Lesson WS-3

WS-3 Writing for impact: selecting key points and citing evidence Quiz: AQA English Language, Unit 3

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson WS-3, Writing for impact: selecting key points and citing evidence: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA GCSE English Language (8700), Unit 3: Assessment objectives, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What does it mean to 'select key points' when writing for impact?

    • Choosing the most important ideas to develop, rather than including every possible fact or detail
    • Putting the key points in a random order so that the reader is surprised by the way they arrive
    • Writing the key points in capital letters only, so that they stand out clearly on the page
    • Including every fact that the writer knows about the topic, so that nothing important is left out

  2. Which is the most effective way to cite evidence in an argument?

    • Use a long quotation without any introduction or analysis, so that the reader draws the link alone
    • List several statistics one after another with no explanation of what they show or why they matter
    • Quote or refer to a specific example, then explain how it supports the point being made
    • Mention a vague source such as 'some people say' and move on without explaining its relevance

  3. What is the main purpose of creating emotional impact in writing?

    • To make the text longer, since emotional passages always add words without adding any content
    • To replace all evidence with feelings, so that no facts need to be included in the response
    • To make the reader feel something about the topic, which can help them engage with the argument
    • To confuse the reader so that they stop reading and forget the argument that has been made

  4. Which sentence creates the most emotional impact about a child affected by a flood?

    • A flood happened in the town, which had an effect on the houses, roads and some of the people there
    • The water rose silently through the night, and by morning her small bedroom was filled with cold, grey mud
    • Flooding is a problem in many places across the country, and it is often covered by the local news
    • The flood was bad, and many houses were affected, and the council has since been asked about it again

  5. Which technique best shows a writer selecting and emphasising key points?

    • Placing the strongest point at the end of a paragraph, where it will be most memorable for the reader
    • Repeating the weakest point three times, so that it appears to be the most important in the text
    • Starting every paragraph with a different topic, so that no single point is given any real emphasis
    • Burying the strongest point in the middle of a long list, so that the reader must search for it

  6. Which example is the best use of a short, sharp sentence for impact?

    • The bridge was gone. Nobody spoke. The river kept rushing on, indifferent to what it had taken.
    • The bridge was gone, and the people who had crossed it every day for their entire working lives were left stranded.
    • The bridge, which was built in the nineteenth century by engineers whose names are now lost to time, was gone.
    • Although the bridge had been there for many years, and although it had been repaired and painted often, it was gone.

  7. What is meant by 'citing evidence and quotation effectively and pertinently'?

    • Including as many quotations as possible in every paragraph, so the examiner sees the reading done
    • Using quotations from memory without checking them, since the examiner is more interested in style
    • Choosing evidence that is directly relevant to the point and integrating it smoothly into the argument
    • Copying out a whole page from a source text so that the examiner can check the material is accurate

  8. Which is an example of a rhetorical device that creates impact?

    • Repetition of a key phrase at the start of successive sentences to build a strong, memorable rhythm
    • A heading that names the topic of the response, so that the reader can find the argument easily
    • A table of figures placed at the end of the response to show the writer's careful research
    • A footnote that refers the reader to a source, so the reader can check the facts for themselves

  9. A writer wants to show that a problem is urgent. Which approach best selects and emphasises the key point?

    • Listing all the minor complaints in a random order, so that the urgency is spread evenly across the text
    • Stating the most pressing statistic first, then exploring the human consequences in the paragraphs that follow
    • Ending the piece with a question that does not relate to the problem at all, to keep the reader thinking
    • Starting with a discussion of the weather, then the history of the town, and only later the problem

  10. What is the purpose of a 'hook' in an opening paragraph?

    • To tell the reader the conclusion of the argument in the first sentence, before any evidence is given
    • To list every source that will be used later in the piece, so that the reader can check the sources
    • To apologise for the length of the piece, so that the reader is prepared for a long and tiring read
    • To catch the reader's attention with an intriguing detail or question that draws them into the text

  11. Which choice best creates impact when persuading an audience to support a new park?

    • Stating that the park is good, and that the reader should agree, without any further explanation
    • Describing one child's joy at a playground, then linking it to the wider benefits for the whole town
    • Describing the soil type of the land where the park would be built, in technical and exact terms
    • Listing the costs of the park in detail, with no mention of who might use it or enjoy it at all

  12. Which sentence best cites evidence to support a point about litter?

    • Lots of people say the streets are messy, and everyone knows that litter is a big problem nowadays
    • The streets are messy, and litter is everywhere, which is a sad fact that nobody can deny at all
    • Litter is a problem, and this is a serious matter that the council should look into as soon as it can
    • A council survey in 2023 found that litter was reported by 40 per cent of residents on the high street

  13. What is the danger of including too many points in a short piece?

    • Each point becomes shorter, which automatically makes the piece more concise and effective for readers
    • Each point is developed less fully, so the argument loses impact and the reader may lose the thread
    • Each point becomes more memorable, because the reader has more to think about after reading the piece
    • Each point becomes more accurate, because the writer has checked more material before writing it up

  14. Which statement shows effective selection of a key point about a sports club?

    • The club has a bar, a car park and a changing room, all of which are painted in a light shade of blue
    • The club's youth programme has produced three players for the national squad in the last five years
    • The club's kit was introduced in 1987 and has changed slightly in several seasons since that time
    • The club's chairman has a dog called Max, who sometimes visits the ground for the home matches

  15. Which quality distinguishes writing that has impact from writing that simply has many facts?

    • Complexity, because difficult vocabulary alone makes a text more impressive to the reader
    • Neutrality, because a text that avoids all opinion always has the greatest impact on readers
    • Length, because a longer piece with more facts will always create more impact on the reader
    • Selection and emphasis, so that the reader is led to see which points matter most and why

  16. Which phrase best introduces a piece of evidence so that its relevance is clear?

    • Lots of stuff happened, and the hospital had a bad winter, which is something that really matters a lot
    • The hospital is a building with many rooms, and it has been there for a long time in the town centre
    • This is shown by the figures from the local hospital, which reveal a sharp rise in admissions last winter
    • People, hospitals and winters all matter, and there is a lot to say about every one of these things

  17. Which example uses an emotive detail to create impact without losing the argument?

    • The waiting room had chairs, a clock and a sign on the wall that gave the opening hours of the clinic
    • The waiting room was crowded with parents, and one of them had a sleeping child wrapped in a thin blanket
    • The waiting room was very sad and everyone in it was absolutely miserable and sad, which was awful to see
    • The waiting room was in the building on the corner, which was near the road and the bus stop outside

  18. Which is the most effective way to finish a paragraph that makes a key point?

    • End with an apology for the paragraph being too long, so the reader is prepared for the next point
    • End with a list of unconnected words that the reader must put together into a sentence themselves
    • End with a new unrelated fact that the reader will have to research separately to understand at all
    • End with a short sentence that restates the point and states why it matters to the reader

  19. Which sentence uses a rhetorical question to create impact?

    • Is it possible that the school is in the north of the town, which is where most of the pupils live?
    • How many pupils attend the school, and what is the name of the school's current head teacher today?
    • Would any parent accept a school that cannot guarantee a safe journey home for their child each day?
    • Should the school be painted in blue or green, and does the paint choice matter to the children?

  20. Which statement is the best example of selecting a key point over a minor one?

    • Pupils who walk to school arrive more alert, which is why the scheme should be extended to every year
    • Pupils who walk to school sometimes stop to look in the shop window on the corner of the main road
    • Pupils who walk to school wear a variety of coats, some of which have colourful stripes on the sleeves
    • Pupils who walk to school often chat to friends, and some of them carry books in green bags each day

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