T2.3.2 Improving coherence and structure Quiz: KS3 English, Unit 2

The 20 questions

1. What does a cohesive device do in a text?

   • It replaces a full stop with a comma so that sentences run together without any break at all.
   • It adds decorative images to a page so that the text looks more colourful and interesting to read.
   • It links ideas between sentences and paragraphs so that the text reads as one connected whole.
   • It shortens the text by removing repeated words, which makes the piece quicker to read aloud.

2. Which word is a cohesive device that signals a contrast?

   • Therefore, which tells the reader that the next idea is a consequence of the previous one.
   • Meanwhile, which tells the reader that the next idea happens at the same time as the previous one.
   • However, which tells the reader that the next idea differs from or opposes the previous one.
   • Furthermore, which tells the reader that the next idea adds more information to the previous one.

3. Which choice best links two paragraphs about the causes and effects of flooding?

   • Flooding is a problem. Flooding is a very big problem for people. Flooding can be very scary.
   • As a result of heavy rainfall, rivers rise quickly, which can flood nearby homes and roads.
   • The sky is grey today. There is a bus station nearby. My favourite colour is blue.
   • Some people like rain. Other people enjoy sunshine. Lots of people like to go outside.

4. What is the main purpose of a topic sentence?

   • It gives the reader a list of all the sources used in the paragraph and their publication dates.
   • It asks a question that the paragraph must answer, and it is always the last sentence written.
   • It states the main idea of a paragraph so that the reader knows what the paragraph will cover.
   • It contains the most surprising fact in the paragraph, which is always placed at the very end.

5. Which sentence best shows a logical sequence in a process?

   • Finally, leave it to rise; mix the flour and water; knead the dough; then, first of all.
   • First, mix the flour and water; next, knead the dough; finally, leave it to rise.
   • Knead the dough, rise, first mix, finally leave it, next to the flour and water.
   • Mix the flour and water, leave to rise, finally knead, then first of all the dough.

6. Why might a writer use a paragraph break?

   • To separate the title from the main body, which is required in every kind of text at all.
   • To make the text look longer on the page so that the writer appears to have written more.
   • To signal a change in topic, time, place or speaker so the reader can follow the structure.
   • To hide an important point in the middle of a long block of text so it is less noticeable.

7. Which word is a time connective?

   • Afterwards, which shows that one event follows another in order.
   • Consequently, which shows that one event is the result of another event earlier.
   • Nevertheless, which shows that a point is still true despite an earlier statement.
   • Moreover, which shows that one point is added to an earlier point in the argument.

8. A paragraph jumps from a point about dogs to a point about the moon. What is the best fix?

   • Remove the first sentence of the paragraph so that the reader is not confused by the topic change.
   • Add a random statistic about cats to the paragraph so that the reader forgets the moon altogether.
   • Add a link sentence that explains how the two ideas connect, or move one to a different paragraph.
   • Repeat the word moon three more times so that the reader is told clearly what the paragraph is about.

9. Which sentence uses a pronoun to create cohesion?

   • Maya bought a new bike, and Maya rode Maya's bike to school and Maya rode it again.
   • Maya bought a new bike, and she rode it to school every morning for the rest of term.
   • Maya bought a new bike, and the rider of the new bike rode the bike to the school today.
   • Maya bought a new bike, and the bike was red, and the bike was fast, and the bike was new.

10. Which element helps a reader follow the argument in a formal essay?

    • An introduction that states the main argument and a conclusion that summarises the key points.
    • An introduction that tells the reader that the essay will be long and difficult to follow in full.
    • A series of unconnected claims placed in random order, each without any clear link to the next.
    • A conclusion that introduces a brand-new argument that has not been discussed anywhere before.

11. What does a writer achieve by using repeated key words across paragraphs?

    • They replace the need for topic sentences, so that each paragraph can begin with any random word.
    • They keep the central theme visible so that the reader can follow the thread of the argument.
    • They show that the writer has run out of ideas and is trying to make the piece look longer.
    • They make the text harder to read, which proves that the writer knows the subject very well indeed.

12. Which connective best signals a conclusion to an argument?

    • In addition, which signals that the writer is about to add another point to the list.
    • In conclusion, which signals that the writer is about to summarise the main points.
    • On the other hand, which signals that the writer is about to present a contrasting view.
    • For example, which signals that the writer is about to give a specific case as support.

13. Which sentence best combines two short sentences into one cohesive sentence?

    • The rain was heavy. The match went ahead. The pitch was covered with a thick sheet.
    • The rain was heavy and the match and the pitch and the cover and the rain went on.
    • Although the rain was heavy, the match went ahead because the pitch was covered.
    • Rain heavy match ahead pitch covered sheet thick which was on the pitch that day.

14. Why does a writer use a summary sentence at the end of a paragraph?

    • To tell the reader that the paragraph is finished, and that nothing else will be said about it.
    • To pull the key point together so the reader leaves the paragraph with a clear understanding.
    • To repeat the first sentence word for word so the paragraph forms a loop with no ending.
    • To introduce a new idea that has no connection with the rest of the paragraph at all.

15. Which device helps the reader see a sequence of events in a story?

    • Time connectives, such as 'later that day' or 'the next morning', which mark each stage clearly.
    • Questions addressed to the reader without any answers, which leave the order of events unclear.
    • Long lists of adjectives, which describe how each character looks but do not show when events happen.
    • Footnotes that explain the dates of each event, which are placed at the end of the story.

16. A writer wants to show that two points are equally important. Which connective is best?

    • Nevertheless, which signals that the second point is important only in spite of the first.
    • Unless, which signals that the second point depends on a condition that has not yet been met.
    • Similarly, which signals that the second point shares the same importance as the first.
    • Otherwise, which signals that the second point would happen if the first point did not occur.

17. Which sentence uses a cohesive device to refer back to a noun from the previous sentence?

    • The Nile flows north, river, flows north, one, longest, world.
    • The Nile flows north. The Nile flows north. The Nile is a river that flows north.
    • The Nile flows north, and so the Nile is not, is one, is the world's longest river.
    • The Nile flows north. It is one of the longest rivers in the world.

18. Which phrase best links a second paragraph to the one before it?

    • Building on this idea, the second paragraph considers how the effect spreads to nearby towns.
    • This is the end of the essay, so there is nothing more to say about the topic at all.
    • Anyway, let us now think about something completely different that is not connected to the topic.
    • Bananas are yellow, and they are often eaten at breakfast by children who like fruit.

19. Which connective best shows that one event happened because of an earlier event?

    • Firstly, which opens a list and shows that the point being made is the first in a sequence.
    • Consequently, which shows that the second event happened as a direct result of the first.
    • Although, which shows a concession that contrasts with the point made in the first sentence.
    • Besides, which adds an extra point that supports the one already made in the previous sentence.

20. Which sentence keeps a paragraph coherent by staying on one topic?

    • Dolphins are intelligent mammals, and they use clicks and whistles to communicate with each other in groups.
    • The sea is blue, and yesterday my bus was late, and the timetable changed again last week.
    • Dolphins swim in the sea. Football is a game played on grass with eleven players on each side.
    • Dolphins are intelligent, but my favourite pizza has pepperoni and extra cheese on top every Friday.

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