What things should be considered while answering reading comprehension questions?

Answer 1

It is vital that you reread the question to ensure that you understand it. Sometimes the questions are worded in such a way that they may lead you to an incorrect answer if you interpreted the question incorrectly. Common mistakes include questions that for example contain phrases like "do/would not" versus "do/would". For example "Which of the following words would make sense filled in the blank present in paragraph three?" as opposed to "Which of the following words would not make sense filled in the blank present in paragraph three?"

You should also consider if there are any nonsense answers underneath the question. This is a generic tip that can apply to almost any exam including reading comprehension. Oftentimes at least one answer can be eliminated if the reader can recognize it makes little sense in the context of the reading.

Quickly determine what the topic of the passage is. This should be apparent in the first paragraph on most occasions.To determine the author's intent and feelings towards the topic pay extra special attention to the vocabulary and verbiage used. A common question on reading comprehension tests will ask the test taker to identify the topic and how the author feels about the topic based on the passage.

For questions that ask for specific details it is important that the reader goes back to the reading to confirm the answer to the question. Do not assume that you remembered the details perfectly! Sometimes questions and answers are worded slightly different than one another so that they resemble each other; however, in actuality only of the answers is correct, and the other answer is designed to show that you were not reading closely enough.

Lastly, if you are having a hard time understanding the passage, break down the passage into paragraphs or chunks. Understanding the different chunks will make it easier to locate the answers you are looking for in the passage, and it will also help you understand the complete picture by breaking it down into more digestible pieces.