Comprehension: Non-Fiction Set 12
Comprehension: Non-Fiction Set 12 gives a further unseen non-fiction extract for 11+ practice, testing retrieval, structure, vocabulary in context and viewpoint in the GL Assessment / CEM / CSSE style, this time using a passage that weighs up the advantages and disadvantages of a single change. Weighing-up passages are common in non-fiction and reward careful separation of the two sides before forming an overall view.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Identify the specific change or topic the passage discusses in its opening sentence, before reading on for the details.
- As you read, note each advantage and each disadvantage separately, perhaps mentally listing them, rather than blending them together.
- Look for connecting words such as 'however', 'on the other hand' or 'despite this', since these usually signal a shift from one side to the other.
- For retrieval questions, quote the exact wording used for the specific advantage or disadvantage named in the question.
- For overall-view questions, decide whether the passage ends up balanced, or leaning slightly towards one side, based on which points are given more space or stronger language.
- Support any judgement about the writer's overall view with a specific quotation, not just a general impression.
Worked example
Extract: 'Switching the school day to start an hour later has clear benefits for teenagers, whose natural sleep patterns shift later during adolescence, leading to better concentration in lessons. On the other hand, a later finish can clash with after-school clubs, part-time jobs and family routines built around the current timetable.' Question: What overall view of the later start time does this extract present? (3 marks)
- Identify the advantage given: teenagers' sleep patterns shift later, so a later start could improve concentration in lessons.
- Identify the disadvantage given: a later finish could clash with clubs, jobs and family routines.
- Notice the connecting phrase 'on the other hand', which signals a genuine shift to a contrasting point, showing the writer is presenting two sides.
- Consider whether one side is given more weight: both points are given roughly equal space and neither is dismissed, suggesting balance rather than a clear preference.
- Final answer: the extract presents a balanced overall view, acknowledging a genuine benefit to teenagers' concentration from a later start while also taking seriously the practical disruption a later finish could cause, without clearly favouring either side.
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Q1According to the extract, why might a later school start time help teenagers concentrate better?Show answer
Answer: Because their natural sleep patterns shift later during adolescence.
Q2Give one example from the extract of something a later finish time could clash with.Show answer
Answer: After-school clubs, part-time jobs, or family routines (any one).
Q3True or False: the extract argues strongly that the school day should not be changed at all.Show answer
Answer: False - it presents both an advantage and a disadvantage without dismissing either.
Q4What effect does the phrase 'on the other hand' have in this extract?Show answer
Answer: It signals a shift from the advantage just given to a contrasting disadvantage.
Q5In your own words, summarise the disadvantage of a later school finish mentioned in the extract.Show answer
Answer: A later finish time could get in the way of things pupils already do after school, such as clubs, jobs or family plans built around the current timetable.
Q6Why might a writer present both sides of an issue like a school start-time change, rather than only the benefits?Show answer
Answer: Presenting both sides gives readers a fair, complete picture and makes the writing feel more trustworthy than a one-sided argument.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 11+ exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Extract: 'Switching the school day to start an hour later has clear benefits for teenagers, whose natural sleep patterns shift later during adolescence, leading to better concentration in lessons.' Find and copy the phrase that gives the reason for the benefit described. 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 writer's use of 'on the other hand' affects the balance of the extract as a whole. (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 12 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 26 of 11+ English Workbook 1, the whole course as one free printable PDF.
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