Reading Skills Notes FE Sem 1 PCE | Mumbai University

Module 4 builds the reading and language accuracy needed for engineering studies, workplace documents and tests such as CAT, GRE, GMAT, TOEFL and IELTS. It covers verbal aptitude (root words, word forms, synonyms, antonyms, collocations, prefixes and suffixes) and identifying common grammar errors, redundancies, idioms and cliches. It then explains reading techniques: intensive and extensive reading, skimming, scanning and the SQ5R method. Finally it teaches summarising a text into graphic organisers, point form and a one-sentence central idea, and turning a graphic organiser back into text.

Summary

Verbal aptitude - root words, meanings and word forms: Many English words are built from Latin and Greek roots, so knowing a root helps guess meanings. Examples: 'bene' (good) in benefit and benevolent; 'chron' (time) in chronology and synchronise; 'graph' (write) in autograph; 'port' (carry) in transport and portable; 'spect' (look) in inspect; 'dict' (say) in predict and dictate. Word forms are the noun, verb, adjective and adverb forms of a word, for example decide, decision, decisive, decisively, and choosing the correct form is a common test item.

Verbal aptitude - synonyms, antonyms, collocations, prefixes and suffixes: Synonyms have similar meanings (abundant, plentiful; candid, frank), antonyms have opposite meanings (affluent, poor; transparent, opaque). Collocations are words that naturally go together (make a decision, do homework, heavy rain, strong coffee, take a risk); using a wrong partner such as 'do a mistake' sounds unnatural. Prefixes are added at the beginning and change meaning (un-, dis-, mis-, pre-, re-, inter-, sub-, anti-), and suffixes are added at the end and often change word class (-tion, -ment, -ness, -able, -ful, -less, -ize, -ly).

Grammar - identifying common errors: Subject-verb agreement: a singular subject takes a singular verb ('Each of the students has a laptop'; 'The list of items is ready'). Articles: 'a' before consonant sounds, 'an' before vowel sounds (an hour, a university, an MBA), 'the' for specific or unique things. Prepositions: fixed usage such as 'discuss the matter' (not discuss about), 'comprises three parts' (not comprises of), 'married to'. Misplaced modifiers: a modifier must be placed next to what it describes ('He only scored 40 marks in Physics' should be 'He scored only 40 marks in Physics'); a dangling modifier, which has no word to describe, is a related error ('Walking to college, the rain drenched me' should be 'While I was walking to college, the rain drenched me'). Punctuation: correct use of commas, apostrophes (its versus it's), full stops, colons and semicolons.

Redundancies, idioms and cliches: Redundancy is the use of unnecessary words that repeat meaning, such as 'return back', 'repeat again', 'free gift', 'past history', 'each and every', 'revert back'; it should be removed for concise writing. Idioms are expressions whose meaning differs from the literal words, such as 'a blessing in disguise', 'to burn the midnight oil' and 'to call it a day'. Cliches are over-used expressions that have lost their impact, such as 'at the end of the day', 'think outside the box' and 'last but not least', and should be avoided in formal writing.

Techniques to improve reading fluency and comprehension: Intensive reading is slow, careful reading of a short text for complete understanding, as in studying a textbook chapter, a contract or a technical manual. Extensive reading is reading large amounts of material for pleasure or general understanding, such as novels, magazines and newspapers; it builds vocabulary and fluency. Skimming is reading quickly to get the general idea or gist, by looking at the title, headings, first and last paragraphs and topic sentences. Scanning is searching quickly for a specific piece of information such as a date, name or figure without reading everything, as in finding a train in a timetable.

SQ5R method: SQ5R is a structured study-reading method with seven steps. Survey: glance through the title, headings, figures and summary to get an overview. Question: turn headings into questions you expect the text to answer. Read: read actively to find answers. Record: note key points and answers in your own words. Recall: close the book and recite or recall the main points. Review: go over the notes and text to check what was missed. Revise (reflect): revisit the material at intervals to fix it in long-term memory. It improves comprehension and retention compared to passive reading.

