Question 1

Question 1

1. The first type of question tests your understanding of a text. To answer this well you need to do two things: Find the information the question asks for. Explain why the information you have chosen answers the question. The key skill tested here is how to summarise an argument. For this you need to identify what the text is about and then decide if the writer thinks the topic is a good or a bad thing. You can do this by looking at:
1. The heading or title - this should help you decide on the main subject of the text.
2. Vocabulary - the kinds of words (nouns) used to give information will also indicate a particular subject. For example, an article about global warming will include words such as "environmentalist, carbon footprint, greenhouse gasses and sustainability".
3. Attitude - adjectives and intensifiers should tell you what the writer thinks about their subject. Look for words like "totally brilliant, absolutely ridiculous, complete nonsense, straight forward common sense".
4. Argument - the author will use points to develop their argument. Look for discourse markers - phrases such as "on the contrary, what is more, and another thing, as a result, in conclusion".

Resource summary

	Created by Katie Myrtle over 10 years ago