Year 10 - English
Reading an opinion article and creating rhetorical questions
Non-fiction: crime and punishment
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils develop their non-fiction reading and writing skills by reading and responding to a selection of nineteenth century and modern non-fiction texts on the theme of crime and punishment. They practise summarising and comparing texts before writing an article and information text.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to articulate a personal response to an opinion article. you can understand what makes an effective rhetorical question and use this understanding to create your own.
Key Notes
- Using knowledge of a writer and reading the title can help you make predictions about a text.
- Brooker uses irony and sarcasm to address a serious topic.
- Rhetorical questions can be effective as long as they are not overused.
- Rhetorical questions should be relevant to the topic and not rely on direct address or 'you'.
Vocabulary To Learn
- irony: something happens that is the opposite to what is expected
- sarcasm: to mock or be humorous, usually by saying the opposite of what you mean
- humorous: to be funny or entertaining
- popular culture: includes things like music, films, trends, and fashion that are popular at a given time and enjoyed by wider society
- critique: to assess or evaluate something
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Placing ambiguous, short questions with direct address at the end of sentences is an effective rhetorical question. For example: 'Do you/don't you agree?'
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
Using knowledge of a writer and reading the title can help you make predictions about a text. Brooker uses irony and sarcasm to address a serious topic.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'irony'
something happens that is the opposite to what is expected.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: Placing ambiguous, short questions with direct address at the end of sentences is an effective rhetorical question. For example: 'Do you/don't you agree?'. Correction: Think about the purpose of a rhetorical question and why we use them. Is this the best way to challenge and provoke thought or get a reaction from your audience?
More Lessons In This Unit
- Comparing texts about drug misuse: 'Confessions' (1821) and 'A letter to' (2014) Study Guide
- Developing a summary of a non-fiction text by including inferences Study Guide
- Planning an open letter using single paragraph outlines Study Guide
- Planning and writing website content Study Guide
- Reading and comparing two texts about prisons: London (1862) and Norway (2013) Study Guide
- Revising and editing non-fiction writing Study Guide
- Summarising a non-fiction text: 'a letter to my son' (the Guardian, 2014) Study Guide
- Using credible statistics in a piece of non-fiction writing Study Guide
- Using figurative language in non-fiction writing Study Guide
- Using structural features effectively in non-fiction texts Study Guide
- Using the conventions of website content creatively Study Guide
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