WJEC English Language Reading Paper: Types of Question
In order to successfully answer each question on the reading paper, it is
important to understand what it is actually asking you to do.
This sheet is a guide to the different types of questions that have come up in
the past,. it is important to remember that you need to read the question
carefully- this is not an exhaustive list and should be used to develop your
understanding of different types of questions.
1. Locate and retrieve
e.g. List 10 examples from the passage which show that Bill Bryson thinks
Americans have a ‘ridiculous’ attitude towards walking
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You can respond using bullet points as long as the question says list
(more likely on the foundation paper)
You only need to provide evidence; list is the key word here!
2. Explain
e.g. Explain why foxes became so popular
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This is the same skill as locate and retrieve, you need to find evidence
from the text, but you need to add a little more detail here as the
question asks for an explanation.
You only need to expand on one ore two points here, you don’t have
time for any more. Remember you should spend approximately 10
minutes per question!
According to the article, foxes became popular in the UK thanks to an ‘image
makeover’, partly encouraged by the poet John Masefield and his popular
poem ‘Reynard the Fox’. In addition to this he was cast as a hero in Disney’s
‘The Fox and the Hound’, which further developed the foxes positive
representation…
3. Intended audience
e.g. Who is the leaflet trying to attract to Waterloo?
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This type of question tests your ability to read and understand a text,
as well as your ability to select relevant quotations to support your
ideas.
You need to link the writer’s use of language, structure and
presentational techniques to the intended audience. So, who does it
appeal to, how do you know and what devices have been used to
target this group?
WJEC English Language Reading Paper: Types of Question
4. Impressions
e.g. What impressions does the writer give of Alnwick Castle?
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To answer this question, you need to think about what ideas the writer
is putting forward.
What does the article encourage you to think about the given topic or
idea?
For this sort of question you need to make a point and locate
evidence to support this.
You are assessed on the quality of your writing, not quantity. As a
guide, aim for 6-8 PEAL points.
We immediately get the impression that Alnwick Castle is a first class tourist
destination as they claim it is a ‘premier tourist attraction’. The text informs us
that the castle receives ‘200,000 visitors each year’, which gives the
impression of popularity and success. Despite it being ‘seven hundred years’
old, it has been carefully preserved and us central to the local community…’
5. Viewpoint and attitude
e.g. What are the writer’s thoughts and feelings about an Astley Woods
holiday? You should include what he liked and disliked as well as his overall
impression.
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This type of question tests your ability to read and understand a text,
as well as your ability to select relevant quotations to support your
ideas.
It also tests your understanding of how writers use language, structure
and presentational features.
You are assessed on the quality of your writing, not quantity. As a
guide, aim for 6-8 PEAL points.
It is clear that the writer is generally positive about his experience of an Astley
Woods holiday. This is evident right from the start, from the images of happy
children and a range of exciting locations, surrounding the article. In addition
to this, his language choices are clearly positive…
Top tip: use the wording of the question to help you to start your response,
this will help to focus you from the start and give you a strategy to deal with
exam-induced writer’s block!
WJEC English Language Reading Paper: Types of Question
6. Analysis of persuasive techniques
e.g. How does Lucy Jones try to make her Internet article interesting for her
readers? Think about what she says, and how she says it.
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This question tests your ability to read and understand a text.
What and how are your key words here.
You need to select evidence from the text and explain your choices.
You could look at language and devices (DA FOREST), form (type of
text, genre conventions) and structure (look at sentence structure or
type as well as layout on the page)
You need to try to combine an overview of what is said in the text with
some detailed analysis.
You are assessed on the quality of your writing, not quantity. As a
guide, aim for 6-8 PEAL points.
In order to catch and then hold the readers’ attention, Lucy Jones uses a
range of techniques, which should be engaging for her intended audience.
The article opens with a dramatic headline: ‘Land where killers are free to go
hunting’, this headline is attention grabbing as it is unclear exactly what this is
referring to, which should encourage the reader to continue reading.
7. Compare and contrast
e.g. Compare and contrast what Lucy Jones and Dermot Purgavie say about
the treatment of dangerous criminals.
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This question tests your ability to collate ideas from two different
sources and then make comparisons between the two.
It also tests your interpretation skills- can you work out what the writers
are trying to say?
You need to use both texts in your answer
You need to make sure that your ideas are logically ordered and
clear: you may want to work through one text and then another or draw
consistent comparisons (or contrasts) between the two.
You are assessed on the quality of your writing, not quantity. As a
guide, aim for 6-8 PEAL points.
On reading the two articles, it is clear that the writers have observed obvious
differences in the way that dangerous criminals are treated in the prisons they
have visited. Lucy Jones outlines the seemingly relaxed approach taken by
Swedish prisons, where convicted murderers are ‘taken on hunting trips’,
‘have jobs’ and access to luxuries such as ‘mobile phones’….This is in sharp
contrast to the ‘maximum security’ facilities that Purgavie has observed….