Many students read without thinking. They don’t question the author’s intent, which is why they struggle with Tone & Attitude questions.

a) Look for Emotionally-Charged Words:

• Words like “tragic,” “remarkable,” “disastrous” immediately reveal Tone & Attitude.

b) Identify Punctuation & Sentence Structure:

• Exclamation marks (!) → Enthusiasm, Surprise, Anger

• Short, abrupt sentences → Seriousness, Urgency

• Long, flowing sentences → Reflective, Thoughtful

c) Pay Attention to Context:

• A passage about war might have a tragic, solemn tone.

• A passage about technological advancements might have an optimistic, futuristic tone.

🚨 Common Mistake: Many students just look for words without understanding the bigger picture.

The spider network of veins on her throat engrossed him as she stood there amongst the bevy of contestants for Ms Iconic Beauty pageant.

Explain how “spider network of veins on her throat” are effective and unusual.

I. effective (1 mark)

II. unusual ( 1 mark)

Type 5 – Literary Questions

There are a few divisions in literary questions.

“Shami had never seen that much food on a table before. It was piled high on each other. Just the sheer size of the lobsters staggered him. There they were, stained redder than his teacher’s marking pen, presumably correcting the rest of the dishes glowing in greens and oranges next to it. Only the white as snow cauliflower led a determined rebellion against the rest of the table, choosing to remain demurely different.“

I. Irony questions – They will ask you to identify the oddness or strangeness of the situation.

What is the irony in the way Shami viewed the food?

The answer is that the lobsters were the most appetizing but it reminded Shami of his teacher’s red marking pen.

II. Tone questions

How does the tone convey what Shami must have been feeling?

It conveys excitement at the sheer mixture of different types of dishes or anticipation.

III. Metaphor questions

“Choosing to remain demurely different” – what is meant by this ‘choosing?’ Explain the choice.

The answer is that the cauliflower is made to look human by choosing to look different from the rest of the food.

IV. Simile questions

What is the simile seen and explain it?

The phrase “white as snow cauliflower” reflects the simile as the cauliflower is compared to snow in its white shade.

Literary device questions need time for you to unravel it and properly identify it through detailed explanation.

Type 6 – Vocabulary questions which ask you to explain the meaning of word/s

Eg. “Her hair was considered dishwater blonde and she considered it to be a matter of no great importance as she worked double shifts 7 days a week anyway.”

How does “anyway” indicate how she felt about herself?

Answer: It shows that she does not really care about her appearance as she worked so hard doing double shifts as she did not have time for it.

These are not easy to do and you need to be very sharp and observant in answering such comprehension questions.

Type 7 – Vocabulary questions about phrases

“Mikhale was struck dumb by the profoundness of his statement. Never in all his life had his father spoken to him like that and he knew at last that he had crossed the threshold into manhood.”

Explain how the phrase “crossed the threshold into manhood” is of significance.

The answer should reflect how Mikhale’s father was speaking to him with profoundness for the first time which meant that he was treating him as an adult. 

This made him feel like a man and less like a child.

The answer should convey the meaning in the context. How did Mikhale feel now? 

This is not in the comprehension question but you should answer it anyway. Then the answer will be complete when the context meaning is explained.

‘The holiday had found its fiercest day yet’ suggests that the heat was the strongest compared to any other day in the holiday.

‘The sky was ironed flat’ tells us that the heat was so powerful that it straightened the sky just like a hot iron which straightens clothes.

‘Even the clouds had fallen from the edges in the faultless blue’ reflects how the heat was intense as there were no clouds at all in the sky to shelter them from the sun.

Q6. Give the one word in Paragraph 2 which indicates that the change from shops to offices was gradual. [1]

‘faded’

Q7. Explain what the following phrases suggest about Grace's attitude to the library and the books in it.

(i) 'this was my sanctuary' (line 13) [1]

Affection / fondness (or similar)

(ii) 'unturned pages and unseen adventures' (line 14) [1]

Anticipation / excitement

Q8. (a) In Paragraph 4, what is the tone of the librarian's comment in lines 18-19? [1]

Critical/ disapproving

(b) What two other things did the librarian do to show her dislike of Grace? [1]

She snapped shut the front cover each book / she handed over the tickets and frowned

Q9. (a) In Paragraph 5, why does Mrs Morton think Grace is going into the wrong part of the library? [1]

She thought that Grace should be browsing children’s books / books in the children’s section

(b) Explain what Grace means when she says 'I need to broaden my reading' (line 28). [1]

She would like to read books beyond her age / beyond the children’s section.

Q10. In Paragraph 6, Grace goes into the non-fiction section. What did Grace experience for the first time there? [1]

She experienced the learning of knowledge from the non-fiction books for the first time.

[Unfamiliar, Ripe solid smell of learning]

Q11. In Paragraph 7, identify the words or phrases which tell us about what Grace hears. [3]

What Grace hearsWords or phrases from passage(i) Grace hears people talking‘a conversation drifted across’(ii) There was a gap in what Grace could hear ‘For a moment I lost reception’

(iii) Grace could no longer hear anything‘Disappeared Somewhere’

12. (a) In Paragraph 8, what is the contrast between the atmosphere inside the library and outside in the street? [1]

The atmosphere inside the library was pleasant/wonderful while outside the street it was intensely warm.

‘we left the carpets and the polished corridors and walked into a heat which made the edges of the world wave and swim.’

(b) In Paragraph 8, which phrase suggests that Mrs Morton is a fearless person? [1]

‘Intrepid sub-Saharan explorer’

Q13. The structure of the text reflects the stages in Grace’s visit to the library. Complete the flowchart by choosing one phrase from the box to summarise the main event in each part of the text. There are some extra phrases in the box you do not need to use. [4]

Grace’s visit to the library

An angry adultManaging adultsA familiar journeyExploring an empty roomShowing curiosityA satisfying outcomeA dangerous journey

Flow Chart

Paragraph 1-3: [1]

A familiar journey

↓

Paragraph 4-5: [1]

Managing adults

↓

Paragraph 6-7:  [1]

Showing curiosity

↓

Paragraph 8: [1]

A satisfying outcome

After a long, exhausting day filled with stress and struggle, I like to relax by exercising. The moment I lace up my cleats I can feel the stress stress of the day fading away. There's something about playing football after a long day at school that makes it addicting . As my heart rate climbs and sweat begins to bead on my forehead, all the cluttered thoughts and worries from the day seem to miraculasly dissapear. But I think what makes it so fulfilling is the people I play it with playing football with friends where all of us are playing to our best or when my friend is pushing to me to my max. Memories like these last and the moments I share with them doing activities I like help me relax.

I also like to listen to calm and melodious music. I like to especially listen to them while walking back home or taking a stroll to supermarket. The calm melodies help sooth my mind and eradicate any discouraging or negative thoughts i had in my mind about that particular day. It helps me reset my thinking and let me carry on my day positively and without having any negative thoughts hold me back. This helps me relieve stress and relax after the long day and helps me prepare for the new day tommorow on a clean slate.

Watching movies for me is also a way i relax as it helps me immerse my self in the fictional world and help me distract myself from the negative thoughts I had that day. The feeling of watching my favourite movies and