burned the midnight oil in order to make good grades and come out of school as better people.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of students today. Whatever students achieved in the past is considered archaic. The emergence of improved technology has bedeviled society, Students prefer staying in touch with their friends and loved ones.

The use of social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Instagram, has taken over their entire being. Reading useful materials like dailies, storybooks, and others is now a thing of the past.

The negative influence of social media has deprived students of achieving excellence. Examination malpractice, mass failure in examination, and bad language have become the order of the day.

Modern technology has its own benefits. In addition to serving as a great tool for businesses, it enables students to access information easily. What is more, it enables easy interaction between friends and loved ones. As much as these are important, students should realise that, without good moral practices, education, and reading, the future remains blurred. Students can eradicate the negative effects modern technology has on them if only they remain focused on their academic work.

(a) State two benefits of reading mention in the passage

(b)For what two reasons did students study late into the night in the past?

(c)State two benefits of modern technology.

(d) How can students get rid of the harmful influence of social media?

(e) Explain in your own words, the following expressions as used in the passage.

(i) burn the midnight oil;
(ii) taken over their entire being;
(iii) the order of the day,

(f) For each of the following words, give another word or a phrase that means the same

(i) goldern;
(ii) excellence
(iii) archaic;
(iv) blurred;
(v) eradicate

Watch the Video on how to correctly answer Comprehension Questions below.

Answer the Above Questions

(a) State two benefits of reading mention in the passage:

The answer to this question can be gotten from the first paragraph of the comprehension. As mentioned in our checklist, always underline or bold the answers as you read long. So going to the first paragraph, you can see we’ve bolded the answers to this question.

Answer:

helped in their mental development
self-reliant and confident

(b) For what two reasons did students study late into the night in the past?

Going back to the passage, still under the first paragraph, you can clearly see the answer for this question also there. The answer can be located at the very end part of paragraph one.

Answer:

To make good grades
Come out of school as better people.

(c) State two benefits of modern technology.

The answer to this question can be found in paragraph five at the very beginning f the paragraph. This can easily be seen only If you went through the passage with much attention.

Answer:

Serves as a great tool for businesses,
It also enables students to access information easily

(d) How can students get rid of the harmful influence of social media?

Here, you can locate the answer from the last paragraph of the passage.

“Students can eradicate (get rid) the negative effects modern technology has on them if only they remain focused on their academic work.”

(e) Explain in your own words, the following expressions as used in the passage.

The explanation for these words is straightforward that if you read and understand the passage very well. So from the passage, below are some of the explanations of those words.

(i) burn the midnight oil; This means students are staying up very late in order to study.

(ii) Taken over their entire being; Has become part and parcel of them. or has taken control of them, involved or included in their lives and cannot be separated from it. e.t.c

(iii) the order of the day: Something that is very common at a particular time.

(f) For each of the following words, give another word or a phrase that means the same

(i) golden; Glorious, flourishing, Booming, Successful,

(ii) excellence: Outstanding, marvelous, magnificent, superb

(iii) archaic; Obsolete, out of date, very old, old-fashioned

(iv) blurred; Unfocussed

(v) eradicate: Get rid of, eliminate, do away with, remove

How to Correctly Answer English Comprehension Passages Questions

Quick Steps on how to Correctly Answer English Comprehension Passages.

Answer the Above Questions

(a) State two benefits of reading mention in the passage:

(b) For what two reasons did students study late into the night in the past?

(c) State two benefits of modern technology.

(d) How can students get rid of the harmful influence of social media?

(e) Explain in your own words, the following expressions as used in the passage.

(f) For each of the following words, give another word or a phrase that means the same

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