Year 3 · Unit 9 · Lesson 1 of 5
Question Types and the Reading Method: Read with a Plan
What was Lena carrying? / Why did Lena keep checking her watch?
Both questions are about the same passage. Why does the second one need more thought?
The first answer is stated in the passage: a violin case. The second is not stated; you work it out from clues: she was afraid of being late for her concert. Knowing the question type tells you how to find the answer.
Master the essentials
Literal
The answer is stated in the passage. Find it and put it in your own words.
"Where was the concert hall?"
Inferential
The answer is not stated. Use clues to read between the lines.
"Why did Lena keep checking her watch?"
Vocabulary in context
Give a word that could replace one in the passage.
"Give another word for soaked as used in paragraph 4."
Figurative expression
Explain what a figure of speech means in plain words.
"What does 'a work of fiction' mean here?"
Evaluative
Judge the writer's purpose, tone or choices, with a reason.
"Is the ending effective? Why?"
Grammar
Give the grammatical name and function of an expression.
"whose name she would never know"
The method
Read for the overall sense · read the questions · reread and underline evidence · answer · check.
Spend about a quarter of your time reading before you write.
Marks
The marks show how much to write.
2 marks usually means two points.
Passage · written for this course
The Last Bus
1The rain had not stopped all afternoon, and by six o'clock the streets of the old town were shining like wet glass. Lena stood at the bus stop, clutching her violin case against her chest as if it were a sleeping child. The concert hall was on the other side of the river, and the concert started at seven.
2She checked her watch for the third time in a minute. The number 12 bus was supposed to come every fifteen minutes, but tonight the timetable seemed to be a work of fiction. Around her, people huddled under umbrellas, grumbling quietly or staring at their phones.
3For six months Lena had practised every evening, long after her friends had gone out to play. Her fingers had blistered and healed and blistered again. Tonight, for the first time, she would play a solo in front of a real audience, and her teacher, Mr Rossi, had warned her that the conductor did not wait for anyone.
4At twenty past six, a bus finally appeared, but it was full. The driver shook his head apologetically and drove on, spraying muddy water over the waiting crowd. Lena looked down at her soaked shoes and felt tears prick her eyes.
5Then an elderly man beside her, who had been silent all this time, touched her arm. "The bridge is only fifteen minutes on foot," he said, "if you know the short cut. I used to play the cello myself, a long time ago." He smiled, opened a large black umbrella, and held it over both of them.
6They reached the concert hall at five minutes to seven. Lena turned to thank him, but he had already disappeared into the crowd. That night, as she lifted her bow, she played as if the music were a thank-you letter to a stranger whose name she would never know.
See it done
1. "Where was the concert hall?" What type of question is this, and what is the answer?
Literal. Paragraph 1 states it: the concert hall was on the other side of the river.
2. "Why did the elderly man help Lena?" What type, and how do you answer it?
Inferential. It is not stated, but he says he "used to play the cello", so he understood how much the concert meant to her.
Common mistake: Answering an inferential question with a quotation alone. Explain what the clue shows; the quotation is only your evidence.
10 questions with instant feedback
Choose the best answer. The passage is above.
Passage · written for this course
The Last Bus
1The rain had not stopped all afternoon, and by six o'clock the streets of the old town were shining like wet glass. Lena stood at the bus stop, clutching her violin case against her chest as if it were a sleeping child. The concert hall was on the other side of the river, and the concert started at seven.
2She checked her watch for the third time in a minute. The number 12 bus was supposed to come every fifteen minutes, but tonight the timetable seemed to be a work of fiction. Around her, people huddled under umbrellas, grumbling quietly or staring at their phones.
3For six months Lena had practised every evening, long after her friends had gone out to play. Her fingers had blistered and healed and blistered again. Tonight, for the first time, she would play a solo in front of a real audience, and her teacher, Mr Rossi, had warned her that the conductor did not wait for anyone.
4At twenty past six, a bus finally appeared, but it was full. The driver shook his head apologetically and drove on, spraying muddy water over the waiting crowd. Lena looked down at her soaked shoes and felt tears prick her eyes.
5Then an elderly man beside her, who had been silent all this time, touched her arm. "The bridge is only fifteen minutes on foot," he said, "if you know the short cut. I used to play the cello myself, a long time ago." He smiled, opened a large black umbrella, and held it over both of them.
6They reached the concert hall at five minutes to seven. Lena turned to thank him, but he had already disappeared into the crowd. That night, as she lifted her bow, she played as if the music were a thank-you letter to a stranger whose name she would never know.
1.What was Lena carrying?
