Comprehension asks you to show that you understood a passage. Answers come from the passage, in your own words where the question asks for them.
The idea
Read the passage once for the story, then read the questions, then read the passage again with those questions in mind. An answer that is true in real life but not in the passage does not score. If the question says "in your own words", lifting a whole sentence copies the writer and loses the mark. A word or two from the passage is fine when there is no simpler word.
Some questions ask for a fact that is written down. Some ask you to infer, which means to conclude from clues. "How did Ama feel?" may not be answered by the word "sad". You infer it from her stopping, from the quiet, or from what she does next. Quote the clue only if the question says to quote. Otherwise answer in a sentence. Keep the tense of the passage unless you are asked to explain in the present.
The English tips guide sets out the papers, comprehension, and the mistakes that cost marks. BECE English tips
What earns the marks
Own words means the sentence is yours. A line copied from the passage, even if it is correct, fails an "own words" mark. Inference needs the clue and the conclusion. A feeling with no support is a guess. Spelling of ordinary words matters when the word is the whole answer, such as a name or a number the passage gave you.
Practice questions
These are practice questions in the style of the paper, with a model answer and a mark scheme. They are not a promise of what your paper will ask.
1Question 1
5 marks
Read this passage.
Ama had left the house with no umbrella. By the time she reached the market the rain was already loud on the zinc roofs. She pulled her books under her school sweater and ran the last street. At the gate the prefect looked at the dripping sweater and said nothing. Ama laughed, once, because the books were dry.
(a) Why did Ama run? (1 mark)
(b) In your own words, say why she laughed. (2 marks)
(c) What does "the rain was already loud on the zinc roofs" tell you about the rain? (2 marks)
Model answer
(a) She was caught in the rain and wanted to reach school.
(b) She was relieved. The books she had protected were not wet.
(c) The rain was heavy. It made a strong noise on the metal roofs.
Mark scheme
Because of the rain, or to get to school out of the rain1 mark
Own words: she was glad or relieved1 mark
Own words: the books had stayed dry1 mark
The rain was heavy or intense1 mark
The noise on the roofs is the evidence, not a second story1 mark
2Question 2
2 marks
Using the same passage, say whether the prefect scolded Ama. Support your answer from the passage. (2 marks)
Model answer
No. The passage says the prefect looked at the dripping sweater and said nothing.
Mark scheme
No, the prefect did not scold her1 mark
Support: the prefect said nothing1 mark
3Question 3
2 marks
Why is a copied sentence a weak answer when the question says "in your own words"? (2 marks)
Model answer
The question is testing whether you understood the line, not whether you can find it. A copy shows you located the sentence. It does not show that you can say the meaning.
Mark scheme
The mark is for understanding, not for locating a line1 mark
A copy does not prove the candidate can restate the meaning1 mark
Practise English Language with Kevin
More questions on this topic are inside GLearn, marked as you answer, with the reason written out. The first ones need no account.
Only when the question tells you to quote. If it says "in your own words", rewrite the meaning. A short phrase from the passage is acceptable when you build your own sentence around it.
What is an inference question?+
It asks for something the passage did not say outright, but which follows from what it did say. Name the clue and the conclusion. A feeling with no clue is a guess, and a guess does not score. All BECE English Language past questions