Chapter 5: Formulating Questions and Reading for Answers

Another proven reading technique involves formulating questions and then reading for the answers to these questions. Completing this step helps to keep readers focused on finding certain kinds of information in a text, so it often improves concentration and, therefore, comprehension.

To formulate questions, simply turn the title, headings, or topic sentences of a selection into questions before you read the text.

For example, if the title of a selection is “The Benefits of Exercise,” you could turn it into “What are the benefits of exercise?” Then, as you read, you can search for the answers to that question.

If the heading is “Walking versus Jogging,” you could turn it into “How are jogging and walking alike and different?” or “Which is better: walking or jogging?”

If you own the text you are reading, actually write your questions in the margins. If you have borrowed the text and cannot write in it, consider making a photocopy of it and then writing your questions in the margins of that photocopy. Or you can take notes on a separate sheet of paper by writing your questions and leaving a blank space for each of the answers, which you will fill in later as you read.

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Content adapted from the open course titled “Open Now Developmental English” authored by Cengage Learning, licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license.