Home > Subjects > English > English level 2 > 2.6 Unfamiliar texts > Subject content > Understanding a question
- Subject: English
- AS: 90380
- Level: 2
- Credits: 3
- External
2.6 Read unfamiliar texts and analyse the ideas and language features
Understanding a question
The questions you will answer in the examination are designed to allow three levels of response: achievement, merit, and excellence. Your grade will depend on your understanding of the text and your understanding of the question, and you ability to convey this understanding.
Questions are made up of instructions such as 'read lines 5–10' or 'in your own words' and thinking skills such as 'explain why' or 'identify'. It is vital that you underline these keywords in each question so you can work out what you have to do and where you can locate the information.
In this example of a possible question, the words you would underline have been written in bold, with explanations of what they are in brackets () after the bold text.
Clearly explain (thinking skill) how the negative attitude (focus of question) towards the stories and experiences of the parents/adults (focus of question) is established in stanzas 1 and 2 (lines 1–15) (instruction).
Your answer would be expected to cover these aspects:
- An achieved answer could describe the way a person behaves.
- A Merit answer could be as Achieved plus discuss the impact of the language used.
- An Excellence answer could be as Merit plus a detailed and specific discussion of attitudes and language.
