Comprehension / Unseen Passage
Comprehension / Unseen Passage gives an unseen Manipuri passage followed by short-answer questions, word-meanings, and sometimes an inference or tone question. Nothing comes from the textbook, so the skill tested is reading speed plus precise answering.
Procedure
- Read once for gist and write nothing.
- Read the questions and underline the question words: who, why, how many, what does the writer imply.
- Read again, marking the sentence each question hangs on.
- Answer in your own words unless the question says 'quote'.
Question types and what each wants
- Factual: lift the fact but compress it; do not copy the whole sentence.
- 'In your own words': paraphrase - change structure and vocabulary, keep the meaning.
- Word-meaning: give the sense as used in this passage, not the dictionary's first sense.
- Inference or tone: a claim plus the textual clue supporting it.
- Title or summary: one sentence covering the whole passage, not its first line.
Worked example
A passage describes a river changing course over decades. Question: 'What does the writer suggest about the village's future?' Reasoning: the passage never states it, so the answer needs a claim ('the village may have to relocate') plus the clue ('each monsoon the bank moves closer'). A bare 'the village will be destroyed' earns nothing because no evidence is offered.
Traps that cost marks
- Copying long stretches and losing the 'own words' marks.
- Answering only the first half of a two-part question.
- Ignoring mark value: a 1-mark item needs a phrase, not a paragraph.
- Skipping the word-meaning items because they look minor.
- Letting a personal opinion replace what the passage actually says.