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GCSE English Language · GCSEChapter 1 · Reading fiction: retrieval and language
GCSE · Chapter 1

Reading fiction: retrieval and language

By the end of this chapter you will be able to

  • I can read a fiction extract twice, with a different aim each time.
  • I can find and copy the right details, and say whether a statement is true or false using evidence.
  • I can name the language feature in a quotation: simile, personification, verb or adjective choice, sensory language.
  • I can explain what a single word suggests in its context.
  • I can write a point, evidence and effect paragraph about how language works.

You should already know

  • Identifying similes and personification at KS3
  • Word classes: noun, verb, adjective, adverb
  • Quoting from a text

Where this leads

  • Structure and evaluation of fiction (Chapter 2)
  • Reading non-fiction (Chapter 3)

GCSE English Language. Content follows the GCSE (9-1) subject content for England (Edexcel and AQA). Content references: Read a fiction extract for meaning on a first reading and check details on a second reading (AO1), Retrieve and select information from a text, and give it accurately (AO1), Identify language features: word and phrase choice, verb and adjective choice, simile, metaphor, personification, sensory words (AO2), Explain the effect of a word or phrase on the reader, zooming in on single words (AO2), Write a point, evidence and effect paragraph about language (AO2).

Exercise P  Do you remember?

1
FWhat is a simile? Write the answer in one short phrase.
2
FWhat is a metaphor? Write the answer in one short phrase.
3
FWhich word class describes a noun? Write one word.
4
FWhich punctuation mark ends a question? Write the mark only.
5
FWrite a sentence that uses a verb. Give the verb in your sentence as one word.
1.1

Reading a fiction extract twice

GCSE
Read a fiction extract for meaning on a first reading, then check details on a second reading (AO1)
Video lesson: Reading a fiction extract twiceComing soon
Context. In the exam you have a short fiction extract and the questions. You do not need to understand every word on the first read. Read Text A once to get the overall sense, then read it again with a pen and find the evidence for each answer.

Text A: The lighthouse gate (original fiction extract, seven paragraphs)

1The wind had dropped in the night, but the sea had not forgotten it. Maya stood at the top of the cliff path and watched the waves slam against the rocks below. They were grey and restless, like a crowd that had been shouted at and was not finished shouting back.

2Her grandfather's coat was too big for her. It smelled of pipe smoke and wet wool, and the sleeves came down past her fingers. She pushed them up for the third time and began to walk.

3The path was narrow. Gorse bushes scratched at her ankles, and somewhere a gull complained in a voice like a rusty gate. Maya did not look back. If she looked back she would see the cottage with its curtains still drawn, and she would have to explain to herself again why she had left before breakfast.

4The lighthouse stood on the point, its white paint peeling in long strips like old wallpaper. Nobody had kept a light there for thirty years. Grandad had told her that the lamp had been taken out and sold, and that the keeper's wife had planted a garden of sea holly that had run wild, purple and spiky, over the grass.

5She reached the gate and stopped. The latch was cold and slippery with salt. Inside, the sea holly swayed, as if somebody had just passed through it.

6"Hello?" she said. Her voice came out smaller than she wanted, and the wind took it away before it could reach anyone.

7Nothing answered. But on the wooden bench beside the door, folded neatly, was a pair of yellow gloves. Beneath them was a note in her grandfather's careful capitals: THE TIDE IS TURNING. COME HOME BY ELEVEN.

Key ideas

  • The first reading gets the sense of the whole extract: who, where, what and how it feels.
  • The second reading finds the detail for each question and the words the question asks for.
  • Do not spend long on one hard word on the first reading. The context often explains it.
Worked example 1.1.1
Which is the best aim for the first reading of Text A?

Method. Think about what you need before you answer any question.

  1. Think about the first reading. You must understand the extract before you answer questions on it.
  2. Choose the best aim. Knowing who, where and how it feels helps you answer every question later.
    overall sense
  3. Write the answer.
    get the overall sense of the extract

Check. The first reading gives the context for the questions. ✓

Watch out. Do not try to memorise every word on the first reading.

Worked example 1.1.2
Which is a good use of the second reading? Choose one: find evidence for each answer, write your answers in full sentences or decide the title of the story.

Method. Test each choice against the text.

