Lesson T2.1.1

T2.1.1 Formal expository and narrative essays Quiz: KS3 English, Unit 2

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson T2.1.1, Formal expository and narrative essays: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 English (National Curriculum), Unit 2: Writing, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is an expository essay?

    • An essay that explains a topic clearly, presenting information and ideas in a logical order
    • An essay that tells a fictional story with characters, a setting and a plot
    • An essay written as a letter to a friend about a recent family holiday abroad
    • An essay that consists only of a list of quotations with no explanation attached

  2. What is the purpose of a thesis statement?

    • To state the main argument or central idea that the essay will develop
    • To list the sources the writer used for research throughout the essay
    • To summarise the ending of the essay in a single sentence at the very start
    • To provide a title for the essay that is printed on the front page of the document

  3. What is a topic sentence?

    • The longest sentence in each paragraph, which must contain all the evidence used
    • The final sentence of an essay that sums up the whole argument in one line
    • A quotation placed at the start of an essay to attract the reader's attention
    • The sentence that introduces the main point of a paragraph

  4. What is a narrative essay?

    • A piece of writing that argues against a view using only statistics and charts
    • A piece of writing that gives instructions for completing a practical task step by step
    • A piece of writing that tells a true or imagined story, often reflecting on its meaning
    • A piece of writing that lists the features of a product for sale in a shop

  5. Which feature is typical of a formal essay?

    • Short bullet points with no full sentences and no connecting words between them
    • Dialogue between the writer and an imagined friend throughout the entire text
    • Impersonal, precise language with complete sentences and no slang
    • Frequent use of slang, abbreviations and emojis to engage the reader directly

  6. What is the job of a conclusion in an essay?

    • To draw the main points together and reflect on the significance of the argument
    • To introduce new evidence that the writer forgot to include in the body paragraphs
    • To ask the reader a question that has no connection to the essay's topic at all
    • To list all the sources in alphabetical order for the reader to check afterwards

  7. A student writes an essay on the causes of the Industrial Revolution. Which opening best states a clear thesis?

    • In this essay I will look at a lot of different things about factories and machines
    • The Industrial Revolution is a topic that many people have written about over the years
    • Industrial change in Britain was driven by new technology, coal and a growing population
    • Factories were built in Britain, and some of them had chimneys that were very tall

  8. Which paragraph structure is most effective in an expository essay?

    • A quotation alone, followed by the next paragraph with no comment on the quotation at all
    • A single long sentence with all the evidence and no explanation or link at all
    • A topic sentence, an explanation, evidence, then a sentence linking back to the thesis
    • Several unlinked facts in a list with no topic sentence or explanation of their relevance

  9. A narrative essay about a difficult journey should include which feature?

    • A recipe for the food eaten during the journey, with ingredients and cooking time
    • A clear sequence of events, with sensory detail and reflection on the experience
    • A numbered list of the journey's distances in kilometres and miles with a table
    • A set of exam-style questions and answers about the geography of the region visited

  10. A student uses 'I' throughout a formal expository essay. What is the best advice?

    • Use impersonal language and focus on the topic, unless the task explicitly asks for a personal voice
    • Use the word 'you' in every sentence so that the reader feels directly addressed in the essay
    • Replace every sentence with a question so that the essay sounds more personal and engaging
    • Keep using 'I' because formal essays must always be written in the first person singular

  11. What should a writer do to link paragraphs in a formal essay?

    • Use linking words and phrases such as however, furthermore or as a result
    • Add the word 'and' to the end of every paragraph to continue the thought
    • Start every paragraph with the same word so that the reader recognises the structure
    • Leave a blank line and start a new essay for each paragraph in the document

  12. Which evidence is most appropriate in an expository essay about climate?

    • A rumour that a friend heard at a party about the weather last summer
    • A personal feeling that the weather seems hotter than it was when the writer was young
    • A made-up statistic that sounds impressive but has no source that a reader could check
    • Data from a reliable source, such as temperature records, cited accurately

  13. Why does a formal essay need a clear structure?

    • It guarantees the marker will award the highest mark regardless of the content used
    • It helps the reader follow the argument and see how each part contributes to the thesis
    • It allows the writer to skip the conclusion entirely because the body is already complete
    • It means the essay can be shorter, because structure removes the need for any evidence

  14. A student's essay repeats the same point in three paragraphs. What is the main problem?

    • The essay is too formal, so repetition is needed to make it sound more casual
    • The essay has too many quotations, so repeating a point removes the need for quotations
    • The argument lacks development, because each paragraph should add a new idea or evidence
    • The essay is too short, so the student must add more repeated points to reach the length

  15. Which feature distinguishes an analytical paragraph from a descriptive one?

    • An analytical paragraph is always longer, with at least twice as many sentences
    • An analytical paragraph includes a picture, while a descriptive paragraph does not
    • An analytical paragraph contains more adjectives than a descriptive paragraph does
    • An analytical paragraph explains why and how something matters, not just what it is

  16. What is a 'counter-argument' in an essay?

    • A list of arguments that the teacher writes on the board for students to copy down
    • An opposing view that the writer acknowledges and then responds to or refutes
    • A second essay written by the same student to argue the opposite side of the topic
    • A question at the end of the essay that the reader must answer in their own reply

  17. A student writes 'Some people believe X, but I think Y because of Z.' What does this structure achieve?

    • It makes the essay shorter by removing the need for any evidence or explanation
    • It shows that the writer has no opinion and simply repeats what others have said
    • It acknowledges an opposing view and shows the writer's reasoned position
    • It guarantees the essay will be marked as narrative rather than expository writing

  18. Which introduction best hooks a reader in a narrative essay?

    • Starting with a list of the writer's school subjects and their favourite lessons
    • Starting with a statement that the writer is not very good at writing essays at all
    • Starting with the word 'Essay' in bold, followed by the title in capital letters
    • Starting with a vivid moment from the story, then stepping back to explain its significance

  19. How does a writer show reflection in a narrative essay?

    • By repeating the events in the same order with no comment or explanation at all
    • By using the passive voice throughout so that the writer's feelings are hidden
    • By listing the dates on which each event happened in the story in a timeline
    • By commenting on what the experience meant and how the writer's understanding changed

  20. What does 'cohesion' mean in an essay?

    • The clear connection of ideas across sentences and paragraphs, so the text holds together
    • The number of quotations that stick together on a single page of the essay
    • The use of glue or binding to hold printed pages together in a folder for submission
    • The rule that all essays on a topic must agree with the same single conclusion

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