Comprehension

What the official syllabus says

Preliminary Examination, General Studies Paper II:

• Comprehension;

The syllabus gives this area in one word. In the paper it means reading a passage, usually on a serious subject, and answering questions that test whether it was understood: what it says, what it implies and what it takes for granted. The question paper is printed in Hindi and English, so a candidate may read the passage in either language.

Topics in detail

Understanding what the passage says

• The central idea or main theme of a passage, as distinct from a supporting detail.
• The author's purpose: to explain, argue, criticise, warn, compare or recommend.
• The structure of the passage: claim, evidence, example, counter-view and conclusion.
• Explicitly stated facts and details: locating the line that answers the question.
• Suitable title for a passage: one that covers the whole of it, neither too narrow nor too wide.
• Summary of a passage in one sentence: the "crux", "essence" or "most logical message".
• Meaning of a word or phrase as it is used in the passage (vocabulary in context).
• What a pronoun or phrase such as "this approach" or "such a policy" refers to.

Reading beyond the words

• Inference: a conclusion that must follow from the passage, as against one that merely could be true.
• Assumption: an unstated premise the author's argument depends on.
• The difference between an inference, an assumption and a restatement of the text.
• Logical corollary or implication of the author's argument.
• The author's tone and attitude: neutral, critical, optimistic, cautious, ironic or concerned.
• Which statement the author would agree or disagree with.
• Questions with two or more statements ("Which of the above is/are valid?"): judging each statement separately against the passage.
• Recognising the author's opinion as distinct from a fact the author reports.

Kinds of passages

• Economy and development: growth, poverty, employment, agriculture, markets and public finance.
• Environment and ecology: climate change, biodiversity, water, energy and sustainability.
• Governance and society: democracy, rights, institutions, education, health and inequality.
• Science and technology: research, innovation, digital technology and their effects on society.
• Philosophy, ethics and human behaviour: values, freedom, knowledge and character.
• Short single-paragraph passages with one question, and longer passages with several questions.

Choosing between options

• Options that go beyond the passage (out of scope), even if true in the real world.
• Options with extreme or absolute words ("always", "only", "never") that the passage does not support.
• Options that are partly right: true in one half, false or unsupported in the other.
• Options that distort the passage: right words, wrong relationship (cause turned into effect, a part taken for the whole).
• Options that state the opposite of the author's view.
• Options that are true but too narrow to be the main idea.
• Using only the passage, not outside knowledge, as the basis of the answer.

Reading skills to build

• Reading speed with retention: reading once, carefully, rather than skimming twice.
• Marking the turn in an argument: words such as "however", "but", "therefore", "unless" and "on the other hand".
• Paraphrasing a paragraph in one line before looking at the options.
• Regular reading of editorial and opinion writing on public affairs to build familiarity with argumentative prose.

Overlaps

• The English and Indian Language papers of the Main Examination also begin with comprehension of given passages, in written answers.
• Questions on assumptions and inferences use the same logic as the argument questions in Logical Reasoning and Analytical Ability.