Lesson P2-S1

P2-S1 19th-century non-fiction and literary non-fiction Quiz: AQA English Language, Unit 2

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson P2-S1, 19th-century non-fiction and literary non-fiction: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA GCSE English Language (8700), Unit 2: Paper 2: Writers' Viewpoints and Perspectives, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which period does the 19th-century text in Paper 2 Section A come from?

    • The 17th century, roughly 1600 to 1700
    • The 19th century, roughly 1800 to 1900
    • The 20th century, roughly 1900 to 2000
    • The 18th century, roughly 1700 to 1800

  2. Which forms can 19th-century non-fiction take in Paper 2?

    • Plays, scripts and screenplays only
    • Prose fiction, such as novels and short stories
    • Poems, sonnets and ballads only
    • Essays, letters, diaries, accounts and sketches

  3. What does 'literary non-fiction' mean?

    • Invented stories in prose told in the first person, with a made-up plot and named characters
    • Factual writing, such as essays or memoirs, crafted with literary techniques
    • Verse written in a regular metre with rhyme and fixed form, arranged into stanzas and lines
    • Factual news reports written in short, neutral sentences that give the information directly

  4. Which feature is typical of formal 19th-century non-fiction?

    • Casual slang and a playful tone, used to make the writing feel friendly and relaxed for readers
    • Bullet points and headings with no connected prose, set out to make the text quick to scan
    • Short text-message style lines with abbreviations and emoticons used to keep the tone light
    • Elaborate, formal sentences with a measured, reflective tone

  5. Why must a student consider the context of a 19th-century text?

    • Context matters only for the title of the text, which shows the period in which it was written
    • Context means the number of pages the text contains, counted against the standard length of the time
    • Old texts are never worth reading for any purpose, since their ideas have long since been replaced
    • Attitudes and values of its time shape what the writer says and how

  6. What is an 'epistolary' form?

    • A text written as letters or documents from one or more writers
    • A text using only bullet points and tables, set out so that the information can be scanned quickly
    • A text written in dialogue only with no narration, so the speakers reveal everything about the plot
    • A text divided into numbered stanzas and verses, with each verse following the same rhythm pattern

  7. Which rhetorical device is common in 19th-century essays?

    • Onomatopoeia that imitates sounds in a loud scene, using words like crash and bang in the passage
    • Antithesis, setting two contrasting ideas side by side in balanced phrases
    • Hyperbole that uses a single short word for effect, exaggerating the claim to make it seem larger
    • Colloquial slang that makes the text sound casual and conversational, as if spoken between friends

  8. What is the effect of a long, periodic sentence in 19th-century prose?

    • It makes the text sound like a list of instructions that the reader must follow one step at a time
    • It builds to a final point, creating suspense and a sense of weight
    • It makes the reader skip ahead to the next paragraph, because the sentence is so tiring to read
    • It removes any sense of structure from the argument, so that the points seem to float loose

  9. Which feature of a 19th-century letter suggests a personal relationship?

    • A direct, intimate address and references to shared experiences
    • A headline in capital letters at the top of the page, announcing the subject of the letter
    • A table of statistics with a total at the foot, showing the numbers that the writer has collected
    • A numbered list of formal recommendations to the public, set out with a heading for each point

  10. What is a 'sketch' in 19th-century non-fiction?

    • A plan for a building included in an engineer's report, showing the rooms and the layout clearly
    • A short descriptive piece observing a scene or person in close detail
    • A summary of a court case in numbered points, giving the verdict and the reasons for it
    • A list of the parts needed to build a machine, arranged in order with the cost of each part

  11. A 19th-century writer uses 'we' to address readers. What effect is most likely?

    • It removes the writer from the argument entirely, so the reader is left to judge the case alone
    • It proves the writer is describing a group of scientists who have carried out a research project
    • It builds a shared identity and draws readers into the writer's view
    • It makes the text sound like a legal contract for signing, with each clause set out in turn

  12. Which statement about 19th-century non-fiction is most accurate?

    • It was always written in verse with a fixed metre, so that it could be easily memorised by readers
    • It used modern slang because the writers were young, and they wanted their words to sound fresh
    • It had no audience in mind because it was never published, so it was written for the writer only
    • It was often written for a specific audience, shaping its tone and vocabulary

  13. Which feature signals an argumentative essay in the 19th century?

    • A list of dated events with no comment, set out in order to show the sequence of the year
    • A diary-style sequence of private feelings, written day by day with no argument at any point
    • A series of unconnected descriptions of landscapes, each one set in a different country and season
    • A clear thesis supported by reasons, examples and a conclusion

  14. Which technique repeats a phrase at the start of successive clauses to build a moral argument?

    • Onomatopoeia, imitating a sound through its spelling so that the word seems to make the noise
    • Ellipsis, leaving words out for dramatic effect so that the reader must supply the missing ones
    • Litotes, understating an idea through a negative so that the point is made in a softer way
    • Anaphora, repeating a phrase at the start of successive clauses

  15. A 19th-century account is written in the past tense. What does this most suggest?

    • It gives commands the reader must follow in order, written as a set of clear and firm instructions
    • It records a conversation that is happening right now, with each speaker's words given as they speak
    • It describes events that will happen in the near future, set out as a plan the writer intends to follow
    • It records events that have already happened, from the writer's viewpoint

  16. Which skill is most important for comparing a 19th-century text with a later text?

    • Matching the page numbers of both texts exactly, so that the printed editions can be cross-referenced
    • Memorising the publication dates of the two books, so that they can be recalled in the exam
    • Identifying the writer's purpose and the historical context of each
    • Counting the number of paragraphs in each text and comparing the totals across the two sources

  17. Harder: Which judgement about a 19th-century text's viewpoint is the most developed?

    • The viewpoint is irrelevant, because only the form of the text matters for analysis at this level
    • The viewpoint is simply a list of facts that cannot be questioned by any reader of the text
    • The viewpoint reflects the writer's era, so the reader must weigh its assumptions as well as its argument
    • The viewpoint is always correct, because the text is old and has been respected for many years

  18. Harder: Which evaluation of a 19th-century text's emotive language is the most accurate?

    • Emotive language appears only in modern texts and is never found in writing from earlier centuries
    • Emotive language does not affect readers in any measurable way, so it can be safely ignored in analysis
    • Emotive language is always a sign of weak argument in any text, whatever period it was written in
    • Emotive language can persuade, but its effect must be linked to the audience it was written for

  19. What is 'tone' in a 19th-century text?

    • The volume at which a text should be read aloud to a class, set by the teacher at the start of the lesson
    • The writer's attitude towards the subject, conveyed through word choice and sentence style
    • The number of pages a text takes up on the shelf, which is set by the binding and the paper used
    • The printed colour of the ink used in the first edition of the book, chosen by the publisher at the time

  20. Harder: A student claims a 19th-century text is 'biased'. Which evidence best supports this claim?

    • Selective evidence or loaded language that presents only one side of the argument
    • A paragraph that uses 'and' in the middle of a sentence, which links two ideas in one clause
    • A date printed at the start of the text, which places the piece in its historical period
    • A chapter break that divides the text into parts, each with its own heading and number

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