  1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
  2. Test the choice. A second reading lets you search for the exact words the question needs.
    find evidence for each answer fits
  3. Reject the other choices. Writing full sentences belongs to the answering step, and a title is not needed for these questions.
    write your answers in full sentences and decide the title of the story do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    find evidence for each answer

Check. The choice fits the text. ✓

Worked example 1.1.3
Text A has seven paragraphs. Which paragraph shows Maya at the gate for the first time? Give the number.

Method. Count the paragraphs, then find the one that shows the gate.

  1. Count the paragraphs. The box numbers each paragraph, starting at 1.
    paragraphs 1 to 7
  2. Find the gate. Paragraph 5 says "She reached the gate and stopped."
    She reached the gate and stopped.
  3. Give the number. The gate is in paragraph 5.
    5
  4. Write the answer.
    5

Check. Paragraph 5 is the one with the gate. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: reading the questions first can help you find the evidence faster, but do not answer before you have read the whole extract once.

Exam tip

Exam tip. Use the line numbers or paragraph numbers in the question to go straight to the place in the text.

Exercise 1A  Practice: reading twice

1
FWhich is the best aim for your first reading? Write the words of the best answer: get the overall sense, memorise every adjective, or count the sentences.
2
FWhich is the best aim for your second reading? Write the words of the best answer: find evidence for each answer, decide a title, or guess the ending.
3
FHow many paragraphs are in Text A? Write the number.
4
FWhich paragraph is the first to mention the sea? Write the number.
5
FIn which paragraph does Maya speak? Write the number.
6
FWhich paragraph describes the note? Write the number.
7
RGive one reason why you should read Text A a second time. Write one sentence.
8
FTrue or false: you should answer every question before you read the text once. Write true or false.
9
FWhich word describes the words from a question that you search for in the text? Write one word: key, final or first.
10
PSExplain in one sentence why a quick first reading is useful even though you will read again.
11
PSParagraph 3 is about the path. Which word in paragraph 3 describes the path? Write one word.
12
RExplain why a question about "the words the writer uses" needs the second reading, not the first. Write one sentence.
1.2

Retrieval: list and select information (AO1)

GCSE
Retrieve and select information from a text, and give it accurately (AO1)
Video lesson: Retrieval: list and select information (AO1)Coming soon
Context. Question 1 asks you to list things from the extract. You must find the right details and give them clearly. Copy the exact words when the question asks for them, and say true or false only when the text supports it.

Key ideas

  • Question 1 is a list question. Give the number of items asked for, and no more.
  • Quote the exact words when you are asked to copy.
  • For a true or false statement, the evidence decides the answer.
Worked example 1.2.1
True or false: Maya is wearing a coat that fits her well. Write true or false.

Method. Find the detail about the coat, then decide.

  1. Find the detail. The text describes the coat as too big.
    Her grandfather's coat was too big for her.
  2. Compare with the statement. A coat that is too big does not fit well.
    does not fit well
  3. Decide. The statement is not true.
    false
  4. Write the answer.
    false

Check. The evidence says the coat is too big. ✓

Worked example 1.2.2
Copy the words that show the lighthouse has been empty for a long time.

Method. Find the sentence that gives the time.

  1. Find the time. The text gives a length of time: thirty years.
    thirty years
  2. Copy the sentence exactly. Copy the whole phrase so the words match the text.
    Nobody had kept a light there for thirty years
  3. Write the answer.
    Nobody had kept a light there for thirty years

Check. The copied words match the text. ✓

Worked example 1.2.3
Give two things Maya does at the gate. Use the words of the text.

Method. Find what she does at the gate.

  1. Find the actions. At the gate she stops, and she calls out.
    She reached the gate and stopped.
  2. Give two actions. She stops, and she says hello.
    "Hello?" she said.
  3. Write the answer.
    stopped; said Hello

Check. Two actions from the gate scene. ✓

Exercise 1B  Practice: listing and selecting

1
FCopy the two adjectives that describe the colour and mood of the waves.
2
FCopy the phrase that shows the coat is too large for Maya.
3
FTrue or false: the lighthouse still has a working lamp. Write true or false.
4
FTrue or false: Maya is wearing a coat that belongs to her grandfather. Write true or false.
5
FGive the number of the paragraph where Maya reaches the gate. Write the number.
6
FName the animal that complains in paragraph 3. Write one word.
7
FCopy the words that describe the lighthouse paint.
8
PSGive four things Maya notices or does on the way to the lighthouse, from paragraphs 2 to 5. Write four short answers.
9
PSWhat time does the note tell Maya to return home? Write the word.
10
PSGive two things that Maya can see by the gate. Write two short answers.
11
RTrue or false: Maya is certain that somebody is at the lighthouse. Write true or false.
12
FGive the word from paragraph 2 that tells you the coat smelled of something. Write the word.
1.3

Identifying language features

GCSE
Identify language features: simile, personification, sensory words, verb and adjective choice (AO2)
Video lesson: Identifying language featuresComing soon
Context. Question 2 asks how the writer uses language. First you must name the feature, then explain its effect. This section practises naming. The most common features are simile, personification, sensory words, and verb and adjective choice.

