Study Tips
How to Approach Unseen Comprehension Questions
By Emma Clarke · · 4 min read
Quick answer
For unseen comprehension, read the text before the questions, then return to find specific evidence for each answer. Match your answer to what the question asks and to the marks available, quote or refer to the text as evidence, and watch for questions asking for your own words versus the text's.
Read the text first
Read the passage through before looking at the questions, to get the overall meaning. Trying to answer questions without grasping the whole text leads to answers that miss the point.
A first read for understanding, then returning for detail, is more effective than hunting for answers in a text you have not understood.
Find evidence in the text
Comprehension answers should be grounded in the text, not in general impression. For each question, locate the specific part of the passage that supports your answer before writing it.
This habit — locate, then answer — prevents the vague, unsupported answers that lose marks. The evidence is in the text; your job is to find and use it.
Match the answer to the question
Different questions want different things — a fact retrieved, an inference made, an effect explained. Read each question carefully and give exactly what it asks, no more and no less.
The marks available signal how much is wanted: a one-mark question needs a brief point, a longer one needs development. Matching your answer to the marks is a simple way to gain them.
Own words versus the text's
Some questions ask you to answer in your own words, others to quote or refer to the text. Doing the wrong one loses marks, so check what each question requires.
Where your own words are asked for, genuinely rephrase rather than copying; where evidence is asked for, quote precisely. The instruction tells you which.
Explain effects where asked
Higher-mark comprehension questions often ask about the effect of language or a writer's choice. These need analysis — what the choice achieves — not just identification of it.
As with wider English analysis, connect the technique to its effect on the reader rather than simply naming it. That is where these marks are.
Manage your time
Comprehension is usually time-pressured, and it is easy to over-write on early questions and run out of time. Allocate time by the marks, and keep your answers proportionate.
A brief, precise answer to a low-mark question leaves time for the ones that reward development. Pacing is part of the skill.
Frequently asked questions
Should I read the text or the questions first?+
Read the text first, for overall meaning, then return to the questions. Trying to answer without grasping the whole passage leads to answers that miss the point.
How do I answer comprehension questions well?+
Ground each answer in the text — locate the specific part that supports it before writing. This prevents vague, unsupported answers, because the evidence is in the passage and your job is to find and use it.
How do I know how much to write?+
Match your answer to what the question asks and the marks available. A one-mark question needs a brief point; a longer one needs development. Matching the answer to the marks is a simple way to gain them.
What does 'in your own words' mean?+
That you should genuinely rephrase rather than copy from the text. Other questions ask you to quote or refer to the text instead, so check what each requires — doing the wrong one loses marks.
How do I answer questions about the effect of language?+
With analysis — what the writer's choice achieves for the reader — not just identifying the technique. Connect the technique to its effect, which is where the higher marks are.
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