O-Level Comprehension: Section B Explained
Section B of Paper 2 gives you one narrative text and 20 marks of questions on it.
What the syllabus says
This section contains Text 3, which is narrative in nature, based on which candidates are to answer questions testing comprehension, vocabulary in context and the use of language for effect.
The syllabus also says that Texts 3 and 4 together will be about 1200 words. It does not split them, and Text 4 carries the summary task, so Text 3 is unlikely to run much past 600.
The three things it tests
The syllabus names three, and every question is one of them. There is no fourth.
| What it tests | What a question looks like |
|---|---|
| Comprehension | Both what the text states outright and what it implies. "Give two details that show ...", "Explain why he was grateful ...", "How does he feel about ... and give two details to support your answer" |
| Vocabulary in context | "Using your own words, explain what the writer means by '...'". The meaning here, in this sentence, not the dictionary's |
| The use of language for effect | "What does the writer suggest by ...", "What two impressions does this sentence create", "Why does the writer use this word rather than that one", "Identify one example of ... and explain the impression it creates" |
The shape of the question set
SEAB does not publish a question count. The closest published model is Cambridge's 1123 specimen reading paper, a different syllabus for the same age group, and its narrative section runs to ten to twelve questions, most worth 1 or 2 marks and none worth more than 3. Our practices follow that shape.
Treat it as a guide and not a rule. What is worth taking from it is the proportion: a practice set made of four or five big essay-style questions is not built like an exam section, whatever the syllabus says about the total.
What the mark count is telling you
The number in brackets is an instruction about how much to write.
- 1 mark is one idea, in one sentence. Padding it cannot gain anything and wastes time you need later.
- 2 marks is either two separate details, or one point with two strands to it. A phrase like "ancient giant" has two halves, and an answer giving only one of them gets one mark.
- 3 marks works one of two ways, and the mark scheme tells you which. Some are counted up, a mark for the point and a mark for each supporting detail. Others are judged as a whole: a secure answer, one showing some understanding, or one showing only some awareness. Either way, a quotation with no explanation earns least.
Two mistakes that cost the most marks
Answering a "why" question with a "what". If a question asks why a character was grateful to be left alone, writing that he was tired describes him. It does not explain him. The mark is for the connection: he was tired after four hours at the hospital, and so did not want to talk.
Copying when the question says "in your own words". This is the one that wastes real understanding. A candidate who has read the passage perfectly and hands back its wording scores nothing on that item. If you cannot think of another word, explain the idea in a short sentence of your own instead of reaching for a synonym.
Naming a device is not answering the question
On a language question, "this is a metaphor" earns nothing by itself. The mark is for what the metaphor does to the reader. Name it if you like, then say what impression it creates and why the writer wanted it.
Where to practise
- Practice 1: The Last Bus · a boy who cannot say the thing he came to say
- Practice 2: The Substitute · a reserve brought on with nine minutes left