Not quite. Paragraph 1: "clutching her violin case". Answer: C. a violin case.
Not quite. Paragraph 1: "clutching her violin case". Answer: C. a violin case.
Correct. Paragraph 1: "clutching her violin case".
Not quite. Paragraph 1: "clutching her violin case". Answer: C. a violin case.
2.The question "What was Lena carrying?" is:
Correct. The answer is stated directly in the passage.
Not quite. The answer is stated directly in the passage. Answer: A. a literal question.
Not quite. The answer is stated directly in the passage. Answer: A. a literal question.
Not quite. The answer is stated directly in the passage. Answer: A. a literal question.
3.Why did Lena keep checking her watch?
Not quite. The bus was late and her concert started at seven. Answer: B. she was worried about being late for the concert.
Correct. The bus was late and her concert started at seven.
Not quite. The bus was late and her concert started at seven. Answer: B. she was worried about being late for the concert.
Not quite. The bus was late and her concert started at seven. Answer: B. she was worried about being late for the concert.
4.Which type of question asks you to read between the lines?
Not quite. Inferential questions ask for what is suggested, not stated. Answer: C. inferential.
Not quite. Inferential questions ask for what is suggested, not stated. Answer: C. inferential.
Correct. Inferential questions ask for what is suggested, not stated.
Not quite. Inferential questions ask for what is suggested, not stated. Answer: C. inferential.
5.What does "the timetable seemed to be a work of fiction" suggest?
Not quite. Like fiction, the timetable was "made up": the buses were not following it. Answer: B. the buses were not arriving at the times shown.
Correct. Like fiction, the timetable was "made up": the buses were not following it.
Not quite. Like fiction, the timetable was "made up": the buses were not following it. Answer: B. the buses were not arriving at the times shown.
Not quite. Like fiction, the timetable was "made up": the buses were not following it. Answer: B. the buses were not arriving at the times shown.
6.Why had Lena's fingers "blistered and healed and blistered again"?
Not quite. Paragraph 3: she practised every evening for six months. Answer: D. she had practised hard for months.
Not quite. Paragraph 3: she practised every evening for six months. Answer: D. she had practised hard for months.
Not quite. Paragraph 3: she practised every evening for six months. Answer: D. she had practised hard for months.
Correct. Paragraph 3: she practised every evening for six months.
7.What can we infer about the elderly man from "I used to play the cello myself"?
Correct. As a former musician, he knew what a performance means.
Not quite. As a former musician, he knew what a performance means. Answer: A. he understood how much the concert meant to her.
Not quite. As a former musician, he knew what a performance means. Answer: A. he understood how much the concert meant to her.
Not quite. As a former musician, he knew what a performance means. Answer: A. he understood how much the concert meant to her.
8.Which question is evaluative?
Not quite. It asks you to judge the writer's choice and give a reason. Answer: C. "Do you think the writer chose a good ending? Why?".
Not quite. It asks you to judge the writer's choice and give a reason. Answer: C. "Do you think the writer chose a good ending? Why?".
Correct. It asks you to judge the writer's choice and give a reason.
Not quite. It asks you to judge the writer's choice and give a reason. Answer: C. "Do you think the writer chose a good ending? Why?".
9.A question worth 2 marks usually needs:
Not quite. Marks usually match the number of points. Answer: B. two clear points.
Correct. Marks usually match the number of points.
Not quite. Marks usually match the number of points. Answer: B. two clear points.
Not quite. Marks usually match the number of points. Answer: B. two clear points.
10.What is the best first step before answering comprehension questions?
Not quite. Understanding the whole passage first makes every answer easier. Answer: D. read the whole passage for the overall meaning.
Not quite. Understanding the whole passage first makes every answer easier. Answer: D. read the whole passage for the overall meaning.
Not quite. Understanding the whole passage first makes every answer easier. Answer: D. read the whole passage for the overall meaning.
Correct. Understanding the whole passage first makes every answer easier.
Name the type, then answer
For each question, write its type and then answer it in a complete sentence. Then compare with the models below.
(a) Where was the concert hall?
(b) Why did the elderly man help Lena?
(c) Do you think the ending is effective? Give a reason.
Model answers.
(a) Literal: The concert hall was on the other side of the river.
(b) Inferential: He had once been a musician himself, so he understood how important the concert was to her.
(c) Evaluative: Yes, because the stranger's disappearance leaves a sense of mystery and shows that Lena's performance became her way of thanking him.
Next: the Lesson 1 exit quiz. Five questions, recorded on your dashboard. Aim for 4 out of 5.