English Language Comprehension Flashcards
6 cards from real GCSE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 English Language Comprehension flashcards as text
In the sentence 'The crimson sunset bled across the horizon', what literary technique is being used?
Answer: Metaphor
This is a metaphor because it describes the sunset as 'bleeding' without using 'like' or 'as'. The sunset is compared directly to blood spreading, creating a vivid and dramatic image.
What is the purpose of using short sentences in a piece of persuasive writing?
Answer: To create emphasis and impact
Short sentences create emphasis and impact in persuasive writing. They stand out against longer sentences, drawing the reader's attention to a key point and making the argument feel more forceful and direct.
Which of the following is an example of emotive language?
Answer: Innocent children are suffering needlessly.
'Innocent children are suffering needlessly' uses emotive language — words like 'innocent', 'suffering', and 'needlessly' are chosen to provoke an emotional response from the reader, making them feel sympathy or outrage.
What does the term 'tone' refer to in a piece of writing?
Answer: The writer's attitude or feeling conveyed through word choice
Tone refers to the writer's attitude or feeling conveyed through their word choices, sentence structures, and literary devices. It might be sarcastic, formal, angry, hopeful, or melancholic, for example.
In AQA GCSE English Language Paper 1, Question 2, what skill is primarily being assessed?
Answer: Analysing the effects of language
Paper 1 Question 2 asks students to analyse how the writer uses language to achieve effects. Students must select specific words and phrases and explain what they suggest or imply, using subject terminology where appropriate.
What is the effect of the writer using a rhetorical question in a newspaper article?
Answer: It engages the reader and encourages them to consider the writer's viewpoint
Rhetorical questions engage the reader by inviting them to think about an issue. Because the expected answer is implied, the reader is steered towards agreeing with the writer's position without being directly told what to think.