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KS3 English · Year 8Chapter 5 · Reading non-fiction: reliability, rhetoric and synthesis
Year 8 · Chapter 5

Reading non-fiction: reliability, rhetoric and synthesis

By the end of this chapter you will be able to

  • Say what a source is for, who wrote it, and whether that affects its reliability
  • Name the appeals and devices in a speech, and explain their effect on an audience
  • Tell an unsupported claim from a supported one, and say what evidence is missing
  • Compare how two sources use the same figure
  • Write one summary that combines the main ideas of several sources

You should already know

  • Fact, opinion and bias in a text (Year 7, Chapter 5 of this book)
  • Summarising the main points of a text (Year 7, Chapter 5 of this book)

Where this leads

  • Comparing texts: themes, perspectives and methods (Chapter 6 of this book)
  • Writing to argue and evaluate: sustained argument (Chapter 11 of this book)

National Curriculum for England, Key Stage 3 English, Year 8. Content: Read non-fiction, including a news report, a speech and a letter (KS3 reading, R1), Judge the reliability of a source, using its purpose, author and evidence (KS3 reading, R4), Identify rhetorical devices and appeals (ethos, pathos, logos), and explain their effect (KS3 reading, R4), Spot bias and selective use of evidence, and judge whether a claim is supported (KS3 reading, R4 and R7), Summarise and synthesise the main ideas of several texts, and use evidence from each accurately (KS3 reading, R6 and R7).

Exercise P  Do you remember?

1
FWrite the word for a statement that can be proved true or false. Write one word.
2
FWrite the word for a statement of what someone thinks or feels. Write one word.
3
FWrite the word for a short piece of writing that gives the main points of a longer text. Write one word.
4
FWrite the word for a sentence that asks a question for effect, and does not expect an answer. Write one word.
5
FWrite the word for the emotional word choice that makes a reader feel strongly. Write one word.
5.1

Reliability: purpose, author and evidence

Year 8
Judge the reliability of a source, using its purpose, author and evidence (KS3 reading, R4)
Video lesson: Reliability: purpose, author and evidenceComing soon
Story. A town's library is to close. Three people write about it, for different reasons: a news report, a speech and a letter. An invented scenario lets the reader focus on how the sources are written, not on what they think of the real town.

Source A: a news report (invented)

1Library to close in spring, council confirms

2The council has confirmed that Millbrook library will close on 31 March. The decision is expected to save £120,000 a year, which the council says is needed to balance its budget. Officials say that visits to the library have fallen by 18 per cent over the past three years, and that fewer than one in ten residents now uses the building regularly.

3A council spokesperson said that the decision had not been taken lightly. 'We know the library matters to many people,' she said, 'but we have to spend money where it reaches the most residents.'

4The council also says that a community hub may open in the old school building on Mill Road. No date has been set, and the hub's services have not been decided. Residents will have a six-week consultation period before any final decision.

5A residents' group has asked for the library to stay open while the consultation takes place. Its chair said the figures did not show how many people rely on the building for study, computers and warm space in winter.

Key ideas

  • A news report aims to inform. It should give the facts, the sources of evidence and a balance of views.
  • A speech aims to persuade a particular audience. Its evidence is chosen to support the speaker's view.
  • A letter to the editor gives one person's opinion. It is useful evidence of a view, but not of the facts.
  • Reliability depends on purpose, author and evidence: check who wrote the text, why, and whether the claims can be checked.
Worked example 5.1.1
What is the main purpose of Source A?

Method. Look at what the text does, not what it is about.

  1. Read the opening. The report starts with the decision to close.
    will close on 31 March
  2. Find the balance. It gives the council's view and a residents' view.
    residents' group
  3. Name the purpose. The purpose is to inform readers of the decision.
    to inform readers of a decision
  4. Write the answer.
    to inform readers of a decision

Check. The purpose is named from the report. ✓

Worked example 5.1.2
Which is the most reliable check for a figure in a source? Choose one: find out where the figure comes from, read it once quickly or decide whether you like the writer.

Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.

  1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
  2. Test the choice. A reliable figure has a known source, so checking the source is the best way to judge it.
    find out where the figure comes from fits
  3. Reject the other choices. Reading quickly and liking the writer do not show whether a figure is accurate.
    read it once quickly and decide whether you like the writer do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    find out where the figure comes from

Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓

Worked example 5.1.3
Why might Source C be less reliable than Source A?

Method. Compare the purpose and the balance of the two sources.