Reading and summarisation - graphic organisers: A graphic organiser presents information visually. Venn diagrams show similarities and differences between two or three items; radial diagrams or mind maps show a central idea with branches; tree diagrams show hierarchy or classification; cyclic diagrams show a repeating process (water cycle, product life cycle); flow charts show steps in sequence; timelines show events in chronological order; matrices or tables compare items on several criteria; pyramids show levels or priority (Maslow's hierarchy). Students must convert a text into the right organiser and also write a paragraph from a given organiser (vice versa).

Summarising in point form and in one sentence: A point-form summary lists the main ideas of a text in brief numbered or bulleted points, leaving out examples, repetitions and minor details, in one's own words. A one-sentence central idea expresses the core message of the whole passage in a single complete sentence, answering 'what is this text mainly saying?'. Steps for summarising: read for gist, underline key ideas, remove examples and repetition, combine related points, write in your own words, and check against the original for accuracy.

Mind map

SQ5R Reading Method

Important definitions

Key points to remember

• Skimming = gist; scanning = specific information.
• Intensive = short text, deep; extensive = long texts, general and for pleasure.
• SQ5R: Survey, Question, Read, Record, Recall, Review, Revise.
• Use 'an' before a vowel sound (an hour, an MBA) and 'a' before a consonant sound (a university, a one-way street).
• Each, every, either, neither take singular verbs.
• Common redundancies: return back, repeat again, free gift, past history, revert back.
• Match the organiser to the text: comparison = Venn or matrix, sequence = flow chart or timeline, hierarchy = tree or pyramid, repeating process = cycle.
• A one-sentence central idea must be a complete sentence covering the whole passage.

Solved examples

Example 1. Correct the errors: (a) Each of the engineers have submitted the report. (b) He is a honest man. (c) We discussed about the project. (d) The system comprises of three modules. (e) Its a good idea.

(a) Each of the engineers has submitted the report (each is singular). (b) He is an honest man (honest begins with a vowel sound). (c) We discussed the project (discuss takes no preposition). (d) The system comprises three modules (or 'consists of'). (e) It's a good idea (it's = it is).

Example 2. Remove the redundancy: (a) Please revert back by Monday. (b) The past history of the firm is impressive. (c) We will repeat the test again.

(a) Please reply by Monday. (b) The history of the firm is impressive. (c) We will repeat the test.

Example 3. Correct the dangling (misplaced) modifier: 'Having finished the assignment, the TV was switched on.'

The TV did not finish the assignment. Correct: 'Having finished the assignment, I switched on the TV.'

Example 4. Model answer: Convert into a suitable graphic organiser: 'Both petrol and electric cars provide personal transport. Petrol cars refuel quickly and have a long range, but emit exhaust gases. Electric cars produce no tailpipe emissions and have low running costs, but take longer to charge.'

A Venn diagram suits a comparison. Left circle (Petrol only): quick refuelling, long range, exhaust emissions. Right circle (Electric only): no tailpipe emissions, low running cost, longer charging time. Overlap (Both): provide personal transport. A matrix with criteria (refuelling, range, emissions, running cost) as rows would also be acceptable.

Example 5. Model answer: Write the one-sentence central idea of a passage explaining that regular maintenance of machines prevents breakdowns, reduces cost and improves safety.

Regular machine maintenance is essential because it prevents breakdowns, lowers operating costs and makes the workplace safer.

Important questions and answers

Q1. Differentiate between skimming and scanning. (4 marks)

Skimming is quick reading to grasp the overall idea or gist; the reader looks at title, headings, first and last paragraphs and topic sentences; e.g. going through a newspaper to see the main news. Scanning is quick searching for a specific detail such as a name, number or date; the reader moves the eyes looking for key words and ignores the rest; e.g. finding a phone number in a directory or a train in a timetable. Skimming is for general understanding, scanning for specific information; both save time.

Q2. Explain the SQ5R method of reading. (6 marks)

SQ5R is a systematic study-reading technique. Survey: preview the title, headings, diagrams and summary. Question: frame questions from headings, e.g. 'What are the types of lasers?'. Read: read actively to answer them. Record: note answers and key terms in your own words. Recall: without the book, recite the main points. Review: compare recall with notes and text, fill gaps. Revise: revisit periodically before exams. It makes reading purposeful, improves comprehension and long-term memory.

