Module 3 - Reading

Reading is the process of decoding written or printed symbols to understand words and sentences. It
primarily involves recognizing letters and words.

Reading comprehension is the ability to understand, interpret, and draw conclusions from the text
being read. It involves making sense of the text, understanding the context, inferring meanings, and
integrating new information with existing knowledge.

In short Reading is the foundational ability to recognize and pronounce words, while reading
comprehension is the more advanced ability to understand and make meaning from those words.

Scanning: Scanning through the text is a reading strategy that is used for getting some specific points
by looking at the whole text. It is done to find specific information like names, dates, numbers or any
particular information of such kind.

Skimming: It is a method of speed reading only main ideas within a passage to acquire an overall
impression of the content of a reading text. This reading technique is used for getting the gist of the
whole text lead. Under this technique, we read quickly to get the main points and skip over the details.

In-depth reading: In-depth reading is a methodical approach to understanding a text comprehensively,

involving active engagement and critical analysis. This process includes annotating the text with notes
and comments, evaluating the arguments and evidence presented, and contextualizing the material
within its broader historical, cultural, and social framework. By asking probing questions and making
connections to other knowledge and experiences, readers can uncover deeper meanings and
implications. Additionally, building vocabulary, summarizing key points, and discussing the text with
others further enhance comprehension. Ultimately, in-depth reading transforms the act of reading into
an interactive and reflective practice, fostering a deeper appreciation and understanding of the
material.

There are different types of skimming depending on the purpose.

Skimming to Overview: it is used to get an outline of what the material is about. The focus is more on
structure than the content.

Skimming to Preview: Used when you know you are going to re-read the material. The purpose is to get
as much background information as you can on the subject without spending too much time on it.

Skimming to Review: Used when you have already read the material and the purpose is to
re-familiarize yourself with the content.
 Comprehension Strategies
There are different strategies to use to enhance comprehension. The following are strategies that can
be used to help build reading comprehension.

1. Predicting: This strategy involves making informed predictions based on what one obtains from the
story or text. Predictions require making guesses about what might happen. Predictions are made
based on what we see, hear, or read relative to the book’s cover, title, pictures, drawing, table of
content, and headings. When asked a question, such as “What do you think this book will be about?”
or“What do you think will happen to/if …?,” we make predictions or guesses when answering.
Predicting builds interest and understanding of the text, and it establishes a purpose for reading. This
strategy keeps us actively engaged by connecting, reflecting, and revising their predictions.

2. Making Connections to Prior Knowledge: Making connections to prior knowledge involves

connecting a new idea to knowledge and experiences already known. It requires getting us to relate our
own experiences to something in the story. The goal is to use prior knowledge to help make sense of
the text we read. Prior knowledge can include experiences or knowledge of words, places, animals, or
events.

For example, We know the word “bones” because of previous knowledge. When we read a new word,
such as “skeleton”, our prior knowledge of bones will be used to help us understand the new term. We
start making connections between text and personal experiences (text-to-self). As we grow older,
connections are made between different books, texts, or ideas by identifying similarities. In other
words, to increase comprehension, make text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections
before, during, and after reading. For example, a discussion of the new or difficult vocabulary words
before reading the text can help increase comprehension. When reading, we can activate their prior
knowledge of the new terms.

3. Visualizing: Visualizing is also a strategy used to increase reading comprehension. It requires creating
a mental image of what we read from the text. We can mentally envision what is being read. The
mental image helps understand, recall details, remember, and draw conclusions from the things
encountered while reading.

For example, Make a drawing based on what is read. Also, while reading a passage to someone, ask
them to close their eyes and listen. Ask them to create a movie in their mind of what the words are
describing.

4. Summarizing: This strategy involves identifying the main idea in the text and putting the idea into our
own words. We must sort the information to determine what information is important and what is
unimportant. We take the most important information and put it in our own words and use as few
words as possible to explain the text. This strategy is not to be applied only at the end of the story.
Instead, summarize throughout the story. Without comprehension, no meaning is gained from what is
read. Comprehension strategies are used to increase understanding of the text to help us become
active readers by engaging with the text.