  1. Look at the purpose. Source C is a letter with a strong opinion.
    I am shocked
  2. Look at the balance. It presents only one side.
    one side
  3. Judge. A single opinion with no balance is less reliable.
    it gives one person's opinion and no balance
  4. Write the answer.
    it gives one person's opinion and no balance

Check. The judgement is supported. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: reliability is not the same as agreeing. A reliable source can say something you disagree with, and a biased source can still be useful evidence of a view.

Exam tip

Exam tip. State the purpose and audience, then name the evidence, then judge whether it is enough.

Exercise 5A  Practice: reliability, purpose and evidence

1
FCopy the phrase that gives the amount the council expects to save.
2
FCopy the phrase that gives the fall in visits.
3
FWhat is the main purpose of Source B? Choose one: to persuade people to keep the library open, to explain the council's budget, to sell books or to review a film.
4
FWhat is the main purpose of Source C? Choose one: to give one resident's opinion, to report the council's decision, to advertise a new hub or to summarise a library survey.
5
PSIs the figure "fewer than one in ten residents now uses the building regularly" well supported in Source A? Give one reason.
6
FWhich source gives the council's own explanation for the closure? Choose one: Source A, Source B, Source C or none of them.
7
PSWhy is Source A more balanced than Source C? Give one reason.
8
PSWhich phrase in Source A shows that the council has not made its final decision? Choose one: Residents will have a six-week consultation period, The library will close on 31 March., The council has confirmed the closure. or Visits have fallen by 18 per cent..
9
FWrite the number of weeks in the consultation period in Source A.
10
RWhich is the best reason to check a figure before trusting it? Choose one: the figure may be used to persuade, not to inform, the figure is always wrong, the figure is always right or every figure must be a percentage.
11
RExplain one reason the author of Source C might be less reliable as a witness to the library's use.
12
FCopy the phrase that says the figures do not show how many people rely on the building.
13
PSWhich source is most likely to include a full list of council figures? Choose one: Source A, Source B, Source C or a letter from a child.
14
RExplain why a reader should check the purpose of a source before judging its facts.
15
PSWhich is a fact, rather than an opinion, in Source A? Choose one: The council expects to save £120,000 a year., The library matters to many people., The decision was not taken lightly. or The hub will be better..
16
RChallenge: explain how you would check whether the figure of 18 per cent is reliable.
5.2

Rhetoric: ethos, pathos and logos

Year 8
Identify rhetorical devices and appeals (ethos, pathos, logos), and explain their effect (KS3 reading, R4)
Video lesson: Rhetoric: ethos, pathos and logosComing soon
Story. A speaker at a public meeting uses several techniques to persuade the audience. Rhetoric is the art of persuasion. The three main appeals are ethos (credibility and character), pathos (emotion) and logos (logic and evidence).

Source B: a speech at a public meeting (invented)

1Friends, I want you to picture a Saturday morning in Millbrook. A child is sitting at a table in the library, reading a book about dinosaurs for the first time. An older man is using the computer to write to his son in another country. A student is revising for exams with nowhere else quiet to go. Ask yourselves: where will these people go if the doors close?

2The council tells us the library is too expensive. I say the library is the cheapest thing this town has. Who among us would close a school because it costs money? Who would shut a hospital ward because the numbers are hard? We would not, and we should not.

3Some will say that fewer people visit. Well, I ask you: what happens when a service is starved of money, its hours are cut, and its books are old? People stop coming. That is not a failing of the library; it is a failing of the decisions made about it.

4We have a choice. We can keep our library open, and we can make it the heart of this town again. Or we can watch it go, and wonder, later, why nobody spoke up. I know which choice Millbrook deserves. Thank you.

Key ideas

  • Ethos is an appeal to the speaker's character, credibility or shared values.
  • Pathos is an appeal to the audience's emotions, such as pity, pride or fear.
  • Logos is an appeal to logic and evidence, such as reasons, facts and clear cause and effect.
  • Rhetorical devices include the rule of three, rhetorical questions, emotive words and direct address (Friends, ...).
Worked example 5.2.1
Name the appeal in "A child is sitting at a table in the library", and explain its effect.

Method. Name the appeal, then say what it makes the audience feel.

  1. Name the appeal. The picture of a child appeals to emotion.
    emotion
  2. Find the effect. The audience feels the library is precious.
    precious
  3. Judge the purpose. The emotional picture makes the audience want to keep the library.
    want to keep the library
  4. Write the answer.
    pathos, because it makes the audience picture a child and feel the library is precious

Check. The appeal and its effect are named. ✓

Worked example 5.2.2
Which appeal is "I say the library is the cheapest thing this town has"? Choose one: ethos, because it presents the speaker as someone who knows the town, logos, because it cites a figure or pathos, because it describes a child.

Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.

  1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
  2. Test the choice. The speaker states an opinion as a personal judgement of value, which builds credibility.
    ethos, because it presents the speaker as someone who knows the town fits
  3. Reject the other choices. There is no figure, so it is not logos; there is no child, so it is not pathos.
    logos, because it cites a figure and pathos, because it describes a child do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    ethos, because it presents the speaker as someone who knows the town

Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓

Worked example 5.2.3
Name the device in "a service is starved of money, its hours are cut, and its books are old".

Method. Count the items in the list.

  1. Count the items. There are three things: money, hours and books.
    three things
  2. Name the device. A list of three is the rule of three.
    rule of three
  3. Explain the effect. The list builds a picture of decline.
    a picture of decline
  4. Write the answer.
    the rule of three

Check. The rule of three is named. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: name the appeal and quote the words that show it. Ethos, pathos and logos are not the same as the device used to make them.

Exam tip

Exam tip. Name the appeal, quote the words, then say what the audience feels or thinks as a result.

Exercise 5B  Practice: rhetoric and appeals

1
FWhich device is "Who among us would close a school because it costs money?" Choose one: a rhetorical question, a simile, a statistic or a metaphor.
2
FWhich device is "Friends,", at the start of the speech? Choose one: direct address, a rhetorical question, a simile or a list.
3
PSName the device in "a child is sitting at a table in the library" and explain its effect.
4
PSName the device in "Who would shut a hospital ward because the numbers are hard?" and explain its effect.
5
PSWhich appeal is the claim that "the library is the cheapest thing this town has"? Choose one: ethos, through the speaker's own judgement, logos, through a statistic, pathos, through a child or a simile.
6
PSWhich emotive word in the speech suggests harm to the library? Choose one: starved, picture, table or Saturday.
7
FWrite the three things a service is said to suffer in the rule of three in the speech. Write the first one only.
8
PSName the device in "Friends, I want you to picture a Saturday morning in Millbrook" and explain its effect.
9
RWhich appeal is "We would not, and we should not."? Choose one: ethos, because it appeals to shared values, logos, because it gives a figure, pathos, because it describes a child or a metaphor.
10
RExplain the effect of the phrase "I know which choice Millbrook deserves" on the audience.
11
RWhich appeal is "Some will say that fewer people visit"? Choose one: logos, because it raises a counter-argument, pathos, because it describes a child, ethos, because it names the speaker or a metaphor.
12
RExplain the effect of the phrase "a failing of the decisions made about it".
13
RName one appeal to logic in the speech, and explain why it is logical rather than emotional.
14
RName the device in "Or we can watch it go, and wonder, later, why nobody spoke up." and explain its effect.
15
RWhich phrase in Source B is most likely to make an audience feel pride? Choose one: the heart of this town again, the cheapest thing, a hospital ward or a failing.
16
RExplain how the speaker uses the rule of three to make the library seem valuable, in one sentence.
17
RName the device in "Ask yourselves: where will these people go if the doors close?" and explain its effect.
18
RChallenge: explain which appeal, ethos, pathos or logos, is most powerful in Source B, and give a reason.
5.3

Bias and selective evidence

Year 8
Spot bias and selective use of evidence, and judge whether a claim is supported (KS3 reading, R4 and R7)
Video lesson: Bias and selective evidenceComing soon
Story. Two sources use the same figure: a fall of 18 per cent in visits. A careful reader asks whether each source uses the figure fairly, and whether it gives the full picture.

Selective evidence is evidence chosen to support one view, while other facts that go against it are left out.

Key ideas

  • Bias is a tendency to favour one side. It may show in the choice of evidence, the words and the omissions.
  • An unsupported claim has no evidence, or evidence that does not prove it.
  • Selective evidence uses the facts that help the case and leaves out those that do not.
Worked example 5.3.1
Is the claim "the biggest fall of any service in the town" supported by Source A? Give one reason.

Method. Check whether the claim appears in the other source.

  1. Find the claim. Source C says it is the biggest fall of any service.
    biggest fall of any service
  2. Check Source A. Source A gives only the library figure.
    visits to the library
  3. Judge. No comparison is given, so the claim is unsupported.
    no, Source A gives no such comparison
  4. Write the answer.
    no, Source A gives no such comparison

Check. The claim is judged against the source. ✓

Worked example 5.3.2
Which is a fact that Source C leaves out? Choose one: the council will consult residents for six weeks, the letter is written to the editor or the author is a resident.

Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.

  1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
  2. Test the choice. Source A includes the consultation period; Source C does not mention it, so it is a fact left out.
    the council will consult residents for six weeks fits
  3. Reject the other choices. The letter being to the editor and the author being a resident are facts about the letter, not facts that Source C omits.
    the letter is written to the editor and the author is a resident do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    the council will consult residents for six weeks

Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓

Worked example 5.3.3
What does Source C claim that its evidence does not support?

Method. Find the claim and look for any evidence for it.

  1. Find the claim. The writer says the computers are used mostly by people who could buy their own.
    used mostly by people who could buy their own
  2. Look for evidence. No survey or figure is given.
    no survey
  3. Judge. The claim is unsupported.
    that the free computers are used mostly by people who could buy their own
  4. Write the answer.
    that the free computers are used mostly by people who could buy their own

Check. The unsupported claim is named. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a view is not biased just because you disagree with it. Look for missing evidence, unsupported claims and one-sided choices.

Exam tip

Exam tip. Name the claim, then say what evidence would be needed to support it, and whether the source gives it.

Exercise 5C  Practice: bias and selective evidence

1
FCopy the figure that the writer uses for the fall in visits.
2
FWhich claim in Source C is unsupported? Choose one: the biggest fall of any service in the town, Visits have fallen by 18 per cent., The writer is a resident of Millbrook. or The letter is addressed to the editor..
3
PSGive one reason the claim "used mostly by people who could buy their own" is unsupported.
4
PSWhich is a loaded word in Source C? Choose one: shocked, visits, library or council.
5
PSWhich phrase in Source C shows the writer's bias most clearly? Choose one: Let us stop pretending that the library is essential, Dear Editor,, Visits have fallen by 18 per cent or Yours faithfully.
6
RExplain one fact that Source C leaves out, which Source A includes.
7
RWhich is the best description of Source C's use of evidence? Choose one: selective, because it gives one figure and leaves out the residents' view, balanced, because it gives several figures, neutral, because it has no opinion or complete, because it summarises the report.
8
RExplain why the figure 18 per cent is used in both Source A and Source C, but in different ways.
9
RWhich sentence in Source B is an emotive appeal that gives no figure? Choose one: Who would shut a hospital ward because the numbers are hard?, Source B is 210 words long., The council says the library is too expensive. or The meeting is on Saturday..
10
RExplain whether the speech in Source B is selective in its use of evidence.
11
RWhich is the best check for an unsupported claim? Choose one: look for evidence in the text or in another source, accept it because it is said confidently, ignore it altogether or assume it is true because it is in print.
12
RChallenge: explain how bias can work through omission, using one example from the sources.
5.4

Synthesis across sources

Year 8
Summarise and synthesise the main ideas of several texts, and use evidence from each accurately (KS3 reading, R6 and R7)
Video lesson: Synthesis across sourcesComing soon
Story. A student is asked to write one paragraph that brings together the main ideas of all three sources. A synthesis does more than summarise each source one by one: it combines them and shows how they relate.
SourceMain idea in one phrase
A: the news reportthe library will close, with a consultation
B: the speechthe library is precious and should stay open
C: the letterthe library is not needed, and the decision is right

Key ideas

  • A summary gives the main idea of one text. A synthesis brings together the main ideas of several texts.
  • A good synthesis shows agreement, disagreement and the reason for each.
  • Use evidence from each source, and say which source it comes from.
Worked example 5.4.1
Write the main disagreement between Source B and Source C, in one sentence.

Method. Compare the main claim of each source.

  1. Find B's claim. The speech says the library should stay open.
    keep our library open
  2. Find C's claim. The letter says the library is not needed.
    Let us stop pretending that the library is essential
  3. Combine them. The two claims are opposite.
    Source B says the library should stay open, while Source C says the library is not needed.
  4. Write the answer.
    Source B says the library should stay open, while Source C says the library is not needed.

Check. The disagreement is stated. ✓

Worked example 5.4.2
Which is a point that Sources A and B both make? Choose one: the library is of value to some users, the library is too expensive to run or the library should close at once.

Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.

  1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
  2. Test the choice. Source A notes residents rely on it for study and warm space; Source B describes its users, so both recognise its value.
    the library is of value to some users fits
  3. Reject the other choices. Source A says the council expects to save money, but it does not say the library should close at once, and Source B denies that the library is too expensive.
    the library is too expensive to run and the library should close at once do not fit
  4. Write the answer.
    the library is of value to some users

Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓

Worked example 5.4.3
Write one sentence that synthesises the three sources.

