Reading with growing independence

Words have common partners called collocations. English normally uses make a decision, do homework and take responsibility; a direct translation may choose an unnatural verb. Meaning, grammatical pattern and level of formality all influence a good vocabulary choice. A synonym is not automatically interchangeable with another word in every phrase. Context can also reveal whether a word is being used literally or figuratively.

When recording vocabulary, note the whole useful phrase and one personal example. Distinguish a close meaning from an opposite or an unrelated topic word. In a cloze task, read the complete passage before examining individual gaps, because the topic and tone restrict possible answers. Do not insert an impressive word simply because it looks advanced. Precise familiar language usually communicates better than inaccurate sophisticated vocabulary.

Apply this method when reading a short passage or preparing a practical response. The context determines the best choice: do not rely on one memorised signal word. In connected work, maintain the same meaning when changing a grammatical form.

වැඩි විස්තර අවශ්‍ය විට පමණක් මෙම කොටස කියවන්න.

Reading for gist means understanding the overall message without stopping at every unfamiliar word. Look at the title, opening, repeated ideas and ending, then decide what the text mainly explains or argues. A topic names the subject, but a main idea says something about that subject. A detail may be true and memorable without representing the whole passage. Headings should cover the important content of their paragraph rather than one small example.

නොදන්නා හැම වචනයකම නතර නොවී මාතෘකාව, මුල, නැවත එන අදහස් හා අවසානය බලා මුළු පාඨයේ ප්‍රධාන අදහස තේරුම් ගන්න. එක් කුඩා විස්තරයක් මුළු පාඨයේ අදහස ලෙස තෝරන්න එපා.

Read once for the broad meaning and again to confirm it with evidence. An unfamiliar word can often be left temporarily if the surrounding meaning remains clear. Do not choose a heading simply because it repeats a word from the paragraph. Ask whether the heading explains the paragraph's purpose. In your own one-sentence summary, preserve the writer's main point and avoid adding an opinion which does not appear in the source.

මුලින් මුළු අදහස තේරුම් ගෙන, දෙවැනි වර සාක්ෂි සොයා කියවන්න. මාතෘකාවක් තෝරන්නේ නැවත එන වචනයකට පමණක් නොව ඡේදයේ ප්‍රධාන අදහසට ගැළපෙන ලෙසය.

Apply this method when reading a short passage or preparing a practical response. The context determines the best choice: do not rely on one memorised signal word. In connected work, maintain the same meaning when changing a grammatical form.

වැඩි විස්තර අවශ්‍ය විට පමණක් මෙම කොටස කියවන්න.

An inference is a conclusion supported by clues rather than a fact stated directly. Identify the words or actions that suggest the conclusion, combine them with reasonable background knowledge, and choose the interpretation requiring the fewest unsupported assumptions. A character's action can reveal emotion, but the emotion should fit the full situation. Distinguish what is certain from what is merely possible.

Use cautious language when the text leaves room for more than one interpretation. Phrases such as suggests and may indicate show that you are drawing a conclusion. Explain the evidence in your own words rather than repeating a long section of the passage. In multiple-choice questions, reject answers that sound plausible but add information not supported by the text. An effective inference answer links a specific clue to a clear conclusion.

Apply this method when reading a short passage or preparing a practical response. The context determines the best choice: do not rely on one memorised signal word. In connected work, maintain the same meaning when changing a grammatical form.

වැඩි විස්තර අවශ්‍ය විට පමණක් මෙම කොටස කියවන්න.