Para Jumbles

The term "para-jumble" refers to a paragraph in which the sentences that make up the paragraph are
mixed up. Para jumbles are the group of independent sentences, usually 5 or six, which are altered and
presented to us.
A PJ has to be solved using the following four step process, which occurs automatically one after the
other.

Step 1 Idea grasping phase: the focus has to be on identifying the main and supplementary ideas which
constitute the message being conveyed by the paragraph.

Step 2 - Paragraph structure identification phase: Identify the logical structure used in the paragraph.
This is the most critical phase of the solving process. During this phase develop an inkling about the
author's tone and style of writing.

Step 3 – Specifics understanding phase(logical details): In this phase we try to fit the minor details of
the keywords used.

Step 4 - Incorporation phase: (identify correct option and recheck): It integrates the ideas presented
in the sentences in your own thought process and try to apply them in a structured logical string to test
whether the chosen sequence conveys the ideas or them accurately to the reader.

Nine Types of Structures

1. Cause & effect
2. Generic to Specific
3. Contrast
4. Parallelisms
5. Idea – Explanation/Elaboration
6. Chronological (based on time dimension)
7. Action sequence
8. Idea Transformation
9. Idea Reiteration

Cause & effect: The typical structure of this paragraph is A hence B, A causes B, where A & B are ideas
such that A is the cause and B is the effect. These kinds of Paragraphs contain defining words like
"hence because, leads to, if and then”, “whenever”, “the cause is”, “when and then”, “the reason is” etc.

Generic to specific: In this type the author talks about a generic idea and then backs it up with specific
examples of the same.

Contrast: Opposite of one idea against the other. Both the points of view are presented with equal
force.

Parallelism: two parallel points of view presented one after the other with key words such as likewise,
similarly, just as, equally, in the same manner.

Idea explanation, elaboration/completion:one sentence will present an idea and the other is either
explained in detail or elaborated or completed in subsequent sentences.

Chronological (Based on time dimension): Successive sentences will be demarcated on the basis of
time dimension.

Action sequence: It depicts a set of actions , logically connected to each other.

Idea Transformation: A concept is introduced in the first sentence and the following sentence draws
from that concept and presents a new dimension associated with the concept.

Idea Reiteration: Sentence sequences which use this structure of argumentation will start off by giving
a point of view, followed by one or more sentences reiterating the fact.

How to approach Para jumbles

Step 1: Read the Parajumble

Give the Para jumble a quick scan to get a ‘feel’ of what the passage is about. Find out the central
theme of the Para jumble. Understanding the central theme/dialogue helps determine the flow of the
story which goes a long way in helping you piece the paragraph together in the right order.

Step 2: Look for the opening and closing sentence

In a Paragraph, the opening sentence usually introduces a person/place/concept/premise/committee

and establishes a scene. Whereas a closing sentence is the one that has a conclusion. Closing
sentences/conclusions start with words like ‘therefore’, ‘thus’, ‘hence’, etc. and contain
advises/recommendations/suggestions/summaries. It’s a good idea to find both opening and closing
sentences. Once these two are determined, finding the other sentences becomes easy.

Example:
a. She was waiting for her train
b. Geeta was at the railway station
c. She was going back home on a vacation

In the above example, clearly, the second option (b) is the introductory/opening sentence. The passage
talks about trains, railway stations, vacation etc. The first sentence must essentially introduce the
person who’s catching the train to go on a vacation. Sentences ‘a’ and ‘c’ refer to the person as ‘she’,
which is an indication that these aren’t the opening sentences. Therefore, option ‘b’ is the opening
sentence; it introduces the person ‘Geeta’ and the place ‘Railway station’. Hence, the right order of the
above example would be: b, a, c.

Step 3: Weave the sentences together

Once you’re done finding the opening (introductory) and closing (concluding) sentences, start weaving
the other sentences together based on factors like activities/time/chronology/any other sequence.

Activities: Some Para jumbles talk about activities. Determining the order of the activities will help you
solve the question. Start by finding out the initial activity. This will enable you to unfold a sequence that
follows the flow of the story, thereby helping you put the sentences in the right sequence.

