You have read the comprehension passage carefully. You understand what the author is saying.
But when you begin answering the questions, you face a familiar problem:
How do you express the same meaning without copying the passage?
Many aspirants preparing for PFRDA Grade A Descriptive English struggle with this skill. Some copy entire sentences, while others change a few words but accidentally alter the author’s meaning.
The solution is not to memorise difficult vocabulary. It is to understand the idea and explain it clearly using your own sentence structure.
Let’s learn how.
1. What Does “Answer in Your Own Words” Mean?
Writing in your own words means expressing the author’s intended meaning using your own language without changing the information.
Consider this example.
Original Passage:
“Financial literacy enables individuals to make informed decisions regarding savings, borrowing and investment.”
Weak Answer:
“Financial literacy helps individuals make informed decisions about savings, borrowing and investment.”
Although grammatically correct, this answer largely reproduces the original sentence.
Better Answer:
“People with financial knowledge can manage their savings, choose suitable loans and evaluate investment options more responsibly.”
The improved answer communicates the same idea using a different sentence structure and more natural expression.
Remember: Writing in your own words does not mean replacing every word with a synonym. It means understanding the message and explaining it independently.
2. The Four-Step Method for Writing Comprehension Answers
Step 1: Understand Exactly What the Question Asks
Before writing, identify the main requirement.
For example:
Question: Why is financial literacy important for financial inclusion?
The question asks for a reason.
It does not ask you to define financial inclusion or list government schemes.
Your answer should explain how financial knowledge helps individuals use financial services effectively.
Step 2: Locate the Relevant Idea in the Passage
Find the paragraph containing the answer.
Read it carefully and identify the essential information.
Do not copy the entire paragraph.
Step 3: Explain the Idea Without Looking at the Passage
After understanding the relevant information, briefly look away from the passage.
Ask yourself:
“How would I explain this answer to another person in simple English?”
This technique encourages independent sentence construction.
Step 4: Compare Your Answer with the Original Meaning
Check whether your answer:
- Addresses the question directly.
- Includes all essential information.
- Preserves the author’s intended meaning.
- Avoids unsupported opinions.
- Uses grammatically correct sentences.
If these conditions are satisfied, you have probably paraphrased effectively.
3. Solved Example 1: Financial Inclusion
Passage Extract:
“Although access to formal banking services has expanded considerably, many individuals remain unable to use these facilities effectively because of limited financial awareness and inadequate digital infrastructure.”
Question: Why does greater banking access not always lead to effective financial inclusion?
Weak Answer:
“Because many individuals remain unable to use these facilities effectively due to limited financial awareness and inadequate digital infrastructure.”
This answer is relevant but closely copies the passage.
Improved Answer:
“Opening more bank accounts does not automatically ensure that people can use financial services properly. Limited financial knowledge and poor digital connectivity may prevent them from accessing banking facilities regularly and confidently.”
What Changed?
The improved answer preserves the two essential barriers—financial awareness and digital infrastructure—while using independent sentence construction.
4. Solved Example 2: Pension Reforms
Passage Extract:
“An ageing population places increasing pressure on pension systems because a smaller working-age population must support a growing number of retirees.”
Question: How does population ageing affect pension systems?
Weak Answer:
“An ageing population puts increasing pressure on pension systems because fewer working-age people support more retired people.”
This is mostly a word substitution exercise.
Improved Answer:
“As the proportion of elderly people increases, pension systems may face greater financial pressure. With relatively fewer workers contributing and more retirees requiring benefits, maintaining adequate retirement support becomes increasingly challenging.”
What Changed?
The improved response explains the relationship between fewer contributors and more pension beneficiaries rather than merely replacing words.
5. Solved Example 3: Artificial Intelligence
Passage Extract:
“Artificial intelligence can improve productivity by automating repetitive tasks, but its widespread adoption may require workers to acquire new skills.”
Question: What are the benefits and challenges of artificial intelligence in employment?
Weak Answer:
“Artificial intelligence improves productivity by automating repetitive tasks, but workers need new skills.”
This answer is relevant but underdeveloped.
Improved Answer:
“Artificial intelligence can make workplaces more efficient by handling routine activities. However, as technology changes job requirements, employees may need additional training to remain effective in their roles.”
What Changed?
The answer explains both the benefit and the challenge in clear language.
It also addresses both parts of the question.
