Unseen Passage / Comprehension (Non-Textual)
Unseen comprehension tests skimming, scanning, inference, vocabulary in context, and title selection. You cannot rely on memorised lessons, so the passage itself must supply the evidence.
Core rules
- Read once for gist; then read the questions and re-read the passage with the question keywords underlined.
- Answer in complete sentences unless the instruction asks for a word or phrase.
- For inference, combine two or more clues; do not add outside facts.
- For vocabulary, use the surrounding sentence to decide the meaning.
- For a title, choose one that covers the whole passage, not one small detail.
Worked example
Passage: 'The old clock in the hall had not worked for years, but Grandmother wound it every Sunday.' Question: What does this suggest about Grandmother? Reasoning: 'had not worked' shows the clock is not used for time, while 'every Sunday' shows a regular habit. Together they suggest attachment to the past or family routine. A good answer: 'She was emotionally attached to the clock and kept a family routine alive.' 'She was good at repairing clocks' is wrong because no repair is mentioned.
Traps
- Copying a whole sentence instead of answering.
- Writing 'true' or 'false' without the required correction.
- Guessing a word from its sound rather than its context.
- Exceeding a stated word limit and losing marks.
- Importing personal knowledge that the passage does not support.