Example:
a. She sells cupcakes throughout the day and returns home at 6 in the evening.
b. She has her dinner at 8 and goes to sleep at 11.
c. Maria has a cupcake business.
d. She makes the cupcakes at home in the morning.
Central theme: Activities of a person who owns a cupcake business.
Activity tracking: Sentence ‘c’ is clearly the opening sentence, since it introduces the person ‘Maria’ and
her ‘Cupcake business’. The Para jumble talks about her routine, i.e. from morning to evening.
Therefore, sentence ‘d’ comes second as it talks about her morning activity (‘in the morning’ is an
indicator). This is followed by sentence ‘a’, which talks about her activity throughout the day. The
concluding sentence is sentence ‘b’. It talks about Marias activities after coming back home (‘dinner’
and ‘goes to sleep at 11’ are indicators of a conclusion). Therefore, the right order of the Para jumble is:
c, d, a, b.

Abbreviations and full-forms: Some Para jumbles contain a sentence with a full-form and other
sentence(s) with its abbreviations. Here the sentence with the full-form comes first, followed by the
sentence with the abbreviations. Abbreviations are always introduced with its full-form in preceding
sentences.

Example:
a. The CPU carries out the instructions given by the computer program.
b. The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is an important part of a computer.
c. CPUs are considered the heart and brains of a computer.

In the above example, sentence ‘a’ and ‘c’ contain the abbreviations ‘CPU’ and sentence ‘b’
contains the full-form of the CPU. Therefore, sentence ‘b’ comes before sentence ‘a’ and ‘c’. Right
order: b, a, c.

Ideas and examples: Ideas always precede the examples. Some Para jumbles contain ideas, and
examples of those ideas. The examples always follow the ideas.

Example:
a. Like, the continental shelf, continental slope, abyssal plain and oceanic trenches.
b. The Ocean floor is divided into many parts.
In the above example, sentence ‘a’ contains examples and sentence ‘b’ introduces an idea. Hence
sentence ‘b’ comes before sentence ‘a’.

Connectives and Transition words: Connectives and transition words are logical connectors of
different sentences. Connectives are words that connect two sentences together. Some examples of
connectives are: After, When, Because, Alternatively, Although, Though, Yet, Until, Since, Etc. Transition
words are words used by the author to shift one idea in a sentence to another (ushering a change).
Some examples of transition words are: However, Besides, Nevertheless, etc. Sentences that start with
a connective or a transition word are almost never introductory sentences. They always refer to
activities/events/people mentioned/introduced in the preceding sentences.

Articles: The articles ‘The’, ‘A’ and ‘An’ too help in finding out the order of the sentences. ‘The’ is a
definite article which is used before something/someone specific or when something/someone has
already been introduced in the previous sentences. Whereas, ‘A’ and ‘An’ articles are used when
something is being introduced for the first time and are also used when stating general facts. A
sentence containing ‘A’ and ‘An’ could be an introductory sentence.

Example:
a. The girl had unusually long hair.
b. There was a girl, living in a tall tower.
c. And the tower was the tallest in town and hidden behind a dense foliage.
In the above example, article ‘A’ is used to introduce the girl and the tower and article ‘The’ is used
while mentioning the girl and the tower in options ‘a’ and ‘c’ respectively. Hence, option ‘b’ comes
before opening ‘a’ and option ‘c’. Option ‘c’ contains the connective ‘And’ which is used to connect two
sentences, hence ‘c’ comes after ‘a’. Right order: b, a, c.

Pronouns: Pronouns (He, she, it, him, her, their, etc.) are used in place of a person/place/thing that has
already been introduced in one of the preceding sentences. So, if you find a pronoun in a sentence, it
probably isn’t an opening sentence.

Example:
a. Ajay is a good singer.
b. He has learnt vocal music for 12 years.

In the above example, option ‘b’ contains the pronoun ‘he’. Whoever ‘he’ is, should essentially be
introduced in one of the preceding sentences. Option ‘a’ introduces a person ‘Ajay’, hence, ‘he’
mentioned in option ‘b’ refers to ‘Ajay’. Option ‘a’ comes before option ‘b’.

Adjectives: Sometimes, adjectives can help solve Parajumbles too, especially comparative
adjectives like better, worse, taller, shorter, etc.
Example:
a. Rahul’s performance was good.
b. Rahul and Ashok danced on the same song.
c. Ashok’s performance was better.

