Explicit information, called isi tersurat, is a detail the passage states in so many words. To locate it, match the question word to one sentence, read that sentence carefully, and write the answer in your own complete sentence.
This lesson is part of general comprehension in SPM Bahasa Melayu. The next lesson, making a supported inference, covers details the passage only hints at.
How do I find a stated detail?
Use three steps every time, in this order.
- Underline the question word: apakah, siapakah, berapakah, bilakah, di manakah or mengapakah.
- Decide what kind of detail it wants: a thing, a person, a number, a time, a place or a reason.
- Find the sentence with that kind of detail, then check that the subject of the sentence matches the subject of the question.
Step 3 is where errors creep in. A passage can hold three numbers, and only one belongs to the detail in the question.
Worked example: one passage, three questions
This passage is original, written for practice.
Tahun lalu, Kelab Alam Sekitar SMK Seri Mutiara menanam 120 pokok bakau di tebing sungai. Sebanyak 35 ahli bekerja pada setiap hari Sabtu selama enam minggu. Guru penasihat kelab, Puan Salmah, menjelaskan bahawa akar pokok bakau dapat mengurangkan hakisan tebing.
| Question | Question word | Matching sentence | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berapakah bilangan pokok bakau yang ditanam? | berapakah (a number of trees) | Sentence 1: 120 pokok bakau | Kelab itu menanam 120 pokok bakau. |
| Berapa lamakah ahli kelab bekerja? | berapa lama (a length of time) | Sentence 2: enam minggu | Mereka bekerja selama enam minggu. |
| Mengapakah pokok bakau ditanam di tebing sungai? | mengapakah (a reason) | Sentence 3: akar mengurangkan hakisan | Kerana akar pokok bakau dapat mengurangkan hakisan tebing. |
The number 35 appears in sentence 2, and it counts members, not trees. A student who scans for any number would write 35 for the first question.
What goes wrong, and what to do instead
Here is a plausible attempt at the third question.
Weak answer: Guru penasihat kelab, Puan Salmah, menjelaskan bahawa akar pokok bakau dapat mengurangkan hakisan tebing.
Stronger answer: Akar pokok bakau dapat mengurangkan hakisan tebing.
The weak answer copies the whole sentence. The first part names the teacher, which the question did not ask for. The stronger answer keeps only the reason and stays grammatical. Because the question starts with mengapakah, a version beginning with “Kerana” is equally suitable.
Trimming is a skill with a limit. Do not cut so far that the answer loses its subject or becomes a fragment.
Check yourself
Use the passage above. Berapa kali ahli kelab bekerja di tebing sungai? Give the answer in a full sentence, and say which phrase in the passage you used.
Answer
The passage says they worked pada setiap hari Sabtu selama enam minggu. That is one Saturday in each of six weeks, so the answer is six times.
A complete answer: Ahli kelab bekerja sebanyak enam kali.
A student who writes 35 has matched the number of members instead of the number of Saturdays. The phrase “setiap hari Sabtu selama enam minggu” is the one to use.
What should I study next?
Move on to making a supported inference, then test yourself with the general comprehension practice set. Keep a note of each wrong answer in the mistake log and paper-error review so you can see whether the pattern is number matching or over-copying.
If you want a teacher to watch you read a passage line by line, see online one-to-one SPM Bahasa Melayu tuition.