Mastering Reading

Comprehension
This presentation will guide you through key strategies for tackling reading
comprehension questions, exploring figures of speech, and understanding
point of view.

by Batoul Saad
Crafting Effective Answers
Structure Paraphrasing Content

Start with a capital letter and end Don't copy and paste from the Explain, elaborate, and do
with the correct punctuation text. Paraphrase using your own provide evidence from the text
mark. Use the same tense as the language. Proofread for clarity where needed.
question. and accuracy.

Use the same tense used in the Proofread what you write to
question. Note: When referring to make sure that you have
a piece of literary work, use the meaningful sentences and that
simple present tense. you don’t have any spelling or
grammar mistakes.
Vary your sentence structure and
avoid overused or hackneyed
words.
Figures of Speech:
Simile

1 Definition 2 Example
A comparison between two Like a lion, he approached
unlike things using "like" or the danger fearlessly.
"as".
Figures of Speech: Metaphor

1 Definition 2 Example
A comparison between two unlike things or ideas She has a heart of stone.
without "like" or "as".
Figures of Speech:
Personification

1 Definition 2 Example
gives human qualities to The sky cried as the storm
non-living things or ideas approached.
Figures of Speech: Hyperbole

1 Definition 2 Example
uses exaggeration for emphasis or effect I have been telling you to clean your room for ages!
Figures of Speech:
Understatement

1 Definition 2 Example
occurs when something is It’s only the kitchen that was
said to make something burned down. It’s not like
appear less important or less I’ve burned the whole
serious house.
Adverbs: Adding
Detail

Time Place
When? (e.g., yesterday, quickly) Where? (e.g., here, there)

Extent
To what extent? (e.g., very,
extremely)
Adverbs are words that describe verbs,
adjectives, or other adverbs. They provide
additional information about how, when, where,
or to what extent an action is performed or a
quality is expressed. Adverbs can add detail to a
sentence by answering questions such as "how?"
(e.g., quickly), "when?" (e.g., yesterday),
"where?" (e.g., here), or "to what extent?" (e.g.,
very). The suffix -ly can be added to an adjective
to create an adverb that describes how, when, or
how often something is done. For example, if
someone is impulsive, we can add -ly to the end
of the adjective and creative the adverb
impulsively to show how that person may
behave.
A. DIRECTIONS: Read each of the adjectives in the box. Then,
complete each sentence by adding the suffix -ly to the
appropriate adjective to complete the sentence with the
correct adverb ending in -ly.
Silent- odd- intent- furious- endless

furiously after his

1. Gene threw down his backpack _______________
frustrating day at school.
intently as the rare
2. Tasha stared out the window _______________
hummingbird drank from the feeder.
3. The line at the post office seemed to go
endlessly , and I waited more than an hour to mail
on________________
my package.
oddly when there is
4. Our dog always acts a little _______________
a full moon. Sometimes, she howls late into the night!
5. Jeremy crept into the house ________________ because it
was past his curfew. silently
Point of View: First-Person

Narrator
1 Participant in the events.

Pronouns
2
Uses "I" or "me".
Point of View: Second-Person

Author
1 addresses the audience

Pronouns
2
Uses “you" , “your”, or “yours".
Point of View: Third-Person
Author
Not part of the text and sometimes has access to the characters inner thoughts
1 The third-person can be an omniscient or “all-knowing” point of view in which the narrator
has knowledge of all of the characters’ thoughts and motivations.

Pronouns
2
characters are referred to as “he,” “she,” or “they.”
Magical Realism: Blending Worlds
Magical realism, as the name suggests, is a literary style that originated in South America that incorporates fantastic
elements into ordinary settings, treating them as normal within a realistic context. Typically, the goal for literature
written in the magical realism style is to show that the seemingly solid and reasonable assumptions that underlie
our conventional view of reality are not always as solid and reasonable as they seem.