In the above example, the adjectives ‘good’ and ‘better’ are used. ‘Better’ always comes after good
(Good -> Better -> Best), hence, the option containing ‘good’ comes before the option containing
‘better.

Right order: b, a, c.

Time sequence approach: Sometimes Parajumbles contain a time sequence, i.e., words indicating a
time sequence, such as, dates, years, or words like, before, later, after, when, etc. Notice these words
and be aware of them, as they can help rearrange the sentences according to the right time sequence.

Example:
a. Hemant eats his dinner at 8pm sharp.
b. Post-homework, he is allowed to watch TV for half an hour.
c. After that, he does his homework.

In the above example, the words ‘after’ and ‘post’ denote the time sequence. Hence, options ‘c’ and ‘b’
come after option ‘a’. Right order: a, c, b.

Elimination technique: If you’re running out of time, you can use the elimination technique to arrive at
the right option quickly. After finding the opening and closing sentences, you can eliminate options
which contain the wrong order of the opening and closing sentences.

Example:
a. He sells newspapers in the morning.
b. Ramesh is a hardworking person.
c. He takes tuition for primary school children in the evening.
d. He then goes to work as a personal assistant to a businessman.
In the above examples, option ‘b’ is the opening sentence and option ‘c’ is the closing sentence.
Therefore, any option that doesn’t contain option ‘b’ in the beginning and option ‘c’ in the end can be
eliminated.

Conclusions: Conclusions generally start with words like, thus, therefore, hence, in conclusion, etc. and
are usually advises/summaries/recommendations/suggestions. Finding the opening and closing
sentences makes it easier to connect them with the other options.

Step 4: Re-read the sentence to ensure continuity

Once you have weaved the sentences in the right order, re-read the passage to make sure that it makes
sense grammatically and logically. The right order should have a continuity in the flow of the sentences,
and should also make the sentence meaningful.

Some further approaches are given below to help identify the sequence of sentences. Generally, in a
given Para jumble more than one approach will be applicable at the same time, therefore practices
identifying which approach/approaches apply to the Para jumbles you have to solve.

Verbs
A verb is defined as a word or phrase that describes an action, condition, or experience. A verb is
recognized based on the function in a sentence. The following characteristics help to recognize verbs.

● Change based on tense, person, and number

● Position within sentences.
● Usage of modifiers, auxiliary verb, subject-verb agreement, and
● How verbs help form questions or negatives

Types of verbs

1. Action verbs
2. Stative verbs
3. Transitive verbs
4. Intransitive verbs
5. Helping verbs (also called auxiliary verbs)
6. Modal verbs
7. Regular verbs
8. Irregular verbs
9. Phrasal verbs

1. Action Verbs: Action verbs are used to refer to actions. These can refer to physical actions that are
performed with bodies or objects, such as jump, hit, or sing, or mental actions that we use our brains to
perform, such as think, consider, or memorize.

2. Stative Verbs: we use stative verbs to describe things like qualities, states of existence, opinions,
beliefs, and emotions. Love, hate, own, have, want are some of the examples of stative verbs.
 3. Transitive Verbs: A verb is transitive when the action of the verb passes from the subject to the direct
object.

4. Intransitive verbs: An intransitive verb doesn't need an object to make sense – they have meaning
on their own. In other words an intransitive verb does not require an object.

5. Helping Verbs: A helping verb (also called an auxiliary verb) is used with a main verb to help express
the main verb's mood, tense, or voice.

6. Modal Verbs: A verb (such as can, could, shall, should, ought to, will, or would) that is usually used
with another verb to express ideas such as possibility, necessity, and permission.

7. Regular verbs: A verb is considered a regular verb if its past tense form and past participle ends in
-ed, -d.

8. Irregular verbs: An irregular verb is a verb whose past tense and past participle form doesn’t end in
-ed, -d. They use completely original words for their different verb forms when they’re the main verb of
a sentence.

9. Phrasal verbs: They are combinations of a verb with prepositions and/or adverbs that have a
different meaning from the individual words used to form them.

Verb forms

A verb form is a way in which a verb is shaped or modified in order to suit the context that speaks about
an action that is performed at a specific time.