Key ideas

  • A simile compares two things using like or as.
  • Personification gives human feelings or actions to something that is not human.
  • Sensory words appeal to the senses: sight, sound, smell, touch and taste.
  • Verb and adjective choice matter: a precise word gives a precise picture.
Worked example 1.3.1
What technique is used in "like a crowd that had been shouted at"? Write one word.

Method. Look for the signal word that compares two things.

  1. Find the signal. The phrase uses like to compare the waves to a crowd.
    like a crowd
  2. Name the technique. A comparison with like is a simile.
    simile
  3. Write the answer.
    simile

Check. The comparison uses like. ✓

Worked example 1.3.2
What technique is used in "the sea had not forgotten it"? Write one word.

Method. Ask whether the sea is given a human ability.

  1. Find the feature. The sea is said to forget, which only a person can do.
    the sea had not forgotten it
  2. Name the technique. Giving a non-human thing a human action is personification.
    personification
  3. Write the answer.
    personification

Check. The sea is given a human ability. ✓

Worked example 1.3.3
Identify the sense that "smelled of pipe smoke and wet wool" appeals to. Write one word.

Method. Find the words that appeal to a sense.

  1. Find the sense words. Smelled, smoke and wool are about what you can smell.
    smelled of pipe smoke and wet wool
  2. Name the sense. Words about smells appeal to the sense of smell.
    smell
  3. Write the answer.
    smell

Check. The words are about smell. ✓

Exercise 1C  Practice: naming language features

1
FWhat technique is used in "a voice like a rusty gate"? Write one word.
2
FWhat technique is used in "the sea had not forgotten it"? Write one word.
3
FWhat word class is "slam" in "the waves slam against the rocks"? Write one word.
4
FWhat word class is "grey" in "They were grey and restless"? Write one word.
5
FWhich sense do the words "a crowd that had been shouted at" mostly appeal to? Write one word.
6
FWhat word class is "pushed" in "She pushed them up for the third time"? Write one word.
7
FIdentify the adjective in "a pair of yellow gloves". Write one word.
8
FHow many similes are in paragraph 3? Write the number.
9
FWhich sense does "the latch was cold and slippery with salt" mainly appeal to? Write one word.
10
RIs "the wind took it away before it could reach anyone" a metaphor? Write yes or no.
11
PSFind a sensory word about sight in paragraph 4 and write it. Write one word.
12
RThe sea holly moves "as if somebody had just passed through it". Which technique is this comparison? Write one word.
13
RExplain why a simile is different from a metaphor. Write one sentence.
1.4

Connotation and zooming in on one word

GCSE
Explain the effect of a single word on the reader, using its connotations (AO2)
Video lesson: Connotation and zooming in on one wordComing soon
Context. Good language answers zoom in on one word. A connotation is the feeling or idea a word brings with it, beyond its dictionary meaning. Ask: what does this word suggest, and what effect does it have on the reader?

Key ideas

  • A connotation is the feeling or idea a word suggests.
  • Zoom in: pick one word, say what it suggests, and link it to the mood or character.
  • Use your own words to explain what the word suggests.
Worked example 1.4.1
What does the word "slam" suggest about the waves? Give one idea in your own words.

Method. Think about how waves hit rocks and what slam means.

  1. Think about the word. Slam is a loud, forceful action.
    slam
  2. Link to the sea. Waves that slam against rocks seem to hit with great force.
    slam against the rocks below
  3. Give the idea. The word suggests force and violence in the sea.
    force and violence
  4. Write the answer.
    force and violence

Check. Slam suggests force. ✓

Worked example 1.4.2
What does the word "peeling" suggest about the lighthouse? Give one idea.

Method. Think about what happens to old paint.

