Lesson T1.1.1

T1.1.1 Reading a wide range of fiction and non-fiction Quiz: KS3 English, Unit 1

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson T1.1.1, Reading a wide range of fiction and non-fiction: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 English (National Curriculum), Unit 1: Reading, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which of these is a non-fiction text?

    • A play in which a family argues about a dog that has gone missing
    • A poem describing a storm moving slowly across a windswept moorland
    • A magazine article explaining how volcanoes form deep underground
    • A story about a girl who travels to a city hidden under the sea

  2. Why is it valuable for a reader to read a wide range of fiction and non-fiction?

    • It means a reader will never again need to check the meaning of a word in a dictionary
    • It builds knowledge of different purposes, forms and styles of writing and widens vocabulary
    • It removes any need to think carefully about what a text means while reading it
    • It guarantees the reader will achieve the highest possible mark in every exam they sit

  3. A recipe card gives a list of ingredients and numbered steps. What is its main purpose?

    • To persuade the reader that a supermarket brand is better than others
    • To express the writer's private feelings about a summer holiday
    • To tell an imaginary story about a cook who lives in a castle
    • To give clear instructions so the reader can make a dish

  4. What is meant by the term 'genre' in reading?

    • The name of the person who wrote the introduction at the front of a book
    • The total number of chapters into which a story has been divided by its author
    • The exact date on which a book was first printed and sent out to bookshops
    • A category of writing, such as mystery or romance, defined by shared features

  5. Which feature is typical of a non-fiction book rather than a novel?

    • An index listing key topics alphabetically with the page numbers where they appear
    • Dialogue spoken between two invented characters at a party in a large house
    • A surprise plot twist that is revealed in the very last chapter of the book
    • A narrator who describes events from inside the thoughts of one main character

  6. Which text type is most likely to use headings, subheadings and captions beneath photographs?

    • A fantasy novel in which a princess is trapped inside a glass tower
    • A narrative poem written as a single unbroken stanza about a lonely lighthouse
    • A non-fiction information booklet about the rainforest and its animals
    • A script for a play in which two characters exchange sharp words on a train

  7. A student needs accurate facts about how volcanoes erupt. Which source is most suitable?

    • A poem describing the glowing colours of a sunset over a range of hills
    • A geography textbook chapter on tectonic plate boundaries and volcanic activity
    • A fantasy novel in which a dragon sleeps beneath a mountain and wakes in anger
    • A comic strip about a superhero who stops a monster made entirely of lava

  8. A text is made up of invented characters, dialogue and a plot about a space voyage. What type of writing is it most likely to be?

    • Fiction, because the characters and events are imagined by the writer
    • Persuasive writing, because it aims to convince readers to buy a spacecraft ticket
    • Non-fiction, because space voyages are real events that have been recorded in full
    • Reference, because it lists facts about planets in alphabetical order for readers

  9. A reader is comparing a memoir by a real explorer with a novel about an imaginary explorer. Which statement is most accurate?

    • Both texts are fiction because explorers always exaggerate their adventures when they publish
    • Both texts are non-fiction because both describe journeys to unknown and distant lands
    • The novel is non-fiction because it describes travel, while the memoir is a work of fiction
    • The memoir is non-fiction because it recounts real events, while the novel is fiction

  10. Which reading pattern shows a wide range of reading?

    • Reading one type of text every day for a year to become very familiar with it
    • Reading only the back covers of books in a library and never opening any of them
    • Reading a short story, a newspaper article, a science book and a poem in the same month
    • Reading the same fantasy novel five times in a row without trying any other kind of book

  11. A letter opens 'Dear Headteacher, I am writing to raise a concern about the bus timetable.' What is its most likely purpose?

    • To describe a family holiday in a poetic form with a regular rhyme pattern
    • To entertain readers with a fictional mystery about a missing school bell
    • To persuade the reader to take action about a concern the writer has raised
    • To explain how plants absorb sunlight through the surface of their leaves

  12. Why might exposure to a range of texts help a writer?

    • It means a writer can copy every sentence from published books without changing any of them
    • It means a writer can avoid all grammar rules because published texts do not follow them
    • Seeing different styles and structures gives a writer more options to choose from when writing
    • It means a writer no longer needs to plan, draft or check the work they produce for readers

  13. A poem and a newspaper report both describe the same flood. What does comparing them show?

    • The same event can be presented very differently depending on the form and purpose of the text
    • Newspaper reports are always less accurate than any poem written about a historical event
    • Floods can only be described accurately by writers who witnessed the event with their own eyes
    • Poems and newspapers always describe events in exactly the same factual way for their readers

  14. Which statement best describes the purpose of a non-fiction text such as an encyclopedia entry?

    • To express the personal emotions and feelings of an imaginary narrator in verse
    • To tell a joke about an animal character who lives in a forest full of trees
    • To create suspense so that readers want to know how the story will end
    • To inform readers with accurate facts that can be checked and referred to again

  15. A reader wants to check the meaning of an unfamiliar word in a novel. Which step is most useful?

    • Ask the author to send a letter explaining each new word before reading the next chapter
    • Guess its meaning from the cover design of the book, which always reflects the word's sense
    • Look at the words around it for clues and then check a dictionary if the meaning is still unclear
    • Skip the word entirely, because a single unknown word never affects understanding of a text

  16. Which pair correctly matches a text type with its usual purpose?

    • A fairy tale: to list the scientific names of plants and animals
    • A news report: to inform readers about recent real events
    • A poem: to give step-by-step rules for playing a board game
    • A diary entry: to sell a product to a shop owner in writing

  17. What does the word 'biography' describe?

    • An account of a real person's life, usually written by another author
    • A poem written in memory of a person who has died in a war or disaster
    • A story about an invented hero that is told through a series of letters
    • A list of the books an author has written, with their publication dates

  18. Which text would best help a reader find out what the weather was like on a particular day in 1900?

    • A historical newspaper archive containing reports published on that date
    • A cartoon strip about a farmer who carries an umbrella everywhere he goes
    • A poem about a summer storm that never mentions any particular date or place
    • A novel set in an imaginary town where it rains on every day of the year

  19. Which feature identifies a text as a poem rather than a story?

    • Paragraphs that run on across the whole page without any breaks in the text
    • Sections labelled with headings such as Introduction, Main Body and Conclusion
    • Line breaks and stanzas used to organise the writing, often with rhythm or rhyme
    • Numbered chapters in order and a list of the characters placed at the front of the book

  20. A text about a historical battle includes a detailed invented conversation between two generals. What should a reader conclude about the text?

    • It is entirely factual, because any text about a real battle must be completely accurate
    • It mixes factual and imagined elements, so the reader should check which parts are verifiable
    • It is a reference book, because reference books always include made-up dialogue for readers
    • It is entirely fiction, because any text that includes dialogue cannot describe real events

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