Reading and Comprehension (Prose) Set 6
Reading and Comprehension (Prose) Set 6 is a further practice set of ISEB Common Entrance-style prose comprehension, using a new invented extract to build fluency in retrieval, inference and analysis of a writer's language and structure at Year 7-8 level.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Skim the passage first for the basic facts: who the characters are, where the scene takes place and roughly what is happening, before reading any question.
- For 'state' or 'give' questions worth one mark, answer briefly and precisely, using the exact detail from the text rather than a vague summary.
- For inference questions, always show your working: quote or refer to the evidence, then state clearly what it suggests about a character or situation.
- When a question asks about structure (such as the order events are told, or a shift in focus), think about why the writer chose that order and what effect it creates.
- For 'explain the effect' questions on language, identify the technique by name, then explain precisely what impression it creates and why, linking back to the exact words used.
- Leave a minute at the end to check that every part of a multi-part question has been answered, since a missed sub-question loses easy marks.
Worked example
In an extract about a delayed train, the writer describes the platform as 'a restless sea of umbrellas, bobbing and jostling under the departure board.' Identify the technique used and explain its effect on the reader.
- Identify the technique: this is a metaphor, since the crowd of umbrellas is directly called a 'sea', not compared to one with 'like' or 'as'.
- Note the qualities transferred from a sea: movement, restlessness and a sense of many small parts acting together.
- Link this to the platform: it suggests a large, impatient crowd of people, all shifting and jostling as they wait.
- Comment on the effect on the reader: it creates a vivid, almost overwhelming sense of a crowded, frustrated station, making the scene feel chaotic rather than calm. Final answer: the metaphor of a 'restless sea of umbrellas' suggests a large, impatient crowd, giving the reader a vivid sense of a busy, frustrating station.
Practice questions
Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.
Q1A question asks you to 'state one reason why the train was delayed, using evidence from the text.' What kind of answer is required?Show answer
Answer: A brief, precise answer taken directly from the text, giving the exact reason stated, not your own guess.
Q2A writer describes a departure board as 'flickering through a list of cancellations like a nervous heartbeat.' Name the technique used.Show answer
Answer: Simile (the flickering board is compared to a heartbeat using 'like').
Q3A character 'checked her watch for the third time in a minute and sighed.' What does this suggest about how she is feeling?Show answer
Answer: That she is impatient, anxious or frustrated about the delay, shown through her repeated action rather than being told directly.
Q4In an extract, the writer moves from describing the busy platform to focusing closely on one child crying by the ticket barrier. What effect might this shift in focus create?Show answer
Answer: It narrows the reader's attention from the general chaos to one specific, emotional detail, making the scene feel more personal and drawing sympathy.
Q5Which word from 'the tannoy crackled out another indistinct apology' suggests the announcement was hard to understand?Show answer
Answer: 'indistinct' (or 'crackled').
Q6A five-mark question asks you to explain how the writer builds a sense of frustration across the whole extract. What should your answer cover?Show answer
Answer: Several separate points, each identifying a technique or detail and explaining how it builds frustration, roughly matching the number of marks available.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 13+ Common Entrance exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Look at the phrase 'the queue shuffled forward in tired, irritable inches.' Identify the technique used and state what mood it creates.
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Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 2 available
A story extract describes an old signal box beside the tracks: 'Its windows were furred with grime, and a single pigeon had made its nest in the rusted bell that once rang for every passing train.' Explain how the writer uses language and detail here to suggest that the signal box is no longer used. Support your answer with reference to at least two details.
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Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 4 available
Read this extract: 'The final announcement came at last, and the whole platform surged as one towards the doors. Elbows found ribs, cases clattered against ankles, and somewhere behind her a small child began to wail. Mia gripped her ticket tighter and let the crowd carry her forward.' Explain how the writer conveys the chaos of the platform in this extract. Refer to at least three details or techniques in your answer.
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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 reading and comprehension (prose) set 6 worksheet pack - 11 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 14 of 13+ English Workbook, the whole course as one free printable PDF.
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