Comprehension: Evidence, Inference and Word Limits
What the examiner tests
Comprehension checks whether you can read an unseen passage accurately and answer in your own words. Questions test literal retrieval, inference, vocabulary in context, reference, tone, purpose and summary. The passage is self-contained; no outside knowledge should be imported.
Core rules
- Read the passage once for gist, then read each question and locate the relevant sentence or paragraph.
- Answer in the same order as the passage where possible; use line references if given.
- Distinguish stated fact from inference. Inference must be supported by wording, not guesswork.
- Vocabulary in context: substitute the word in the sentence and test whether meaning and register fit.
- Identify pronouns and referents ('this', 'they', 'the former') precisely.
- Keep word limits. A one-word answer should be one word; a full-sentence answer should be concise.
- For tone, choose an adjective and justify it with a phrase from the passage.
Worked example
Passage: 'When the library closed, the shelves held their breath. Dust settled on the atlas, and the librarian's chair kept its shape long after she left.' Question: What does 'the shelves held their breath' suggest? Answer: The library became still and expectant, as if waiting for readers to return. Reasoning: 'held their breath' personifies the shelves; 'dust settled' confirms neglect, while 'kept its shape' suggests recent absence. A weak answer says only 'the shelves were quiet' because it misses the personification and the mood of suspended life.
Traps
Copying a whole sentence instead of answering; adding information not in the passage; confusing 'infer' with 'state'; missing 'NOT' or 'EXCEPT'; giving two answers when one is asked; exceeding the word limit; ignoring the tone of the passage.