Reading and Comprehension (Non-Fiction) Set 8
Reading and Comprehension (Non-Fiction) Set 8 is further 13+ Common Entrance practice at reading a real-world text, such as an article or leaflet, and identifying the writer's purpose, viewpoint and persuasive or informative techniques.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Identify the text type and audience before reading closely, since a magazine article, a school newsletter and a leaflet each address the reader slightly differently.
- Read the whole text once to establish the writer's main message or argument before answering detailed questions.
- Name techniques precisely, including rhetorical question, repetition, statistics, anecdote, counter-argument and direct address, and always link each to its effect.
- Look for counter-argument, where a writer briefly acknowledges an opposing view before dismissing it, which can make their own argument seem more balanced and convincing.
- Distinguish fact from opinion throughout the text, remembering that an opinion is a judgement, even when it is stated confidently.
- For higher-mark questions on persuasion, cover several different techniques, each supported by a short quotation, rather than repeating one point in different words.
Worked example
In an article encouraging pupils to visit the library more often, the writer states: 'Some pupils say they have no time to read. But every phone in this school is unlocked at least forty times a day; the time is there, it is simply going somewhere else.' Identify the technique used and explain its effect.
- Identify the technique: this is a counter-argument, since the writer first states an opposing view, 'no time to read', before challenging it.
- Note the evidence used to challenge it: the statistic about phones being unlocked forty times a day.
- Link this to the writer's purpose: it suggests the excuse of 'no time' is not really about time at all, but about how it is spent.
- Comment on the effect: it makes the reader reconsider their own habits and feel slightly caught out, which can be more persuasive than simply telling them to read more.
Practice questions
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Q1What is a counter-argument, and why might a writer include one?Show answer
Answer: A brief mention of an opposing view, included so the writer can challenge or dismiss it, making their own argument seem more balanced and convincing.
Q2Is the claim 'reading is obviously more rewarding than scrolling through a screen' a fact or an opinion?Show answer
Answer: An opinion - the word 'obviously' signals a personal judgement rather than something proven.
Q3Name the technique used in this line: New worlds. New characters. New ideas, every single time.Show answer
Answer: The rule of three - three short phrases in a list, each with the same structure.
Q4An article states 'Pupils who read for pleasure for just ten minutes a day report feeling calmer.' Name the technique used here.Show answer
Answer: A statistic, or piece of research-based evidence, used to add authority to the claim.
Q5An article opens with a short story about one pupil who found a favourite book by accident, before making any wider argument. What is this technique called?Show answer
Answer: An anecdote.
Q6Give one example of emotive language a writer might use to persuade pupils that reading is enjoyable rather than a chore.Show answer
Answer: For example, describing a good book as 'un-put-downable' or 'a doorway into another world' - words chosen to create excitement or longing.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 13+ Common Entrance exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Look at this line from the article: 'Open a book once, and the screen can wait.' Identify the persuasive technique used and explain its effect.
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Read this extract: 'Some say the library is old-fashioned. They are half right: the shelves have not changed in years. What has changed is everything you can find on them.' Explain how the writer uses language to persuade the reader. Refer to at least two techniques.
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This is the closing paragraph of the article: 'We are not asking you to give up your phone for good. We are asking for twenty minutes, once a day, for a book instead of a screen. Twenty minutes. That is shorter than a single lesson, and it could be the difference between forgetting your day and remembering it. Please, give it a try.' 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 8 worksheet pack - 9 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 23 of 13+ English Workbook, the whole course as one free printable PDF.
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