Ordinary Setting Fantastic Intrusion Unfazed Characters

Characters and situations appear normal Strange, fantastic or magical events Characters accept the fantastical as
and ordinary. disrupt the ordinary. normal.
Something being off about the situation
Exercise 1: Identifying Adverbs
Read the following sentences. Underline the adverb in each sentence. If no adverb is present,
write "No adverb."
1. The bookshop's shelves gently whispered forgotten incantations as patrons strolled past.
2. Amelia opened the book carefully to avoid tearing the delicate pages.
3. The book mysteriously appeared on the doorstep of Enchanted Tomes.
4. The characters happily danced around the bookshop, making it a magical place.
5. The shopkeeper greeted Amelia warmly as she entered the enchanted bookstore.
Exercise 2: Identifying the Central Idea
Read the following short passage. After reading, answer the multiple-choice question
about the central idea.
Passage:
In the heart of the city stood a modest shop with an unassuming sign: "The
Timekeeper's Corner." Inside, the air was thick with the scent of leather-bound journals
and old clocks. As people stepped through the door, time seemed to stretch and bend,
each tick of the clocks whispering a secret of the past or a glimpse of the future. The
shop, though small, held a universe of memories, and its keeper, a quiet woman named
Eliza, was known to help her visitors find the time they had lost.

Question:
What is the central idea of the passage?
a) The Timekeeper's Corner is an ordinary shop that sells clocks.
b) The Timekeeper's Corner is a magical shop where time seems to bend and change.
c) Eliza is a quiet woman who runs a business.
d) The shop has old clocks and journals for sale.
Exercise 3: Identifying Features of Magical Realism
Read the following excerpt and identify the feature of magical realism it
demonstrates.
Excerpt:
The garden outside the cottage had always been a place of wonder. It was not like
other gardens. Flowers bloomed in colors no one had seen before, and the trees
whispered ancient secrets when the wind passed through. Every evening, as the
sun dipped below the horizon, the plants would glow faintly, like fireflies in the
dusk, lighting up the path leading to the door, and people in the area would enjoy
a stroll to listen to the whispered secrets.
Question: What feature of magical realism is demonstrated in this excerpt?
a) Everyday setting with magical elements seamlessly integrated
b) Clear distinction between the magical and real worlds
c) Absence of ordinary settings
d) High fantasy elements
Exercise 4: Point of View and Its Impact
Read the passages below and answer the question regarding the point of view.
Passage 1:
As I walked through the streets, the lights flickered on, one by one, as if the city
itself was coming to life. I could hear the distant hum of conversations, the soft
shuffle of footsteps, and the ever-present sound of the wind playing through the
trees. I smiled, knowing that I was part of something bigger than myself,
something that pulsed with energy and life.
Question 1: What is the point of view used in the passage?
a) First person
b) Second person
c) Third person
Passage 2:
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the old house grumbled in the wind. The
shutters rattled, and the creaky floorboards sighed under the weight of years.
Inside, the air was thick with memories, and the walls seemed to whisper stories of
those who had once lived there and those who still reside there.
Question 2: What is the point of view used in the passage?
a) First person
b) Second person
c) Third person
Exercise 5: Figures of Speech
Read each passage and identify the figure of speech used.

Passage 1: As the sun dipped below the horizon, the old house grumbled in the wind. The shutters rattled, and the
creaky floorboards sighed under the weight of years. Inside, the air was thick with memories, and the walls seemed
to whisper stories of those who had once lived there.
Question:
What figure of speech is used in the sentence "The old house grumbled in the wind"?
a) Metaphor
b) Simile
c) Personification
d) Hyperbole

Passage 2: The stars winked playfully at the travelers as they huddled by the campfire, their laughter echoing into
the vast, silent night.
Question:
What figure of speech is used in the sentence "The stars winked playfully at the travelers"?
a) Simile
b) Personification
c) Metaphor
d) Hyperbole
Passage 3: Her words were a balm to his wounded heart, soothing the pain with every syllable.
Question:
What figure of speech is used in the sentence "Her words were a balm to his wounded heart"?
a) Metaphor
b) Simile
c) Hyperbole
d) Personification

Passage 4: The clouds hung low like a heavy gray blanket, covering the entire sky and casting shadows on the quiet
town below.
Question:
What figure of speech is used in the sentence "The clouds hung low like a heavy gray blanket"?
a) Metaphor
b) Simile
c) Personification
d) Hyperbole
Key Takeaways

1 2
Practice Analyze
Regularly engage with reading Break down passages to identify
comprehension exercises. key ideas and supporting details.

3
Apply
Use strategies to craft clear and
concise answers.