Comprehension: Non-Fiction: Practice Set 2
Comprehension: Non-Fiction: Practice Set 2 is a second full 11+ non-fiction comprehension task, giving pupils a fresh unseen article or report with new questions on facts, structure, vocabulary and the writer's viewpoint. It follows the same GL Assessment, CEM and CSSE-style format as the first non-fiction comprehension set, giving further practice at handling real-world, factual writing.
Method
- Skim the passage first to work out its topic and purpose: is it mainly informing, explaining, persuading or describing?
- Notice how the passage is organised, for example by time order, by comparing two things, or by cause and effect, since structure questions often ask about this.
- Read each question carefully and return to the exact paragraph it points to, rather than relying on a general memory of the text.
- For 'find and copy' questions, use the exact wording from the passage; for 'in your own words' questions, rephrase the idea rather than lifting the same phrase.
- For questions about the writer's viewpoint or tone, look closely at word choices that show whether the writer feels positively, negatively or neutrally about the subject.
- Match the length and detail of your answer to the number of marks available, giving one clear, separate point for each mark.
Worked example
Extract: 'The town's new cycle scheme has cut short car journeys by a fifth in its first year, though several shopkeepers say the removal of parking spaces has hurt their trade.' Question: What does this sentence suggest about the writer's overall view of the cycle scheme? (3 marks)
- Notice that the sentence has two parts: a clear success ('cut short car journeys by a fifth') and a complaint from another group ('hurt their trade').
- Identify that this is a balanced view rather than a simply positive or simply negative one.
- Support this with specific word choices: the precise statistic 'a fifth' sounds like solid evidence of success, while 'hurt their trade' presents a real, named concern rather than dismissing it.
- Explain the effect: presenting both a measurable benefit and a genuine drawback makes the writer seem fair and even-handed rather than one-sided.
- Final answer: The writer takes a balanced view, showing the cycle scheme has had a clear, measurable benefit (a fifth fewer short car journeys) while also fairly acknowledging shopkeepers' concerns about lost trade.
Practice questions
Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.
Q1'The scheme has cut short car journeys by a fifth in its first year.' According to this sentence, by how much have short car journeys fallen?Show answer
Answer: By a fifth
Q2'Several shopkeepers say the removal of parking spaces has hurt their trade.' Give one word from this sentence that means 'damaged' or 'harmed'.Show answer
Answer: hurt
Q3True or False: According to the extract, every shopkeeper in the town supports the new cycle scheme.Show answer
Answer: False (the extract says several shopkeepers complain that it has hurt their trade)
Q4'The council responded cautiously, promising to review the parking changes within six months.' What does 'cautiously' suggest about how the council reacted?Show answer
Answer: It suggests the council reacted carefully and without fully committing either way, rather than reacting confidently or dismissively.
Q5'Cycle use in the town has more than doubled since the scheme began.' In your own words, explain what this sentence tells the reader about the scheme's popularity.Show answer
Answer: Far more people are now cycling in the town than before the scheme started, showing that many residents have taken it up.
Q6Explain why a non-fiction writer might quote a shopkeeper directly rather than simply writing 'some people are unhappy'.Show answer
Answer: A direct quotation gives a specific, credible voice to the concern, making it feel more real and convincing than a vague, unsupported statement.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 11+ exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Extract: 'Since the cycle lanes opened, the number of children cycling to the town's primary schools has risen from around one in twenty to nearly one in five.' Find and copy the phrase that shows how much cycling to school has increased. Then explain what this phrase tells the reader. (2 marks)
Show mark scheme
Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 2 available
Extract: 'The report accepts that removing parking has caused real difficulty for some businesses, but argues that quieter, less polluted streets will bring in more visitors over time.' Explain how the writer presents the case for the cycle scheme in this sentence. (4 marks)
Show mark scheme
Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 4 available
Extract: 'Since the cycle scheme began, air pollution readings near the high street have fallen by a third, a change doctors at the local surgery say they can already see reflected in fewer children needing inhalers.' Explain how the writer builds a persuasive case for the cycle scheme in this sentence. (5 marks)
Show mark scheme
Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 5 available
Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the comprehension: non-fiction: practice set 2 worksheet pack - 13 pages of exam-style questions with a full mark scheme. One email opens every download in this browser for 14 days - no account, no card. Print it for personal and classroom use.
This topic is chapter 16 of 11+ English Workbook 1, the whole course as one free printable PDF.
Next topics
Not quite what you needed?
Tell us what is missing on comprehension: non-fiction: practice set 2, or which topic to write up next. Every request is read, and we reply to every one.
Build a full practice pack.
This topic is one of hundreds in the library - pick the ones a student needs and generate a printable PDF in minutes.