When a verb appears in a sentence in a different or modified way to describe the specific time of the
action performed by the subject, it is known as Verb Form. To understand tenses, it is important to
learn Verb Forms. In English Grammar there are five forms- third-person singular, present participle,
past, and past participle.

1. Present (Root) form of a verb

2. Simple Past form of a verb
3. Third -person singular Present form
4. Past Participle form of a verb
5. Present Participle form of verb

1. V1 (Base/root Form): This is the infinitive form without “to.” It is used for the present simple tense,
except in the third person singular. Examples include “go,” “speak,” and “write.”

2. V2 (Past Simple Form): This form is used for expressing actions that occurred in the past and have no
 connection to the present. Examples are “went,” “spoke,” and “wrote.”

3. V3 (Past Participle Form): Employed in perfect tenses and the passive voice, the past participle form
often differs from the past simple form. Examples include “gone,” “spoken,” and “written.”

4. V4 (Gerund/ Present Participle Form): This form ends in “-ing” and is used for continuous tenses and as
a gerund. Examples are “going,” “speaking,” and “writing.”

5. V5 (Third Person Singular Present Form): This form is used in the present simple tense for third-person
singular subjects, often ending in “-s” or “-es.” Examples include “goes,” “speaks,” and “writes.”

Tenses
Tenses are grammatical categories that express the time of an action or state of being. In English, there
are three primary tenses: past, present, and future. Each tense can be further divided into four aspects:
simple, continuous (also known as progressive), perfect, and perfect continuous.

Simple present tense:

1. When something happens regularly or is a permanent situation or something is generally true, we

usually use the simple present tense. (verb + s with he/she/it).

Example: Where do you live?

I live in Germany.
Where does he live?
He lives in Germany
The sun rises in the east

2. The simple present tense is also used to show how often something happens with adverbs of
frequency - always, usually, often, sometimes, occasionally, seldom, rarely, never, etc.... And when
discussing daily, weekly, monthly etc. routines.

Example: I never drink coffee before 12.00.

He always goes to work on time.

3. The Simple Present can also indicate the speaker believes that a fact was true before, is true now, and
will be true in the future. It is not important if the speaker is correct about the fact. It is also used to
make generalizations about people or things.

Ex: Windows are made of glass.

4. Use Simple Present to talk about scheduled events in the near future.

Ex: The party starts at 8 o’clock.

When does class begin tomorrow?

5. We use the simple present to talk about what happens in books, plays, or films.

Ex: The hero dies at the end of the film.

The main character is very pretty and works in a bookshop.
6. We use it in the first and the zero conditionals:

Ex: If it rains, I won’t come.

If you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils.

7. We need to use this simple tense with stative verbs (verbs which we don’t use in continuous tenses),
in situations where we’d usually use the present continuous.

Ex: You look fabulous.

I think she is very pretty.

8. Running commentary: sports commentators use it on broadcast sports events as it saves time when
the action is fast.

Ex: Sachin hits a six.

Present continuous tense:

1. First, we use it for things that are happening at the moment of speaking.

Ex: Julie is sleeping.

You are studying the present continuous.

2. We can also use this tense for temporary situations, when we feel something won’t continue for a
long time.

Ex: She is staying with her friend for a week.

I am living in London for a few months.

3. We can use the present continuous for habits but they have to be temporary or new habits (for
normal habits that continue for a long time, we use the present simple).

Ex: He is eating a lot these days.

You are smoking too much.

4. The next use is for definite future arrangements (with a future time word). In this case we have
already made a plan and we are pretty sure that the event will happen in the future.

Ex: I am meeting my father tomorrow.

We are going to the beach at the weekend.

5. We use this tense to talk about a situation which is slowly changing.

Ex: I am getting better at playing the piano.

The weather is improving.

Present perfect tense:

We use this tense for unfinished and finished actions:

Unfinished Actions
We use this tense when we want to talk about unfinished actions that started in the past and continue
to the present. Usually we use it with since and for phrases.

Ex: I have known Rita since 1994.

She has lived in London for three years.

Finished Actions

1. Life experience: we don't say when the experience happened, just sometime in the past.

Ex: I have been to Tokyo.

