Comprehension: Non-Fiction Set 5
Comprehension: Non-Fiction Set 5 is an 11+ non-fiction comprehension task built around a wildlife monitoring report, testing whether pupils can track a claim's supporting evidence, notice where a writer is cautious rather than certain, and answer facts and vocabulary questions about environmental change.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Skim the passage to establish its main subject and whether it is mostly reporting facts, explaining causes, or evaluating success.
- Notice any comparison over time, such as this year versus last year, since these often carry the passage's key point.
- Return to the exact sentence or paragraph a question names, rather than answering from a general impression.
- For 'find and copy' questions, use the wording exactly as it appears; for 'in your own words' questions, express the idea differently.
- Look for language that reveals the writer's confidence in a claim, such as 'record number' or 'rangers caution', which can show certainty or caution.
- Match your answer's length and number of points to the marks available.
Worked example
Extract: 'Rangers at the reserve have counted a record number of nesting pairs this spring, crediting the rise to a ban on jet-skis within half a mile of the cliffs during the breeding season, though they caution that a single good year does not yet prove a long-term recovery.' Question: What does this sentence suggest about how confident the rangers are that the seabird population has fully recovered? (3 marks)
- Notice the sentence begins with clear, positive evidence: 'a record number of nesting pairs' linked directly to the jet-ski ban.
- Identify the shift signalled by 'though they caution', which introduces a more careful, less certain note.
- Support this with the phrase 'a single good year does not yet prove a long-term recovery', which explicitly limits how much can be concluded from one season.
- Explain the effect: the rangers are encouraged by the immediate result but are deliberately avoiding an overconfident claim about the future.
- Final answer: The rangers are pleased with this year's record numbers and credit the jet-ski ban, but they are not yet fully confident of a lasting recovery, cautioning that one good breeding season is not enough evidence on its own.
Practice questions
Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.
Q1According to the extract, what change is credited with the rise in nesting pairs?Show answer
Answer: A ban on jet-skis within half a mile of the cliffs during the breeding season.
Q2Give one word from the extract that means 'gives credit to' or 'attributes to'.Show answer
Answer: crediting
Q3True or False: The rangers are certain the seabird population has fully recovered for good.Show answer
Answer: False (they caution that one good year does not prove a long-term recovery)
Q4'a record number of nesting pairs this spring' - what does 'record' tell the reader about this year's count compared to previous years?Show answer
Answer: It tells the reader this year's count is the highest ever recorded.
Q5In your own words, explain why the rangers are cautious about claiming the seabird population has fully recovered.Show answer
Answer: Because one successful breeding season is not enough evidence to be sure the improvement will continue in future years.
Q6Why might a writer choose to quote the rangers' caution rather than simply reporting the record numbers alone?Show answer
Answer: Including the caution makes the report more balanced and trustworthy, showing the writer is not exaggerating the good news.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 11+ exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Extract: 'Volunteers have also removed over three tonnes of washed-up plastic from the base of the cliffs since the project began.' Find and copy the phrase that shows the scale of the litter removed. Then explain what this phrase tells the reader. (2 marks)
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Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 2 available
Extract: 'Local fishermen were initially unhappy about the jet-ski restriction, arguing it pushed leisure traffic into their own fishing grounds, though several now report that calmer waters have actually improved their catches.' Explain how the writer presents the effect of the jet-ski ban on local fishermen. (4 marks)
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Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 4 available
Extract: 'Scientists monitoring the colony admit they cannot yet separate the effect of the jet-ski ban from an unusually mild spring, and have asked for funding to continue the study for at least three more years before drawing firm conclusions.' Explain what this sentence reveals about the limits of the evidence presented earlier in the report. (5 marks)
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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 set 5 worksheet pack - 10 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 19 of 11+ English Workbook 1, the whole course as one free printable PDF.
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