6. Three Mistakes to Avoid While Paraphrasing
Mistake 1: Changing Only a Few Words
Original: “Digital payments improve transaction convenience.”
Weak: “Online payments increase transaction convenience.”
This changes vocabulary but not the sentence structure.
Better: “People can complete financial transactions more easily through digital payment systems.”
Mistake 2: Changing the Meaning
Original: “Financial education may reduce vulnerability to fraud.”
Incorrect: “Financial education completely prevents financial fraud.”
The original statement indicates a possible reduction in risk, not complete prevention.
Better: “Financial knowledge can help people recognise suspicious financial activities and reduce their exposure to fraud.”
Mistake 3: Adding Unnecessary Information
If the passage discusses financial literacy, do not automatically introduce unrelated government schemes or personal recommendations.
Your answer must remain within the information supported by the passage.
7. How Long Should Your Answer Be?
The appropriate length depends on the question, its marks and any specific instructions.
A straightforward question may require two or three sentences, while a question asking for several causes or consequences may need a more developed response.
During practice, focus on three things:
Direct Answer + Relevant Explanation + Complete Meaning
Avoid both extremes: one-line answers that omit important information and unnecessarily long answers that repeat the passage.
8. Practice Exercise: Write in Your Own Words
Read the passage below.
Passage
Digital financial services have improved access to banking facilities, particularly in remote areas. Customers can transfer money, make payments and manage their accounts without visiting a physical bank branch. However, limited digital literacy and concerns about online fraud prevent some individuals from using these services confidently. Financial institutions must therefore combine technological innovation with customer education and effective security measures.
Questions
Q1. How have digital financial services improved banking accessibility?
Q2. Why do some individuals hesitate to use digital banking?
Q3. What measures should financial institutions adopt to encourage safe digital banking?
Write approximately 40–60 words per answer as a practice target, then compare your responses with the model answers below.
Model Answer 1
“Digital financial services allow customers to perform banking activities remotely. People can send money, make payments and manage their accounts without travelling to a branch. This is particularly beneficial for individuals living in areas where physical banking facilities are limited.”
Model Answer 2
“Some individuals lack the knowledge and confidence needed to use digital platforms. They may also worry about becoming victims of online fraud. These concerns discourage them from adopting digital banking services despite the convenience offered by technology.”
Model Answer 3
“Financial institutions should educate customers about digital banking and provide guidance on safe transactions. They must also strengthen security arrangements to reduce fraud-related risks. Combining technological development with customer awareness can encourage more confident participation in digital financial services.”
9. How to Improve Through Regular Practice
For your next five comprehension exercises, follow this method:
- Attempt the questions without referring to model answers.
- Check whether every part of each question has been addressed.
- Compare your answer with the relevant passage.
- Identify grammatical errors and missing information.
- Rewrite the weakest answer.
Do not immediately move to another passage after reading the corrections.
Rewriting an incorrect answer can be more valuable than attempting several new questions without addressing recurring weaknesses.
10. How Bank Whizz Helps You Identify Your Actual Weaknesses
One difficulty with descriptive comprehension is that an answer may appear correct to the person who wrote it.
However, it may still contain incomplete explanations, grammatical errors or inaccuracies in paraphrasing.
At Bank Whizz, we encourage aspirants to begin with an independent diagnostic attempt.
The objective is to identify whether the primary difficulty lies in understanding the passage, interpreting the question or constructing accurate sentences.
This makes subsequent practice more focused.
If you are preparing for PFRDA Grade A Descriptive English, you can begin with the free diagnostic tests covering Essay Writing, Precis Writing and Reading Comprehension.
Attempt the Free PFRDA Grade A Descriptive English Diagnostic Tests – Bank Whizz
For candidates who want structured practice and a more systematic improvement process, you can also explore the Bank Whizz PFRDA Grade A Descriptive English Mentorship Programme.
The aim is not to reproduce model answers. It is to develop the ability to construct accurate responses independently.
Conclusion
Writing comprehension answers in your own words is a skill that improves through deliberate practice.
You do not need complicated vocabulary or unnecessarily long sentences.
Instead, focus on understanding the author’s message and explaining it clearly.
Remember the sequence:
Understand → Identify → Explain → Verify
For PFRDA Grade A Descriptive English, a strong answer should be relevant, complete, grammatically accurate and faithful to the passage.
The real test of comprehension is not how much you can copy from a passage, but how clearly you can explain what you have understood.