READING:COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES Notes, Quizzes & Revision
๐ Revision Notes โข ๐ Quizzes โข ๐ Past Papers available in app
READING: COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES โ Grammar focus
Subject: English โข Topic: Consumer Protection โข Age: 13 (Kenya). These notes help you use grammar to understand texts about consumer rights, adverts, receipts and complaints. Small examples use Kenyan-style situations.
- Find facts quickly (look for present simple).
- Spot rules and duties (look for modals like must, should).
- Understand who did an action (active vs passive).
1. Present simple โ facts and general truths ๐งพ
Use for rules, facts and permanent situations.
Examples:
- "The seller delivers goods within 7 days." (rule)
- "Consumers have rights." (fact)
Try: Which sentence below is present simple?
- The shop issued a receipt.
- The shop issues a receipt.
2. Past simple โ completed actions ๐
Used when reading about incidents, complaints or past events.
Example: "The customer complained last week." Means the action happened already.
Try: Convert to past simple: "I report the problem." โ "I reported the problem."
3. Passive voice โ focus on the action or result ๐ ๏ธ
Common in notices: the actor (who did it) is not always important.
Form: be + past participle (is/are + given, was/were + replaced)
Examples (Consumer Protection):
- "Refunds are given within 30 days."
- "The faulty phone was replaced by the store."
Practice: Change active โ passive: "The shop sells the charger." โ "The charger is sold by the shop."
4. Modals โ advice, obligation and possibility โ โ
Look for modals to know what must or should happen.
- Must = obligation: "Sellers must display prices."
- Should / ought to = advice: "You should keep the receipt."
- Can / may = permission or possibility: "You can ask for a refund."
Choose the best modal: "If the product is faulty, you ___ ask for a refund." (must / should) โ Answer: should (advice) or must (if law). Both may appear in texts; check context.
5. Conditionals โ rules and possible results โ๏ธ
Zero conditional = facts (if + present, present). First conditional = likely result (if + present, will + verb).
Examples:
- Zero: "If a product is faulty, the seller replaces it." (general rule)
- First: "If you return the item within 14 days, you will get a refund." (possible future)
Try: Complete: "If you lose your receipt, the store ___ (not/refund)." โ "might not refund" or "may not refund" (depends on rule).
6. Linking words โ follow the argument โก๏ธ
Connectors show reason, result and contrast. Look for them to find the main idea.
- because / since โ reason ("We accepted the claim because the item was faulty.")
- therefore / so โ result ("The product failed the test, therefore it was recalled.")
- however / although โ contrast ("The advert promised quality; however, the product broke.")
Practice: In the sentence "The item broke; however, the seller refused a refund," what does "however" show? โ Contrast/opposition.
7. Reported speech โ reading complaints and testimonies ๐ฃ๏ธ
When reading reports or interviews, speech may be reported (no quotation marks). Tenses often move back.
Direct: "I want a refund," she said.
Reported: She said she wanted a refund.
Try: Report: "We will return it," they said. โ They said they would return it.
8. Relative clauses โ describe products ๐
Use who/which/that to add information about a person or thing.
Example: "The phone that I bought is faulty." (uses that)
Try: Add a relative clause: "The shop sold me a radio. The radio is new." โ "The radio that the shop sold me is new."
9. Punctuation โ find questions, commands and quotes โ๏ธ
- Question mark (?) โ customer queries: "How do I complain?"
- Commas and full stops โ separate ideas and steps in instructions.
- Quotation marks โ direct speech in complaint letters or adverts.
Tip: When reading a long sentence, look for commas to break it into smaller parts.
10. Adjectives & comparatives โ compare products ๐ก
Adjectives describe quality. Comparatives help compare choices.
Examples: "This battery is cheaper than that one." / "This brand is better."
Short practice (answers below)
- Find the modal: "You must show your receipt to get a refund."
- Change to passive: "The store replaced the TV."
- Choose connector: "The item arrived late, __ it was accepted." (so / although)
- Report the speech: "I did not get the warranty," he said.
- Modal = must.
- Passive = "The TV was replaced by the store."
- Connector = so. ("The item arrived late, so it was accepted.")
- Reported = He said he had not gotten the warranty. / He said he did not get the warranty. (use past tense in reported speech)
Final tips for reading consumer texts:
- Scan for dates and numbers (30 days, 14 days) โ often tell you rules.
- Look for modals (must, should) to know obligations and rights.
- Spot passive verbs to see actions or results (was given, are returned).
- Use connectors (because, therefore, however) to follow reasoning.
Good practice: read a short Kenyan notice (shop sign or advert) and underline modals, passive verbs and linking words. That will make comprehension faster and clearer.
๐ End of notes โ Practice these grammar points with short consumer texts.