She has lived in Germany.

2: A finished action with a result in the present (focus on result)

Ex: I have lost my keys (so I can’t get into my house).

They have missed the bus (so they will be late).

3: With an unfinished time word (this month, this week, today, in the last year)

Ex: I haven’t seen her this month.

She has drunk three cups of coffee today.

Present perfect continuous:

1. To say how long for unfinished actions, which started in the past and continue to the present. We
often use this with for and since. Used for extended actions/events(See the present perfect for the
same use with stative verbs)

Ex: I have been living in London for two years.

She has been working here since 2004.

Past Simple:

1.Finished events in the past with no connection to the present.

Ex: The Vikings invaded Britain.

She washed her car.

2. With a finished time word (yesterday, last week, at 2 o’clock, in 2003)

Ex: I didn’t see the play yesterday.
Did you have dinner last night?

3. We use the Simple Past to list a series of completed actions in the past.

Ex: I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim.
I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim.

4. The Simple Past can be used with a duration which starts and stops in the past. A duration is a longer
action often indicated by expressions such as: for two years, for five minutes, all day, all year, etc.

Ex: They did not stay at the party the entire time.
 Shauna studied Japanese for five years.

5. The Simple Past can also be used to describe a habit which stopped in the past. It can have the same
meaning as “used to” To make it clear that we are talking about a habit, we often add expressions such
as: always, often, usually, never, when I was a child, when I was younger, etc.

Ex: I studied French when I was a child.

They never went to school, they always skipped class.

6. The Simple Past can also be used to describe past facts or generalizations which are no longer true.

Ex: She was shy as a child, but now she is very outgoing.
Did you live in Texas when you were a kid?

Past Continuous

1. A continuous action in the past which is interrupted by another action or a time

Ex: I was taking a bath when the telephone rang.

While I was writing the email, the computer suddenly went off.

2. For two actions which happened at the same time in the past.

Ex: I wasn’t paying attention while I was writing the letter, so I made several mistakes.I was studying
while he was making dinner.

3. To describe the atmosphere at a particular time in the past.

Ex: It was a beautiful day. The birds were singing, the sun was shining and in the cafes people were
laughing and chatting.

Past perfect Tense

1: A completed action before something else in the past.

Ex: When we arrived, the film had started

Tony knew Istanbul so well because he had visited the city several times.

2: To explain or give a reason for something in the past.

Ex: I had eaten dinner so I wasn’t hungry.

It had snowed in the night, so the bus didn’t arrive.

3: Stative verbs only: something that started in the past and continued up to another action in the past.

Ex: When he graduated, he had been in London for six years.

They felt bad about selling the house because they had owned it for more than forty years.

Past perfect continuous:

1. Using the Past Perfect Continuous before another action in the past is a good way to show cause and
effect.

Ex Sam gained weight because he had been overeating.

Betty failed the final test because she had not been attending.

2. Something that started in the past and continued up to another action or event (tells us how long)
Ex: Sue had been working at that company for a year when she met James.
Jack had been teaching at the university for more than a year before he left for Asia.

Simple future tense

1. A decision at the moment of speaking

Ex: It is raining. I will close the window.

I will not go to the party.

2. Prediction based on opinion

Ex: I think the Congress will win the next election.

Ali’s mother thinks that he is very naughty.

3. Promises / requests / refusal / willingness:

Ex: I will help you with your homework.

Will you give me a hand?

Future Continuous tense

1. A continuous action in the future which is interrupted by a time or by another action.

Ex: I will be waiting when you arrive.
He will be studying at the library tonight, so he will not see Jennifer when she arrives.

2. A complete action in the future that will happen in the normal course of events.

Ex: The Government will be making a statement later.

Will you be taking your car to the meeting? (I am asking very indirectly and politely - perhaps I want
to get a lift).

Future Perfect tense

1. With a future time word, (and often with & by) to talk about an action that will finish before a certain
time in the future, but we don’t know exactly when.

Ex: I will have finished my homework by 10 o’clock.

By the time I am sixty, I will have retired.

Future Perfect continuous tense

1. To talk about an action which starts before a time in the future and continues up to that time.
Ex: In August 2016, I will have been teaching for 10 years.