Comprehension: Non-Fiction Set 10
Comprehension: Non-Fiction Set 10 is a further unseen non-fiction extract for 11+ practice, once again testing retrieval, structure, vocabulary in context and the writer's viewpoint in the GL Assessment / CEM / CSSE style. This set uses a report-style passage, where a claim is supported by evidence, which is a common non-fiction structure worth recognising quickly.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Identify the main claim the passage is making in its opening sentence or two, before reading on for the evidence that supports it.
- Look for the specific evidence used to back up the claim, such as figures, examples or expert opinion, and note where each piece appears.
- For retrieval questions, quote the exact evidence given rather than a rounded or approximate version of it.
- For structure questions, notice whether the passage moves from claim to evidence, or from evidence to conclusion, since this affects how the argument is built.
- For vocabulary questions, check that your chosen synonym keeps the same shade of meaning as the original word within its sentence.
- Give a fuller, multi-point answer for higher-mark questions, checking that each point is a separate, clearly stated idea.
Worked example
Extract: 'Reading for pleasure has a measurable effect on academic performance. A recent survey of primary schools found that pupils who read independently for at least twenty minutes a day scored noticeably higher in reading tests than those who read rarely.' Question: How does the writer support the claim made in the first sentence? (3 marks)
- Identify the claim made in the first sentence: reading for pleasure has 'a measurable effect on academic performance'.
- Identify the evidence given to support it: a survey of primary schools comparing pupils who read at least twenty minutes a day with those who read rarely.
- Notice the specific detail 'twenty minutes a day', which makes the evidence precise rather than vague.
- Notice the outcome stated: pupils who read more 'scored noticeably higher in reading tests', directly linking the behaviour to a measurable result.
- Final answer: the writer supports the claim by citing a specific survey of primary schools that compared two groups of pupils, showing that those who read independently for at least twenty minutes a day scored noticeably higher in reading tests than those who read rarely, giving the general claim concrete, measurable support.
Practice questions
Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.
Q1According to the extract, how long did the higher-scoring pupils read independently each day?Show answer
Answer: At least twenty minutes a day.
Q2Give one word from the extract that means 'able to be measured or shown with evidence'.Show answer
Answer: 'measurable'.
Q3True or False: according to the extract, the survey found no link between reading for pleasure and test scores.Show answer
Answer: False - the extract says the group that read more 'scored noticeably higher in reading tests'.
Q4What kind of evidence does the writer use to support the opening claim: a personal opinion, an expert quotation, or a survey?Show answer
Answer: A survey (of primary schools).
Q5In your own words, explain what the survey mentioned in the extract found.Show answer
Answer: It found that pupils who read on their own for twenty minutes or more each day did noticeably better in reading tests than pupils who rarely read independently.
Q6Why might a writer choose to support a general claim with a specific survey rather than leaving the claim unsupported?Show answer
Answer: Specific evidence, such as a survey, makes a claim more convincing and harder to dismiss than an unsupported general statement.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 11+ exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Extract: 'A recent survey of primary schools found that pupils who read independently for at least twenty minutes a day scored noticeably higher in reading tests than those who read rarely.' Find and copy the phrase that shows a clear difference was found between the two groups of pupils. 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
Explain how the structure of the extract, moving from a general claim to specific evidence, helps to convince the reader. (4 marks)
Show mark scheme
Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 4 available
Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the comprehension: non-fiction set 10 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 24 of 11+ English Workbook 1, the whole course as one free printable PDF.
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