Essential Skills You Need To Conquer GP Comprehension

Trying to improve in GP comprehension can feel like a futile battle, especially if you don’t have an inkling what you are really supposed to do. Hardworking students may blindly follow the advice to ‘just keep practising’, but not see the results they hope for. Is that the case for you?

Well, the problem is not that you are not working hard enough. Many students don’t know how to practise and they don’t know what skills they need to hone. Similar to O Level English, GP comprehension is very skills-based and you need patience and consistency if you really want to do well.

Hoping to achieve more targeted and effective practice sessions for GP comprehension? We’re about to tell you how – by sharing the essential skills you need to know to finally improve.

1. Paraphrasing

For the GP comprehension paper, paraphrasing is a key skill required for success. And it is not just for the summary section; you should not be lifting whole phrases from the passage for short answer questions (SAQ) too. Additionally, you will need to paraphrase ideas from the text when you explain and elaborate on arguments in your application question (AQ).

Paraphrasing is a way examiners check if you really understood the text. But if you lack the vocabulary, your ability to paraphrase will suffer.

Pro tips for paraphrasing:

• Improve your vocabulary by keeping a word bank and reading widely
• Make and study lists of synonyms
• Be sensitive to the degree and connotation of words
• Don’t just substitute word for word
• Vary the sentence structure
• Understand the main idea and then write it without looking at the original sentence

2. General knowledge

There’s a reason why it’s called ‘General’ Paper. If you think general knowledge like current affairs and world issues is only relevant for the essay component, you can’t be more wrong.

The AQ is a mini-essay that requires all the same skills and type of knowledge that you would need for the actual GP essay. Read our previous post on how to study for the GP essay and you will also find that useful for the AQ.

3. Recognising question types

To give the appropriate answer, you need to know what the question wants of you. You need to be aware of what types of questions exist, how to recognise them, and how to respond suitably.

Types of comprehension questions in A Level GP:

i. Literal

The answer to literal questions are usually easily found in the text. After locating the answer, make sure to rewrite it in your own words.

Examples of literal questions (where answer is directly mentioned in the text):

ii. Inference

The answer is not directly stated in the passage. You need to use the given information to uncover the implied meaning.

Example of inference question (if answer is not directly mentioned in the text):

iii. Author’s purpose/attitude/tone

You need to infer what the author is trying to achieve, or what they feel regarding the issue.

iv. Language use & devices

You have to be familiar with figures of speech like metaphors, similes, irony, paradox, and puns, and be able to understand and explain why the author uses them.

Examples of questions related to language devices:

v. Comparison

Remember that comparison encompasses both similarities and differences. Use keywords like ‘but’ to signify contrast and ‘both’ or ‘like’ to signify similarities. 

Examples of comparison questions:

Conclusion

Which of the above skills do you think you are lacking in? Did you learn something new today?

Sometimes it’s simply easier to have someone guide you along and point out your weaknesses and mistakes, especially for a subject like General Paper. For our Future Academy students, our tutors can provide personalised feedback and guidance, thanks to the small group class sizes. If you need a platform to discuss and gain perspectives on current affairs and word issues, our classroom discussions may also be beneficial for you.

Join us as we support each other and learn together in our A Level GP tuition classes! Enquire today to get started!