  1. Think about the paint. Peeling paint flakes off when it is old and not cared for.
    peeling
  2. Link to the lighthouse. The lighthouse has not been kept up.
    Nobody had kept a light there for thirty years
  3. Give the idea. The word suggests neglect and decay.
    neglect and decay
  4. Write the answer.
    neglect and decay

Check. Peeling and thirty years both suggest neglect. ✓

Worked example 1.4.3
What does the word "careful" suggest about the note's capitals? Give one idea.

Method. Think about what the word means for handwriting.

  1. Find the word. The capitals are described as careful.
    careful capitals
  2. Think about its meaning. Careful work is neat and precise.
    neat and precise
  3. Give the idea. The writer is neat and precise, which suggests the note matters.
    neatness and great care
  4. Write the answer.
    neatness and great care

Check. Careful means neat and precise. ✓

Exercise 1D  Practice: connotations

1
FWhat does "complained" suggest about the gull in "a gull complained in a voice like a rusty gate"? Answer in your own words.
2
FWhat does "run wild" suggest about the sea holly in "a garden of sea holly that had run wild"? Answer in your own words.
3
FWhat does "spiky" suggest about the sea holly in "purple and spiky"? Answer in your own words.
4
PSWhat does "cold and slippery" suggest about the latch? Answer in your own words.
5
PSWhat does "restless" suggest about the sea in "grey and restless"? Answer in your own words.
6
PSWhat does "smaller" suggest about Maya's voice in "Her voice came out smaller than she wanted"? Answer in your own words.
7
FWhat does "careful" suggest about the grandfather's capitals? Answer in your own words.
8
RWhich word in "the latch was cold and slippery with salt" best suggests that the gate is unwelcoming? Write the word.
9
RWhat does "the sea had not forgotten it" suggest about the storm? Answer in your own words.
10
RChoose one word from paragraph 5 and explain what it suggests about the gate. Write the word and one idea.
11
PSWhich word in paragraph 1 suggests a crowd of people is angry? Write the word.
1.5

Writing about language: point, evidence and effect

GCSE
Write a point, evidence and effect paragraph about how language works (AO2)
Video lesson: Writing about language: point, evidence and effectComing soon
Context. For Question 2 you write a short paragraph about language. Each point needs three parts: a point about the feature, a quotation as evidence, and the effect on the reader. Name the feature, quote exactly, and explain the effect.

Key ideas

  • Point: say what the writer does.
  • Evidence: quote a short exact phrase.
  • Effect: explain what the reader feels or understands, and how the language does it.
Worked example 1.5.1
Name the three parts of a point, evidence and effect paragraph. Write the three words.

Method. Think about the order of the parts.

  1. Start with the point. You say what the writer does first.
    point
  2. Add the evidence. Then you quote a short exact phrase.
    evidence
  3. End with the effect. Last, you explain the effect on the reader.
    effect
  4. Write the answer.
    point, evidence, effect

Check. The three parts appear in this order. ✓

Worked example 1.5.2
Which is the best effect sentence about "grey and restless"? Choose one: It is nice., The adjectives make the sea seem uneasy and never still, which warns the reader of trouble. or The sea is blue..

Method. Test each choice against the text.

  1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
  2. Test the choice. It explains the effect on the reader with a reason.
    The adjectives make the sea seem uneasy and never still, which warns the reader of trouble. fits
  3. Reject the other choices. It is nice and the sea is blue do not explain an effect at all.
    It is nice. and The sea is blue. do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    The adjectives make the sea seem uneasy and never still, which warns the reader of trouble.

Check. The choice fits the text. ✓

Worked example 1.5.3
Write the evidence part for the point "the writer makes the lighthouse seem neglected". Quote one phrase.

Method. Choose a short exact phrase that supports the point.

  1. Choose the evidence. Sea holly that has run wild shows neglect.
    that had run wild, purple and spiky
  2. Quote it exactly. Write the phrase with the exact words.
    purple and spiky
  3. Write the answer.
    purple and spiky

