Comprehension: Non-Fiction Set 6
Comprehension: Non-Fiction Set 6 is an 11+ non-fiction comprehension task built around a persuasive article, testing whether pupils can identify rhetorical techniques such as repetition, rhetorical questions and emotive language, and explain the specific effect each has on the reader, alongside facts and vocabulary questions.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Skim the passage first to identify what the writer wants the reader to think, feel or do.
- Look for persuasive techniques such as repetition, rhetorical questions, direct address to the reader, or short, punchy sentences for emphasis.
- Notice emotive language, words chosen to make the reader feel strongly, rather than neutral, factual wording.
- Return to the exact sentence a question names rather than describing the whole argument from memory.
- For technique questions, name the persuasive device and explain the specific effect it has on the reader, not just what it means.
- Match the number of points in your answer to the marks available.
Worked example
Extract: 'Every morning, exhaust fumes drift across the school gates as parents wait with their engines running, and every morning, children breathe them in on their way to class. It does not have to be this way.' Question: Explain how the writer uses language to persuade the reader that something should change. (4 marks)
- Identify the repetition of 'every morning', which emphasises that this is a constant, daily problem rather than a rare occurrence.
- Explain the effect of pairing the parents' action, 'engines running', directly with the children's experience, 'breathe them in', which links one action clearly to its harmful consequence.
- Comment on the short, final sentence 'It does not have to be this way', which stands apart from the longer sentences before it, giving it extra impact.
- Explain the overall effect: combining repeated structure, a clear cause-and-effect link, and a short concluding sentence builds a persuasive case for change.
- Final answer: The writer uses the repetition of 'every morning' to stress how routine the problem is, directly links parents' idling engines to children breathing in fumes, and finishes with the short, forceful sentence 'It does not have to be this way' to persuade the reader that change is both necessary and possible.
Practice questions
Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.
Q1What repeated phrase does the writer use at the start of the extract?Show answer
Answer: Every morning
Q2True or False: The writer suggests the exhaust fume problem only happens occasionally.Show answer
Answer: False (it happens every morning, suggesting it is constant)
Q3Find and copy the short sentence used at the end of the extract for emphasis.Show answer
Answer: It does not have to be this way.
Q4Why might a writer use a short sentence like 'It does not have to be this way' after two longer sentences?Show answer
Answer: The short sentence stands out by contrast, giving it more impact and drawing attention to the possibility of change.
Q5'children breathe them in on their way to class' - what effect does mentioning children specifically have on the reader?Show answer
Answer: It makes the issue feel more serious and emotionally affecting, since readers are likely to feel protective of children's health.
Q6Explain in one sentence why persuasive writing often links a problem directly to its effect on a sympathetic group, such as children, rather than describing the problem in general terms.Show answer
Answer: Linking a problem to a sympathetic group makes the reader feel a stronger emotional response and more motivated to want change.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 11+ exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Extract: 'Ask yourself: would you want your own child standing in that cloud of fumes for ten minutes every single day?' Find and copy the persuasive technique used to involve the reader directly. Then explain its effect. (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: 'Turning off an engine takes three seconds. Breathing in exhaust fumes for ten minutes does not.' Explain how the writer uses sentence structure and contrast to persuade the reader in this pair of sentences. (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: 'Some parents say switching the engine off and on again uses more fuel, but transport experts agree that any car left idling for more than ten seconds wastes more fuel than restarting it, not to mention the fumes it pours over the children walking past.' Explain how the writer counters an opposing argument in this sentence, and how this strengthens the overall persuasive case. (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 set 6 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 20 of 11+ English Workbook 1, the whole course as one free printable PDF.
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