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The key to a successful answer is focussing on the question.

Short answer questions will ask for specific information and will not require an introduction or a conclusion.

Longer answers will ask you to be evaluative and require an introduction that sums up your opinion. You will then support your opinion with quotations and an analysis of the writers’ methods.

The exam will ask you to compare texts from two different times; one will be pre-1900 and the other will be from either the 20th or the 21st century. You should practise the skills of scan reading and summarising key points from the texts to prepare for this.

Use key words from the question to demonstrate your understanding.

Example questions

Example question one

Analyse how the writer uses language and structure to interest and engage readers.

Support your views with detailed reference to the text.

This is a very general question, which asks you to look at the technical aspects of the text – language and structure – to see how the writer has used them to appeal to their audience. Here you need to identify features and then explain how these features will interest and engage readers. You need to think about who the audience is, and what the purpose of the text is. As always, you will need to use quotations and examples from the text to support every point you make.

Example question two

Read the letter from Henry to his father.

How does Henry use language to try to influence his father?

This question also looks at language use in relation to its effect on the reader, except that here the relationship between the writer and the reader is a specific one. Knowing that relationship means that you can infer more things from what the text says. The word “influence” suggests that the purpose of the text is also key - Henry is trying to achieve something.

Example question three

How does the writer use language and structure to make his description of the lesson entertaining?

This question is asking you to focus on a specific part of the text - a description. You need to consider the technical aspects of what writers do – language and structure – to see how the writer achieves his purpose. The question highlights that there are two purposes – to describe and to entertain.

Example question four

“In these texts school is presented as a challenging place for the pupils.”

How far do you agree with this statement?

This question is of a different type – it makes a statement about the extracts, which has an interpretation in it. This statement is the focus of the question. You might agree or disagree with it, but must present examples from the text to support either opinion. When planning your answer, you will keep to the idea of “challenging place for pupils”. The word presented is important too - it signals that you need to think about all the methods the writers are using to show their ideas. You will need to look at language, structure, tone, and all the other things a writer can use.