Exercise of the Week #12

A little non-verbal reasoning this week.

Last Week’s Answers

This sort of question could easily be a three or four marker, but the post specified that we’re looking for five marks. That’s going to be tricky, as there isn’t much to go on.

Previously, we looked at the PETEE structure for answering extended-response comprehension questions. We could apply this here. Alternatively, we can use a similar structure: PEE.

• Point: Make your point. Ensure it is relevant to the question and that you can back it up.

• Evidence: Give evidence from the text. You’ll likely need a quote or two.

• Explanation: Explain how your evidence supports your point. Don’t just repeat the point.

Looking at the text, we know Alice is ‘very tired’ of sitting there and ‘having nothing to do’. While her sister has brought a book to read, she has not, and instead takes occasional glimpses at what her sister is reading. She dismisses the book, because it ‘had no pictures or conversations in it’, stating that a book without these does not have a use.

We need to thread these ideas together into an argument. We could say:

Alice is uninterested in literature. She paid little attention to her sister's book, occasionally glancing over but dismissing it because it 'had no pictures or conversations'. She believes that a book only has a 'use' if it contains these. This suggests that Alice believes books are only worth reading if there are pictures to look at and plenty of dialogue. Furthermore, this idea of books having a 'use' suggests she views things in a regimented and practical way: an object is only worthwhile if it has a clear 'use'. 

In this response, we make our point, give evidence, and explain the evidence. We haven’t referenced any ‘techniques’ as there aren’t any that really stand out.

Exercise of the Week #9

Verbal reasoning today - another coded problem, this time using letters and numbers.

Last Week’s Answers

We are looking for descriptive devices, so include figurative language (similes and metaphors) and literal description (five senses). Pay attention to your language and try to use alliteration or assonance to add texture to your sentences. Try to be original: avoid cliched similes or lists of adjectives. Remember that one striking word is better than a heap of mediocre vocabulary.

The marking of descriptive work is subjective. It is not as straightforward as ‘They’ve used a simile, gain a mark.’ Instead, the examiner must use their discretion to assess a response’s originality and skill. Here is a putative mark scheme which makes use of ‘bands’ to group responses. Each band would then have a range of marks in such a way that the strongest responses achieve the higher end of a higher band. Note that the only way to achieve zero marks is by doing something spectacularly silly.

Here is an example response. Try to mark down some of the devices that have been used and consider which band you would place it in.

The soothing winter sun ran its silken fingers along the water’s edge. Gently, the stream gurgled secrets to those who stopped to listen: nowadays, mostly rabbits, cautiously exposing their button-noses from the bracken. In bygone times, the waterwheel would groan and clatter; now, it rests motionless, embracing the termites and rot. The symphony of forest sounds is silent now.

Exercise of the Week #6

And we’re back with a springtime reasoning puzzle! Good luck.

Last Week’s Answers

These sorts of questions can be nefarious. Let’s look at a means of tackling them.

PETEE

You might’ve been taught this at school. If not, PETEE stands for: Point, Evidence, Technique, Effect, Emphasis.

Your point is the statement you intend to answer the question with. Everything that follows exists to support the point you have to make.

Evidence is a quote from the text. Pick a good one - ideally something rich that supports your point. When I say ‘rich’, I mean that there should be enough in your quote to explain further. If it has a technique, that’s perfect, as we should then discuss what technique is being used. Don’t worry if it isn’t obvious, like clear use of alliteration or a striking simile: keep your eye out for things like repetition, or juxtaposition.

We next explain what effect this technique has on the reader. What does it make you think of? How does it make you feel?

Finally, we explain why the writer uses the technique - what are they trying to emphasise?

If you use this structure, you’re giving yourself the best chance of securing all marks on these (typically thee to four mark) questions.

Model Answer

The writer creates the impression of a superfically commonplace man with a sinister depth to him. They use a striking simile to describe his glance, which falls ‘as trenchant and heavy as an axe.’ This suggests that he is capable of doing harm with merely a stern look. This emphasises that although he is ‘commonplace’, ‘ordinary’ and ‘usual’, something darker lurks within.

There are other techniques you might prefer to reference.

• There is juxtaposition between his ‘commonplace’ features and ‘remarkably cold’ eyes.

• There is much use of parenthesis in the final lines, drawing attention to the narrator’s unease: he can’t make sense of this man.

• There is sibilance in the last line: ‘expression of his lips, something stealthy - a smile - not a smile’. Perhaps the writer is drawing attention to the character’s snakelike qualities.

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’Heart of Darkness’ is for older readers: something to pick up when you are in years 9 or 10. It’s a critique of European colonialism in Africa in the 19th and 20th centuries. The character described in the extract is the unnamed ‘manager’ running an ivory trade on the Congo River.

Exercise of the Week #3

This week we’ll be looking at a logic puzzle. These can appear in verbal reasoning or critical thinking examinations, requiring students to analyse each statement and consider whether an assumption can hold true for the rest of it. Let’s take a peek:

Last Week’s Answers

Here are a few quick techniques you can employ to write persuasively:

1. Lists of three: Humans are quite attached to the number three. Using lists of three allows you to pack in more information, to be more memorable, and to be more persuasive. (See?)

2. Emotive language: Pull on the heart strings! If you’re writing to persuade someone to donate to a dog’s shelter, describe those poor, lonely puppies, who cry for a good home!

3. Rhetorical questions: Haven’t you heard of them? These are questions which don’t require an answer. Would you like to live on the streets?

Here’s an example paragraph arguing against the points given:

It’s not unusual to dislike homework. Many students consider it to be a burden, further constraining their already busy schedules so that they are unable to spend time doing the things they enjoy. However, homework that is well-thought-out by teachers needn’t take students hours to complete: in fact, studies have shown that most students spend no longer than an hour each evening on homework. That’s not too honorous, is it? 

It has been said that scrapping homework would provide teachers more time to prepare their lessons and mark other work. While this is true, it is the job of teachers to both set and mark homework (as well as planning lessons.) If marking homework is getting in the way of other responsibilities, teachers have not been considering the homework they are setting thoroughly. A well-considered task shouldn’t take forever to mark!

Finally, there is an argument that homework does more harm than good. But, as the school day is limited, these extra weekly hours are vital to ensure topics covered in class are consolidated. Not everything can happen in the classroom. 

Well-considered homework prepares students to learn independently, engages them, and provides critical consolidation of work already covered. If it were banned, I am certain we would see grades fall and achievements dwindle. Would you want that for your child?