Check. The phrase is exact and supports the point. ✓

Exercise 1E  Practice: point, evidence, effect

1
FWhich part of a paragraph says what the writer does? Write one word.
2
FWhich part of a paragraph gives a short exact quotation? Write one word.
3
FWhich part of a paragraph explains what the language does to the reader? Write one word.
4
FWrite one point sentence about how the writer uses the sea at the start of Text A.
5
PSWhich is the better evidence for "the writer makes the sea seem alive"? Write the phrase.
6
PSWrite the effect sentence that follows the evidence "grey and restless". Write one sentence.
7
FPut these in the right order for a PEE paragraph: effect, point, evidence. Write the first word of the correct order.
8
RExplain how the word "cold" in "the latch was cold" affects the reader. Write one sentence.
9
PSWrite a point and evidence for the idea that Maya is nervous. Quote one exact phrase.
10
RWhich part is the evidence: "grey and restless", or "this makes the reader feel uneasy"? Write the evidence.
11
RExplain why a paragraph that has only a quotation, with no effect, earns fewer marks. Write one sentence.
12
PSWrite one sentence that uses the point, evidence and effect parts in order, about "like old wallpaper".
13
RWhich phrase is the effect and not the evidence? Write the phrase: "the sea had not forgotten it" or "it makes the reader feel uneasy".

Chapter summary

SkillMethod
Read a fiction extract twiceFirst reading: the overall sense. Second reading: find the evidence for each answer
Retrieve and select (Question 1)Find the detail, copy exact words when asked, and give the number of items asked for
Identify language featuresName the feature: simile (like or as), personification, sensory words, verb or adjective choice
Zoom in on a wordPick one word, say what it suggests (connotation), and link it to the mood or character
Point, evidence, effectSay what the writer does, quote an exact phrase, then explain the effect on the reader

Can you…?

  • I can read a fiction extract twice, with a different aim each time
  • I can copy exact words and say whether a statement is true or false with evidence
  • I can name a simile, a personification, a sensory word and an adjective or verb choice
  • I can say what a single word suggests, using its connotation
  • I can write a point, evidence and effect paragraph

Key terms

simile
a comparison using like or as
metaphor
a comparison that says one thing is another
personification
giving a human quality or action to something that is not human
sensory language
words that appeal to the senses: sight, sound, smell, touch and taste
connotation
the feeling or idea a word suggests, beyond its dictionary meaning
point, evidence, effect
the three parts of a paragraph about language
retrieval
finding and giving the details in a text, accurately

Exercise 1Z  Check-up

1
Which is the best aim for your first reading of a fiction extract? Write the words of the best answer: get the overall sense, memorise every word, or count the adjectives.
2
Copy the words that show the coat was too large for Maya.
3
Give the number of the paragraph where Maya speaks. Write the number.
4
What technique is used in "a voice like a rusty gate"? Write one word.
5
What technique is used in "the sea had not forgotten it"? Write one word.
6
What word class is "grey" in "grey and restless"? Write one word.
7
Which sense does "smelled of pipe smoke and wet wool" mainly appeal to? Write one word.
8
True or false: the lighthouse still has a working lamp. Write true or false.
9
What does "slam" suggest about the waves? Answer in your own words.
10
Write a point, evidence and effect sentence about "cold and slippery with salt". Quote exactly from the text.

Total 27 marks. Allow about 27 minutes.

Exercise 1X  Exam-style questions

1
FIn the phrase "a gull complained in a voice like a rusty gate", what technique is used? Write one word.[1 mark]
2
FIn the sentence "They were grey and restless, like a crowd that had been shouted at", copy the two adjectives that describe the waves.[1 mark]
3
FText: "Maya did not look back. If she looked back she would see the cottage with its curtains still drawn." Find one quotation from the text that shows Maya does not want to look back. Quote the exact words.[2 marks]
4
RExplain what the phrase "as if somebody had just passed through it" suggests about the sea holly. Use your own words. Text: "Inside, the sea holly swayed, as if somebody had just passed through it."[2 marks]
5
RIn the phrase "its white paint peeling in long strips like old wallpaper", explain the effect of the simile "like old wallpaper". Use your own words.[3 marks]
6
RExplain how the writer uses language to show that the gate is unwelcoming. Use one quotation from this text: "The latch was cold and slippery with salt".[3 marks]
7
RHow does the writer use language to show Maya's feelings as she reaches the gate? Use two quotations from this text: "She reached the gate and stopped." and "Her voice came out smaller than she wanted".[4 marks]
8
RWrite a point, evidence and effect paragraph (three to four sentences) about how the writer uses the sea at the start to set a mood. Use the phrase "the sea had not forgotten it" as your evidence.[5 marks]
9
RHow does the writer use language to show the lighthouse has been neglected? Use two quotations: "Nobody had kept a light there for thirty years" and "purple and spiky".[5 marks]
10
FText: "Nobody had kept a light there for thirty years." In which paragraph of the text does this sentence appear? Write the number.[1 mark]
Chapter 2: Reading fiction: structure and evaluation →

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