A Level English Language: Reading and Analysis — Practice Questions

These are original questions written for Marlbridge, in the style and at the standard of the examination. They are not reproduced past-paper questions — examination boards hold copyright in their own papers. Use these alongside the official past papers available free from your board.

Related: Reading and Analysis revision notes

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Section A

1. Define the following levels of language analysis: lexis, semantics, grammar, phonology, pragmatics. [5]

2. Explain what is meant by register and name the three variables that determine it. [4]

Section B

3. Analyse the following opening of a charity appeal: “Every eleven seconds, a child somewhere loses their sight to a disease we can cure for the price of a coffee.”

(a) Comment on the lexical choices. [4] (b) Comment on the syntax and the effect of the fronted adverbial. [3] (c) Comment on the pragmatic effect on the reader. [3]

4. Explain the difference between denotation and connotation, and analyse the connotations of “home”, “house” and “residence”. [5]

5. Explain three grammatical features that mark a text as formal, giving an example of each. [6]

6. Explain how the following contribute to the coherence of a text: anaphoric reference, lexical field, discourse markers. [6]

Section C

7. A transcript shows a speaker saying: “So, er, the thing is — right — we need to, um, we need to think about this differently.”

(a) Identify three spoken language features present. [3] (b) Explain why these should not be analysed as errors. [2]

8. Explain what a directed writing task requires that a summary does not, and state two things a strong commentary on your own directed writing must do. [4]

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Answers

1. Lexis — the vocabulary of a text: which words are chosen [1]. Semantics — the meanings words carry and how meaning is constructed [1]. Grammar — the structure of words and sentences, including morphology and syntax [1]. Phonology — the sound patterns, such as alliteration, assonance and rhythm [1]. Pragmatics — how meaning depends on context and on what is implied rather than stated [1].

2. Register is the variety of language appropriate to a particular situation [1]. It is determined by field — the subject matter [1]; tenor — the relationship between the participants [1]; and mode — whether the text is spoken, written or somewhere between [1].

3. (a) “Child” carries connotations of innocence and dependence, making the reader feel a protective obligation [1]. “Loses” frames blindness as something taken away rather than absent from birth, which is more affecting [1]. “Cure” is absolute and certain, promising a definite outcome rather than a vague improvement [1]. “The price of a coffee” uses deliberately mundane, everyday lexis, shrinking the perceived cost and implying that not giving is a trivial choice the reader is actively making [1]. (b) The fronted adverbial “Every eleven seconds” places the statistic in the position of greatest emphasis, before the reader knows what it refers to [1], creating a brief suspense and setting up an urgent, ticking rhythm [1]. The single-sentence paragraph isolates the claim so it cannot be skimmed past [1]. (c) The reader infers, without being told, that inaction has a cost measured in children’s sight [1]. The juxtaposition of a child’s blindness with a coffee creates an implied accusation the reader must resolve [1], and the inclusive “we can cure” positions the reader as already part of the solution, making refusal feel like withdrawal rather than neutrality [1].

4. Denotation is a word’s literal dictionary meaning [1]; connotation is the set of associations and emotional overtones it carries beyond that [1]. All three words denote a dwelling [1]. “Home” connotes warmth, belonging and family [1]. “House” is neutral and physical — a building [1]. “Residence” is formal, distancing and often legal or bureaucratic, suggesting status or officialdom.

5. Any three, 2 marks each: the passive voice, which removes the agent and creates impersonality — “it was decided that” rather than “we decided” [1] [1]; nominalisation, turning processes into nouns — “the implementation of the policy” rather than “we implemented the policy” — which makes the text denser and more abstract [1] [1]; the absence of contractions and of elision — “do not” rather than “don’t” [1] [1]; complex subordination and longer noun phrases rather than short coordinated clauses [1] [1]; third person rather than first or second person address [1] [1].

6. Anaphoric reference — pronouns and determiners that point back to something already mentioned (“the minister… she…”), which binds sentences together and avoids repetition [1] [1]. Lexical field — a group of words from the same semantic area running through the text (“court”, “verdict”, “counsel”), which signals the subject consistently and lets the reader predict what follows [1] [1]. Discourse markers — words such as “however”, “furthermore”, “in conclusion”, which signal the logical relationship between one part of the text and the next, guiding the reader through the argument [1] [1].

7. (a) Any three: fillers (“er”, “um”) [1]; a discourse marker used to open and manage the turn (“so”, “right”) [1]; repetition/false start (“we need to, um, we need to”) [1]. (b) These are normal features of unplanned, spontaneous speech, not mistakes [1]; each achieves something functional — a filler buys planning time, a repeated false start allows the speaker to reformulate mid-sentence, and “right” can hold the floor or signal a shift in the point being made [1].

8. A directed writing task requires the candidate to transform a text for a new audience, purpose and form — selecting and rephrasing relevant material — rather than simply summarising its content [2]. A strong commentary must analyse the writer’s own choices using the language frameworks (not just describe what was written) [1], and must explain why each choice suits the specified audience and purpose, since a commentary that only describes what was written scores in the lower bands [1].

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Where marks are usually lost

• Naming a technique without analysing its effect on meaning.
• Confusing semantics with pragmatics.
• Describing formality through vocabulary alone, ignoring grammar.
• Treating connotation as personal opinion rather than shared association.