Comprehension

Syllabus objectives: identify main ideas and supporting details · draw conclusions and inferences · interpret the writer's purpose, tone and mood

👀 Overview

Comprehension in Use of English tests your ability to read a passage and extract its main idea, supporting details, and implied meanings. It is a high‑weight section in JAMB UTME, so mastering it can boost your overall score.

💡 Finding the Main Idea

The main idea is the central point the writer wants you to remember. Look for the topic sentence, usually in the first or last paragraph, and ask: what is the passage mostly about? Ignore minor anecdotes; they are often supporting details. When the passage is a narrative, the main idea may be a theme such as “perseverance in the face of hardship.”

🧠 Identifying Supporting Details

Supporting details are facts, examples, statistics, or quotations that back up the main idea. Highlight words like “for example,” “according to,” or numbers that give weight to the argument. In JAMB questions, you may be asked which sentence best supports the main idea – choose the one that adds evidence, not a new idea.

🔍 Drawing Conclusions and Inferences

Conclusions are logical results of the information given; inferences are what you deduce beyond the explicit text. Ask yourself what must be true if the statements are correct. Remember: an inference never contradicts the passage and is always based on clues, not personal opinion. Example: If a writer says “the market was empty after dusk, and the streetlights flickered,” you can infer that the area is poorly lit at night.

📌 Writer’s Purpose, Tone and Mood

Purpose tells why the writer wrote – to inform, persuade, entertain or criticize. Tone is the writer’s attitude (e.g., sarcastic, solemn, optimistic). Mood is the feeling the passage evokes in the reader (e.g., anxiety, hope). Look for diction, punctuation, and rhetorical devices to decide. A persuasive essay will use strong verbs and rhetorical questions; a descriptive piece will have vivid adjectives and sensory language.

✨ Answering UTME‑style Questions

Read the passage once for gist, then a second time marking key ideas. For multiple‑choice items, eliminate options that are irrelevant, contradictory, or too extreme. Always refer back to the text; the correct answer is always supported by a word or phrase in the passage.

🔑 Key facts, formulas and definitions

Main Idea: The single most important thought of the passage; usually found in the topic sentence.
Supporting Detail: Fact, example, statistic or quotation that backs the main idea.
Inference: A logical guess drawn from clues; must not add information not present in the text.
Writer’s Purpose: Why the author wrote – inform, persuade, entertain, or criticize.
Tone: Author’s attitude; identified by word choice and punctuation.
Mood: Emotion the reader feels; created through setting, diction and imagery.
Elimination Strategy: Cross out options that are opposite in meaning, not mentioned, or overly absolute (e.g., always, never).
Key Words: Look for signal words: however, therefore, for example, consequently.

✏️ Worked examples

Example 1

Passage excerpt: “The Lagos market, once bustling with traders from all over Nigeria, now lies silent after the curfew imposed last week. Vendors, who relied on daily sales to pay school fees, are scrambling for alternative income.” Question: Which statement best infers the effect of the curfew? A) The curfew has improved traffic flow. B) Vendors are losing their main source of income. C) The market will reopen tomorrow. D) Students will have more free time.

Read the excerpt twice; note the phrase “scrambling for alternative income.”
Identify that vendors depend on daily sales for school fees.
Eliminate options unrelated to income (A, C, D).
Choose the option that reflects loss of main income – B.

Answer: B

Example 2

Passage excerpt: “Nigeria’s oil revenue fell by 30 % last quarter, prompting the government to raise fuel prices. Critics argue the hike will hurt commuters, while officials claim it is necessary for fiscal stability.” Question: What is the writer’s purpose? A) To entertain with a humorous anecdote. B) To inform about recent economic changes. C) To persuade readers to protest the price rise. D) To describe a personal travel experience.

Notice the factual tone and presentation of statistics.
Identify that the passage reports a current event without urging action.
Eliminate options that involve humor, persuasion, or personal narrative.
Select the informative purpose – B.

Answer: B

⚠️ Common exam traps

Choosing an answer that is true but not mentioned in the passage – always verify with a word or phrase from the text.
Confusing tone with mood; tone is the writer’s attitude, mood is the reader’s feeling.
Selecting “all of the above” when one of the statements is not supported; read each option carefully.
Being swayed by extreme words like “always” or “never”; UTME options rarely use absolutes unless the passage does.
Rushing the first reading; a quick skim may miss the topic sentence that holds the main idea.

⚡ Quick recap

Main idea = central thought; usually in first/last paragraph.
Supporting details = evidence that backs the main idea.
Inference = logical guess based on clues, never add new info.
Purpose tells why; tone = writer’s attitude; mood = reader’s feeling.
Eliminate irrelevant or extreme options; always refer back to the passage.

🎬 Watch and learn

JAMB COMPREHENSION PASSAGES 1 (UTME USE OF ENGLISH 2026)
Learnliftapp JAMB and WAEC · YouTube

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10 untimed UTME-style questions with explanations at the end · more drill sizes

ⓘ Study notes written by Sabipage AI from the JAMB syllabus. Not official JAMB material — check anything you are unsure of with your teacher or textbook.

ⓘ Practice questions written by Sabipage AI from the JAMB syllabus. Not official JAMB questions.