Reading and Comprehension (Non-Fiction) Set 6
Reading and Comprehension (Non-Fiction) Set 6 is further 13+ Common Entrance practice at reading a real-world non-fiction text, such as a leaflet, article or speech, and identifying the writer's purpose, viewpoint and use of persuasive or informative techniques.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Identify the text type and its purpose before reading in detail: a leaflet, a speech, an article and a letter each have a slightly different job and audience.
- Read the whole text once to establish the writer's main viewpoint or message before answering detailed questions.
- Learn to name techniques precisely, such as rhetorical question, repetition, statistics, emotive language, direct address and expert opinion, and always link them to their effect.
- Distinguish fact from opinion: a fact can be checked or proven, while an opinion is a personal judgement, often signalled by words like 'clearly' or 'surely'.
- For questions asking how a writer persuades or informs the reader, cover at least two or three different techniques, each supported by a short quotation.
- Consider how the text is structured as well as how it is written: many persuasive texts open with a striking claim, develop evidence in the middle, and end with a call to action.
Worked example
In a leaflet urging pupils to bring a reusable water bottle to school, the writer states: 'Every single day, thousands of plastic bottles are thrown away after just one use. Will you be part of the problem, or part of the solution?' Identify two persuasive techniques and explain their effect.
- Identify the first technique: the large-scale claim 'thousands of plastic bottles... after just one use', which uses a big number to suggest a serious, ongoing problem.
- Explain its effect: it makes the waste feel widespread and urgent, encouraging the reader to take the issue seriously before any solution is suggested.
- Identify the second technique: the rhetorical question 'Will you be part of the problem, or part of the solution?'
- Explain its effect: it forces the reader to choose a side, making inaction feel like the wrong choice, and personally involves them in the issue rather than leaving it as someone else's responsibility.
Practice questions
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Q1What is emotive language, and why might a writer use it in a leaflet about ocean pollution?Show answer
Answer: Language chosen to create a strong feeling, such as sadness or anger; a writer might use it to make the reader care about the issue rather than simply informing them.
Q2Is the claim 'recycling is clearly the most important thing you can do for the planet' a fact or an opinion?Show answer
Answer: An opinion - the word 'clearly' signals a personal judgement rather than something that can be proven true.
Q3Name the technique used in this slogan: Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.Show answer
Answer: The rule of three - three short instructions in a list, each with the same grammatical form.
Q4A leaflet states 'You could help save a hundred bottles a year.' Which word directly addresses the reader?Show answer
Answer: 'You' - it speaks straight to the reader, making the appeal feel personal.
Q5Give one example of a statistic a writer might use to persuade readers to use fewer plastic bags.Show answer
Answer: For example, 'over a million plastic bags are used worldwide every minute' - any plausible large figure presented as a fact.
Q6An article opens with a short story about one seabird found tangled in plastic, before giving any wider statistics. What is this technique called?Show answer
Answer: An anecdote.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 13+ Common Entrance exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Look at this sentence from a school leaflet: 'Bring a bottle once, and you will never want to buy another plastic one again.' Identify the persuasive technique used and explain its effect.
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Read this extract from a council leaflet about a beach clean-up: 'Every wrapper. Every straw. Every bottle cap. It all washes up somewhere, and it all starts with us.' Explain how the writer uses language to persuade readers to take part. Refer to at least two techniques.
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This is the closing paragraph of a speech about banning plastic straws in the school canteen: 'We are not asking you to change the world overnight. We are asking for one small swap: a paper straw instead of a plastic one. One straw. That is all it takes, and multiplied across every pupil in this school, it could keep thousands of straws out of the sea. Please, make the swap.' Explain how the writer builds a persuasive argument across this paragraph. Refer to at least three techniques or details.
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Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the reading and comprehension (non-fiction) 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 18 of 13+ English Workbook, the whole course as one free printable PDF.
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