Q3. Distinguish between intensive and extensive reading. (4 marks)

Intensive reading: short texts, read slowly and carefully, aims at complete and detailed understanding, focuses on language and facts; e.g. textbooks, manuals, legal documents. Extensive reading: long or many texts, read quickly and fluently, aims at general understanding and enjoyment, builds vocabulary and reading habit; e.g. novels, magazines, newspapers. Both are needed for a good reader.

Q4. What are graphic organisers? Explain any four with their uses. (6 marks)

Graphic organisers are visual tools that summarise and show relationships among ideas. Venn diagram: overlapping circles to compare and contrast. Mind map (radial diagram): central topic with branches for subtopics, useful for brainstorming. Flow chart: boxes and arrows showing steps of a process in order. Timeline: events arranged chronologically along a line. Tree diagram: hierarchy or classification. Cyclic diagram: repeating process such as the water cycle. Matrix: table comparing items on criteria. Pyramid: levels or priorities. They aid comprehension, memory and quick revision.

Q5. Explain with examples: collocations, prefixes and suffixes. (5 marks)

Collocations are words that naturally occur together: make a mistake, do business, heavy rain, take a break, conduct research. Wrong pairings like 'do a mistake' sound unnatural. Prefixes are added before a root to change meaning: un-happy, dis-agree, re-write, pre-view, mis-understand, inter-national. Suffixes are added after a root, often changing word class: develop-ment (noun), use-ful (adjective), quick-ly (adverb), modern-ize (verb), kind-ness (noun).

Q6. Identify and correct the errors related to articles and subject-verb agreement in five sentences. (5 marks)

(1) 'The news are good' -> 'The news is good'. (2) 'Neither of them were present' -> 'Neither of them was present'. (3) 'She is an European' -> 'She is a European' (European begins with a 'y' sound). (4) 'He waited for a hour' -> 'He waited for an hour'. (5) 'The quality of the products have improved' -> 'The quality of the products has improved' (subject is quality).

Q7. What are redundancies, idioms and cliches? Give examples. (4 marks)

Redundancy is the needless repetition of meaning: 'return back', 'free gift', 'each and every', 'final outcome'; it makes writing wordy. Idioms are fixed expressions with figurative meaning: 'hit the nail on the head' (be exactly right), 'once in a blue moon' (rarely). Cliches are over-used phrases: 'at the end of the day', 'needless to say', 'think outside the box'; they make writing stale and should be avoided in formal communication.

Q8. How do you summarise a passage in point form and as a one-sentence central idea? (4 marks)

Read the passage for gist, then identify the main idea of each paragraph and underline key words. Remove examples, repetition and minor details. Write the main ideas as short numbered points in your own words, keeping the original order and meaning. For the central idea, combine all main points into one complete sentence that states what the whole passage is about. Check the summary against the original for accuracy and completeness.

Q9. What are misplaced modifiers? Correct one example. (3 marks)

A misplaced modifier is a word or phrase placed far from the word it describes, so it appears to modify something else. Example: 'She almost drove her kids to school every day' wrongly suggests she nearly drove; correct: 'She drove her kids to school almost every day.' Keep modifiers next to the words they describe.

Exam tips

• Grammar correction questions: write the corrected sentence and state the rule in brackets.
• Always give the full form of SQ5R and one line per step.
• In graphic organiser questions, name the organiser and justify why it suits the text before drawing it.
• Remember 'a' or 'an' depends on sound, not spelling.
• Keep summaries in your own words and roughly one-third of the original length.

FAQs

What level of vocabulary is expected?

The syllabus sets it at the difficulty of entrance and proficiency tests like CAT, GRE, GMAT, TOEFL and IELTS, so practise standard word lists and roots.

Is 'Revise' the same as 'Review' in SQ5R?

Review is checking the notes against the text right after recall; Revise is repeated revisiting at intervals to fix the content in long-term memory.

Which graphic organiser should I use for a manufacturing process?

A flow chart, since it shows sequential steps; use a cyclic diagram only if the process repeats in a loop.

These notes follow the University of Mumbai first-year engineering syllabus (NEP 2020, Professional Communication and Ethics) and were prepared with AI help and checked.