Read to answer questions

WE have hit hard on reading — not only reading English readers or class texts but many other books, magazines and newspapers. We are talking about reading various sources of knowledge. As you read, remember that you will be asked to answer questions based on the text you read. Your reading should be focused. Make sure you comprehend what you read.

This is where the Motto or maxim comes from.

“Answer the question, nothing else but the question”. Obviously, most people read widely, but when you answer questions you are focusing on what the question wants — demands of the question only. You do not just write everything you know about the topic but that which is demanded by the question. I always give a simple question to illustrate this:

At times from a passage, the examiner might ask, “How many boys were involved in the voyage?” If the answer is “three” there is no need to repeat the question. Just write “three”. Some people go further and repeat They/there were three boys. As they do this they go on to make mistakes which are uncalled for. They have brought problems on themselves showing that they are unfamiliar with these commonly confused words: they for there and where for were.

They go on to lose marks by adding unnecessary information not required by the examiner. The question just asked for a number, a single digit for that matter. The essence of this motto is to encourage students to follow the instructions on the particular text or examination. Read and understand the instructions set on that paper. Do not answer questions you remember from the past but the question at hand.

The business of not answering the question but meandering and waffling has been the greatest undoing of many students. Do not create your own questions, but respond to given questions. Questions are instructions and should be followed to the word, hence: “Answer the question, nothing else but the question.” Master this skill and you will enjoy benefits that come thereafter.

A quick review of what has been learnt before: I believe most of you have heard about sentence fragments. A group of words that does not express a complete thought is a sentence fragment. Many sentence fragments lack a subject or a verb, or both. To correct a fragment, add the missing part or parts.

Examples: Announced the school rules to the students. (Who or What? Announced the school rules? The subject is missing. Correct sentence: The head teacher announced the school rules to the students. Fragment: A group of volunteers, who had waited all day for the results. What the volunteers did? The predicate is missing. Sentence: A group of students who had waited all day for the results studied the Television screen.

If you want to locate sentence fragments in your own writing, try reading your work aloud. If a sentence does not sound right you might discover that the subject or predicate is missing. Asking who or what will help you decide what to add in order to complete the sentence.

Vocabulary practice: write the word whose meaning is not related to the other words in the row: consider, watch, study, and tremble; insolent, respectful. Deferential, polite; uncover disinter, disregard, expose; interminably, quickly, continuously, endlessly; force, make, invite, compel; ruined, destroyed, ravaged, untouched; intervene, interview, interrupt, interfere; retaliate, repay, compromise, punish;

Voyage, trip, siege, journey; moderation, self control, addiction, temperance, oppressor, tyrant, peacemaker, dictator, feigned, put on, artificial, sincere; threatening, menacing, ominous, harmless, underprivileged, deprived, disadvantaged, craze, ineffectual, influential, unproductive and useless.

Learn the following words and use them in correct sentences: serene – untroubled, having a peaceful sight; exile – a long period of time living away from home usually by force, or banishment; manipulate- to work or operate and work with hands; aversion – an intense dislike; consummately –completely; mediate to settle a dispute in an argument by bringing the two sides together; trepidation – fearful, uncertainty or apprehension; transfixed – motionless, transfix; relinquish – to let go or give up; to surrender.

Cascading – falling or flowing like a waterfall; sophistication – the state of being worldly – wise or experienced; essence – the basis or most important quality; aura – the atmosphere or feeling that surrounds a person, object or event; temperance – self-restraint, moderation; appraisal – a sizing up or an evaluation; vitality or strength; inarticulate- not spoken so others can understand, not expressed clearly, not able to speak understandably.

Indolent – lazy; combative – ready  or eager to fight. Morosely – gloomily, sullenly; unkempt – messy, untidy, intrigue – to arouse the interest of, fascinate; eccentric – out of the ordinary; imminent – approaching, near, close; precariously – insecurely, in an unsafe manner; exotic – striking, extremely unusual; heresy – an opinion that oppresses commonly held views and beliefs; doggedness- persistence, stubbornness.

Contemplate – to consider, think about intently; boon –gift or blessing, Remember all meanings of the words is determined by the context in which they are used, Work out the meanings of these words and use them in correct sentences. Words on their own are useless till you use them in sentences. Use dictionaries wherever you have challenges.

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