Although there are different exam boards (AQA, WJEC, OCR and Edexcel being the most popular), the skills they are testing are the same. On this page, we will look at the READING paper questions, which usually consist of two or more texts and three or more questions on those texts. By now, you will have come across examples of your exam board's paper, so I hope you'll be able to match the examples here, to the questions you are expecting. If not, please comment below and I will attempt to rectify or clarify it.
So here we go. The main types of question are:
- Locate and extract information
- Presentational devices
- Thoughts and feelings
- Use of Language
- Compare two texts
LOCATE AND EXTRACT INFORMATION
This question is the easiest one on the exam paper. It simply asks you to find examples of information and explain them. For example:"According to the magazine article, why do people watch reality TV programmes?" (WJEC 2014)
"What do you understand from the article about the issues of children and starting school?" (AQA 2014)
The answers should be straightforward. You don't need to comment on language or style, just find the information and explain it. For example, one answer to the first question above:
'According to the text, people watch reality TV programmes to see what other peoples' lives are like. This is shown in the quote, " It's always interesting to watch a celebrity have a meltdown in the jungle; they're just like us after all." We want to feel that we're not so different from them, and so reality shows let us see that.'
Or for the second question:
'One of the issues about starting school is the mixed feelings a child can have: "They are both apprehensive and at the same time excited about going to a new school.' This shows that starting school can be complex for children.'
For this question, you don't need to talk about language, or go into too much detail, however, you still need to be precise and focused in your answer. DON'T do this:
People watch reality TV programmes to watch a celebrity have a meltdown. "It's always interesting to watch a celebrity have a meltdown." This shows that celebrities having meltdowns is why people watch reality TV programmes.
Or this:
There are many issues about starting school in the article, for example. "they are both apprehensive and at the same time excited about going to a new school." This shows the feelings children have about school.
Both of these responses are too vague and repetitive. They don't explain anything, they describe and retell what the text is already doing.
PRESENTATIONAL DEVICES
(Please note, this type of question does NOT occur on the WJEC paper at the moment).
The typical 'presentational devices' question asks you to look at the headline and any pictures or illustrations and sometimes the subheading, and wants you to show how effective they are. It may also ask you to show how these features link to the text.
Look at this headline:
DUMBLEDORE'S DARK SECRETS REVEALED!
This headline in the Daily Prophet gives us the name of a famous celebrity (Albus Dumbledore) which is bound to interest the reader, and uses the work "dark" to indicate that the story might have some unpleasant facts, plus the word "secret" inspires our curiosity, we all want to know secrets, especially of a celebrity, and the word revealed convinces us because we're going to be told something no one knows!
So don't do this: (NEVER, EVER, EVER!)
The headline is bold and stands out, catching the reader's eye and making them want to read on.
or this:
The headline tells us that Dumbledore has some dark secrets that are going to be revealed.
Focus on the language of the text, look for alliteration: (Dumbledore's Dark...), repetition (headless corpse in topless bar), simile (like a rat in a trap), metaphor (Leicester City are over the moon!), puns (Bin Bagged), or just interesting language.
Look at this image (taken from National Geographic Magazine):
The image shows how big the jellyfish actually is, compared to the diver, this shows that it could be dangerous, yet the diver is very close, so maybe it isn't. Also, it shows us something that we've never seen before which will encourage us to find out more.
So don't do this!!!!
The picture is colourful and interesting and makes us want to read on.
Or this:
The picture shows us a giant jellyfish and a diver, so we know the article is about a giant jellyfish and a diver.
THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS
This question occurs quite frequently across all the exam boards most of the time. It is a bit harder than the locate and extract questions, as it requires you to find information, as above, but also to interpret it, then explain it. Sometimes, the examples are implicit in the text:'I shivered at the thought of starting a new school.' In this example, the writer could be scared, excited or just cold. You have to decide, then explain it:
This shows that the writer must be scared, as 'shivering' is a physical expression of fear.
So DON'T do this:
The writer is shivering: 'I shivered at the thought of starting a new school.' This shows how the writer feels.
Or this:
The writer shows her thoughts and feelings: 'I shivered at the thought of starting a new school.' This shows that the writer shivered at the thought of starting a new school.
Or even this:
The writer shows her thoughts and feelings by shivering. "I shivered at the thought of starting a new school.
USE OF LANGUAGE
Now we come to the most feared and misunderstood question in the exam. Everybody seems to either over or under think this question, but really, it is a question about choices of words and phrases and usually focuses on imagery, descriptive or emotive language or persuasive and rhetorical devices. The answer to the question:
How does the writer persuade us that reality TV shows are stupid and so are the people who watch them?
is, find examples of persuasive, emotive, humorous, descriptive, informative, (I could go on) language, and explain what it means and how it works:
"People who watch reality TV shows are stupid." The writer uses the word 'stupid' which is an insulting word, implying that someone who watches reality TV shows has no intelligence. (No, sorry, this was a joke, it will never be that simple, but you get my drift. Let's look at a proper example.)
The writer thinks that people who watch reality TV shows are stupid. "I would rather watch paint dry than watch TOWIE yet it has some of the highest viewing figures ever recorded. Who are these people?" The rhetorical question is sarcastic and compares the surprising number of viewers to herself, whom she considers to be more intelligent, which highlights how boring and stupid the viewers of these TV shows are.
Or,
The writer thinks that reality TV shows are stupid. "I would rather watch paint dry that watch TOWIE." Obviously no one would really watch paint dry, so this image is ironic and exaggerated, comparing just how stupid and boring the writer thinks these shows are, if paint drying is considered more intelligent and interesting.
So don't do this:
The writer says: " I would rather watch paint dry than watch TOWIE." This shows that the writer doesn't like TOWIE.
Or this:
The writer uses a simile to describe TOWIE: "I would rather watch paint dry than watch TOWIE." This is very persuasive and effective.
Or even:
The writer would rather watch paint dry than watch TOWIE. She can't believe there are so many viewers who watch it and she asks, who are these people.
Get the idea?
COMPARE THE TEXTS
Usually the final question, and the one that either doesn't get done at all or done very sparsely or quickly, because by this question you've run out of time!
The good news is, the comparative question is usually the same as the thoughts and feelings, or the use of language questions. The only difference is, you have to compare the way two texts do it, and find similarities and differences, all in 15 minutes (or if you are like most GCSE students, the last five minutes of the exam!).
The best way to tackle this question is to find 3 examples from each text, use comparing or contrasting connectives and use P E E as you've done before. Simples!
But what does that look like?
Compare how text A and B present the City of Sheffield.
Text A presents Sheffield as a "vibrant city with restaurants, shops and the famous Crucible Theatre all in reasonable walking distance." The leaflet was written by Sheffield Council who want to persuade people to visit, so they only focus on the positive features of the city. However, in text B, George Orwell is visiting Sheffield in the 1930s, when it was heavily industrial and polluted, so he uses very negative language like "ugly" and "satanic" the last word implies that Sheffield is such a bad place that it is actually evil.
You can practise exam questions at these locations, just click on the links:
AQA Past Papers
WJEC Past Papers
OCR Past Papers
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