Students! You all are very familiar with the term, ‘Question and Answer’. There is no bound to the challenges that you have to face throughout all your academic lives, while answering questions in homework, assignments and tests.
The pattern of questions and their answers depend largely on the subject involved. For example, answers to questions of any science subject are usually precise and to the point. However, answering questions from subjects like arts and literature is more difficult and challenging as they require descriptive answers including analysis from several perspectives.
Literature in any language is based on works of composition. English literature has been enriched with fabulous and bold compositions by many classical and modern writers, novelists, poets, etc. Amongst all sort of compositions, novels are the most critical ones when students have to answer questions related to those.
Are you too much worried about it? No need to worry as every problem has a solution – just to think in the right way. Primarily, we must be aware of all the difficultiesthat we might face while answering questions and try to analyze them in a proper way.
- Novels too long
Reading the text is inevitable for answering questions related to it.Novels however are very long texts. Most students do not have enough patience to read it thoroughly and it becomes difficult for them to answer. So students should be more patient and develop their reading habits so that they can fulfill the primary requirements for answering.
- Memorizing
The next step is to memorize the subject matter and significant parts of the novel and retain them in your mind for long enough so that you can analyses your answers freely. Moreover, a good memorization will help to establish your points with supporting quotations from relevant parts of the text. However, not all students spend enough time to memorize their subject, thus, it becomes a big challenge for them to answer appropriately.
- Understanding
It is most important that a student adequately comprehends the author’s writing for analysis and to see through the text to hidden meanings. Not all students have same I.Q. level ofunderstanding the author’s ideas and imaginations. If the intelligence level of a reader does not match with that of the writer then comprehension becomes a great challenge. So you need to be insightful, analytic, sensitive and evaluative to overcome this challenge, which is not a cup of tea for everyone.
- Vocabulary and grammar
A good answer demand writing in your own language. Copying words and languages from the text is not recommendable. Teachers also like to read your personal opinions and perspective. So you need to have a very strong vocabulary and sense of grammar. For that, you need to work hard.
Unlike science, in literature, there is no single correct answer to a single question. Framing the best answer for a question is thus very difficult and requires a good amount of wisdom and knowledge.
- Descriptive answers
Usually, answers related to English literature and novels are descriptive and hence lengthy. It requires special skills for a student to answer such questions up to the mark. One of the most difficult tasks while answering is to finish writing in time. So, you must improve your writing skills and writing speed or else it will be troublesome to give a proper answer in a limited period of time.
- Facing dilemmas
As told earlier, interpreting literature questions and answers demanded are the most difficult challenges. Students often fall in a dilemma about which answer is required by their examinerand which are not. Once that decision is made, they then have to poseadequate arguments in their answers strong enough to back up their ideas and persuade their examiners about relevance of their point of view.
- Creativity
Answers in literature generally do not follow much of any trend or tradition. Examiners usually prefer bit of different type of answers from students. So to satisfy the hopes of their examiners, students must be creative while answering questions. However, most students like to follow trends and patterns of answering questions and little do they want to be innovative. They are fond of answer keys and solutions to question banks rather than trying to prepare answers themselves. For such students, it is difficult to submit an innovative answer and so they mostly disappoint their examiners.
- Choosing right questions
When there are several options amongst the questions given, then it becomes really difficult for students to choose the right one from them.This difficulty is faced by them due to lack of proper practice. So, often they unwisely choose questions which have tougher orperhaps lengthier answers. Hence, they cannot manage their time and fail to finish writing properly.
- Presentation
In case of any answer, presentation is an important factor. A good presentation refers to a proper introduction, making of paragraphs in relevant parts, giving proper punctuations and indentations and a good conclusion. Students can enhance these writing skills only by practicing. Lack of practice leads them to a trap. Also, some students have very untidy hand writing, especially when they run short of time. Such poor writings are irritating to examiners and thus brings penalty for them.
My friends! I believe, while going through the above discussions, you must have felt that one or more of these challenges have been faced by you while answering questions from a novel. Have you not yet found outany answer about how to overcome such difficulties? You better start from today! Try to analyze your troubles more and at adeeper level to find an answer that will solve all your problems. Remember, true efforts can bring you anything and everything. If you can cross all hurdles of your life, you will find pure content and glory. So, bring about a self-realization, rectify yourself, overcome all hurdles and go ahead. The world is yours!