What Is A Literary Text In Secondary 3 English Comprehension?
A literary text comprehension is all about testing you on your language control.
It essentially aims to understand if you know what the theme is about or what the author is trying to say.
Do you know what the content is based on?
Is there a particular point of it all? Or is there a message?
When you read the Secondary 3 English comprehension text, do you feel enlightened by it or is it a swamp of words?
A literary text comprehension is a tiny piece of literature. It is actually an extract from an article or a newspaper extract.
It aims to reveal a snippet of information which has thought provoking moments and usually leads up to a message by the end.
I will discuss the various ways you can approach a literary text comprehension and how you may overcome the perceived hurdles it poses.
Tip #1 Read and understand – context difficulty
The main idea is to skim theSecondary 3 English comprehension passage with ease the first time you lay eyes on it.
Not everyone will find this a smooth exercise, believe me.
For many, the literary text poses a challenge for one main reason.
The student is not sure what the text is about.
I mean, the entireSecondary 3 English comprehension text is baffling. The student who feels that the text is baffling and there seems to be no coherent way to look past the jargon and understand the point it is making, he/ she is definitely going to be in for a hard time.
I will suggest that you take your time to read it. Try not to skim through it the first time but savour the words.
Rest your eyes on the phrases which jump out at you. Take your time perceiving what it means.
The context should become clearer, and you will have an idea about the direction it is headed in.
Is it about a way to handle the struggles in that society? Is it about understanding the conflict between two siblings?
Whatever it is, try to get the big picture and you will be fine.
Tip #2 Read and understand – stylistic difficulty
What is stylistic difficulty? This is really what a literary text is all about.
It refers to critical techniques and stylistic devices such as metaphors, similes, irony and tone.
Sounds familiar? It should.
You should be comfortable with these stylistic devices by now as they appear regularly in yourSecondary 3 English comprehension exam questions.
If you are not sure about these devices, make it a point to read more about them.
They are known as literary devices and are part and parcel of all literary or narrative texts.
They are also referred to as figures of speech. A metaphor is a figure of speech and is never really meant to be taken literally.
Ironical statements show a certain anomaly or strangeness. Questions about tone appear regularly and test you on your knowledge of the mood and atmosphere.
It forces you to think deeper on theSecondary 3 English comprehension text and makes the overall experience quite interesting.
Tip #3 Read and understand – hidden agenda
What is a hidden agenda? It sounds like a spy movie does it not?
Well, it is a bit like that except that we are talking about the hidden meanings or implications in the text.
All literary texts have a hidden agenda. That is the way it is meant to be as it holds the promise of unexpected happenings.
It is the only factor stopping the writing from becoming ‘meh.’
And trust me, ‘meh’ is something all writers veer away from.
A literary text always hints at something. Or the character could say something but actually feels something else.
It is a perceived contradiction inherent in all good literary articles.
Your job is to spot these hidden meanings inSecondary 3 English comprehension and understand them.
It is like spy work except that you are not a secret agent. 😊
Hidden meanings point you in the direction of what is ‘really’ going on. It is similar to our lives.
When a family member yells at you, it may not be because you have done something wrong.
It could be that he/ she is having a bad day. Of course, no one likes to be yelled at but knowing the reason could help you to look out for tell-tale signs and be forewarned.
It is the same forSecondary 3 English comprehension literary texts. Look out for these tell-tale signs.
They will always reveal the hidden truth. And once you know that, the rest is easy.
Well, I hope you have gathered some valuable insights into the art of reading and understanding a literary text inSecondary 3 English comprehension.
It should prove fruitful to you the next time you plod through a text and try to infer the various possibilities it holds. Happy reading!