(A Video Lecture on How To Answer JAMB Comprehension Questions: https://youtu.be/BXK6h1eMDd0)
One of the greatest challenges that most students face in English exams is how to answer comprehension questions. Students are usually required to answer questions on one or two passages in most English exams. How to answer comprehension questions correctly is particularly a source of concern to most JAMB candidates. This article explains the steps you need to take when answering comprehension questions in the JAMB English exam. Above all, it explains the right procedure for identifying the correct answers.
WHY STUDENTS PICK WRONG ANSWERS
Let’s examine the reasons why the majority of candidates usually choose the wrong options in answer to JAMB comprehension questions.
1. Picking your answers in a haste: You must avoid the temptation to pick your answers in a haste. You must ensure that you fully understand what exactly the question is about, and then you will choose the appropriate option.
2. Using sentiment: This happens when one of the options seems to be true based on your personal experience. Remember that it is wrong to bring ideas outside the passage when answering comprehension questions. Make sure you look for the evidence in the passage.
3. Ambiguity caused by unfamiliar words in the passage: The fact that you find some unfamiliar words in the passage does not mean you should concentrate on looking for the meaning of those specific words. Don’t try to do that since nobody will allow you to use a dictionary in an exam hall. The smart option you have is to use the contextualization approach to figure out what the unfamiliar word means. To contextualize is to examine something together with the situation, events or information related to it rather than considering it alone. The meaning of a word is derived from it’s context, which includes the preceding words and the words after it.
STEPS TO TAKE
You can choose any of the methods of reading you may find appropriate. However, different comprehension passages require different approaches. The approach you use for WAEC and NECO comprehension passages may not work for JAMB passages. One, JAMB passages are short but somehow more sophisticated. Two, JAMB questions provide options but very tricky as well. Now, here are important steps you can take to enable you to arrive at the correct answers.
1. The first step to take is to read the questions in order to know what you’re going to look for in the passage. Reading the questions first will simplify the process, as it enables you to go into the passage with a clear purpose – to scan for specific pieces of information in direct answer to the questions you already know.
2. Read the passage: It’s important to read the passage carefully in order to understand fully what it is about. Since you already know what you’re looking for, you can pick them out the moment you come across them in the passage.
3. Read the questions again: This is necessary to ensure that you understand clearly what the questions are. As you read the questions this time, you’re ready to pick or confirm the answers you’ve already picked one by one.
4. Scan for the evidence in the passage before ratifying an option as the correct answer to a given question.
KEYS FOR UNLOCKING A JAMB COMPREHENSION PASSAGE
In view of the complex nature of JAMB comprehension passages, you need to use the right keys for unlocking them. Here are a few keys that will be useful.
1. Subject Matter/Thesis statement: You need to identify the subject and the thesis of the passage. The subject matter is the topic or what the whole passage is all about. It’s the focus of attention in the entire text. The thesis, often called the thesis statement, is usually one or two sentences that express the main idea or the central message of the entire passage. This will help you in choosing a suitable title for the passage, pick the option that relates to the aim of the whole passage rather than part of the passage.
2. Topic Sentences: The topic sentence is the main idea of each passage. Although JAMB passages may not have many paragraphs, your ability to distinguish a main idea from the supporting details is key to figuring out the answer to a specific question.
3. Structure: It’s important to consider all the parts that make up the passage as a way of having a clearer picture of what it is all about. For example, if a passage has a title, an introduction, a body and a conclusion, these parts make up the structure of the passage.
For a detailed audiovisual explanation of how to answer JAMB comprehension questions, watch the following video lecture: https://youtu.be/BXK6h1eMDd0
EBOOKS:
- Good Success in English: A Study Package or Good Success in English: A Study Package for Effective English Learning
- Good Success English Handbook
About the Author
Benjamin Abugu is a university graduate with a flair for content writing. He is an English teacher with over twelve years experience, a published author of many books (both paperback and eBook editions), a blogger and Youtuber
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