Method. Find a point that the sources share, and a point that they dispute.

  1. Find the shared point. Source A says the decision is not final.
    consultation
  2. Find the dispute. Sources B and C disagree about the library's value.
    disagree
  3. Combine. The sources disagree, but the decision is still open.
    the decision is still open
  4. Write the answer.
    The three sources disagree on the library, but all agree the decision is not yet settled, with a consultation.

Check. The synthesis combines the sources. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: do not summarise each source one after another and call it a synthesis. Bring the ideas together into one statement.

Exam tip

Exam tip. Start with the shared idea, then the disagreement, then say which source gives the evidence.

Exercise 5D  Practice: synthesis across sources

1
FWhich idea is shared by Source A and Source B? Choose one: the library is valued by the public, the library should close now, the library is too expensive or the speech is a letter.
2
FWhich idea does Source C disagree with? Choose one: the library is precious to residents, the decision is final, the consultation exists or residents rely on the library.
3
FWhich point is made only by Source A? Choose one: a six-week consultation period, the library is precious, the library is not needed or the library is cheap.
4
FWrite one sentence giving the main idea of Source A.
5
FWrite one sentence giving the main idea of Source B.
6
FWrite one sentence giving the main idea of Source C.
7
PSWhich is the best shared idea for a synthesis of the three sources? Choose one: the library's future is disputed, and the decision is not final, the library is perfect, the council is evil or the speech is the only source.
8
PSWrite a sentence that synthesises the sources on the library's value, using evidence from at least two sources.
9
FWhich source gives evidence that the council expects to save money? Choose one: Source A, Source B, Source C or none of them.
10
RExplain how Source B and Source C use the same figure about residents differently, in one sentence.
11
RWhich sentence best synthesises the three sources? Choose one: The sources agree that visits have fallen, but disagree on whether the library should close., All three sources are the same., The sources are about dinosaurs. or Only one source has a point..
12
RExplain one way the sources agree about the consultation, if they do.
13
RChallenge: write one paragraph of two or three sentences that synthesises the three sources, using evidence from each.

Chapter summary

SkillMethod

Can you…?

    Key terms

    Exercise 5Z  Check-up

    1
    Copy the phrase that gives the closing date.
    2
    What is the main purpose of Source A? Choose one: to inform readers of a decision, to persuade readers to vote, to sell a product or to tell a story.
    3
    Which device is "Who among us would close a school because it costs money?" Choose one: a rhetorical question, a simile or a statistic.
    4
    Name the appeal in "A child is sitting at a table in the library" and explain its effect.
    5
    Which appeal is "I say the library is the cheapest thing this town has"? Choose one: ethos, through the speaker's own judgement, logos, through a statistic, pathos, through a child or a simile.
    6
    Write the number of weeks in the consultation period in Source A.
    7
    Give one reason Source C is less balanced than Source A.
    8
    Which is an unsupported claim? Choose one: the biggest fall of any service in the town, visits have fallen by 18 per cent or the council will consult for six weeks.
    9
    Name the rule of three in Source B and explain its effect.
    10
    Write one sentence that synthesises the main idea of Sources A and B.

    Total 23 marks. Allow about 23 minutes.

    Exercise 5X  Practice test questions

    1
    FName the purpose of a letter to the editor, such as the letter in Source C. Write one phrase.[1 mark]
    2
    RExplain why the writer of a persuasive letter might choose only some evidence, using the phrase "used mostly by people who could buy their own".[2 marks]
    3
    RName the rhetorical device in "Who would shut a hospital ward because the numbers are hard?" and explain its effect in one sentence.[2 marks]
    4
    RExplain what ethos means, and give one example from the speech in Source B.[3 marks]
    5
    RExplain one fact that the letter in Source C leaves out, which the report in Source A includes.[2 marks]
    6
    RExplain how the rule of three in the speech works. Use the phrase "a service is starved of money, its hours are cut, and its books are old" in your answer.[3 marks]
    7
    RName the appeal in the sentence "Ask yourselves: where will these people go if the doors close?" and explain its effect in one sentence.[2 marks]
    8
    RName the figure that Sources A and C both use, and say how the two sources use it differently, in one sentence.[3 marks]
    9
    RSynthesise the main ideas of all three sources in one sentence. Use evidence from at least two sources.[3 marks]
    10
    RJudge whether the claim "the biggest fall of any service in the town" is supported by the sources. Give one reason.[2 marks]
    ← Chapter 4: Reading drama: structure, tension and stagingChapter 6: Comparing texts: themes, perspectives and methods →

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