Category 1: Article Basics
In the IGCSE exam, a magazine article is usually written for:
A. University lecturers
B. A school or youth publication
C. Government officials
D. Business executive
B. A school or youth publication
The short, attention-grabbing title at the top of the article is called:
A. The caption
B. The headline
C. The footer
D. The label
B. The headline
Which vocabulary is best for a magazine article?
A. Repeating simple words like “nice” and “good”
B. Vivid and varied vocabulary
C. Only technical jargon
D. Only slang and abbreviations
B. Vivid and varied vocabulary
In Question 3 (directed writing), the content is guided by:
A. A poem
B. Three bullet points
C. A list of grammar rules
D. A picture only
B. Three bullet points
Saying the same idea as the text but in your own words is called:
A. Lifting
B. Copying
C. Paraphrasing
D. Summarising
C. Paraphrasing
Which of these is a basic presentation mistake in a magazine article?
A. Using paragraphs
B. Adding a headline
C. Forgetting to write a headline
D. Using full stops
C. Forgetting to write a headline
The two things that should always guide the way you write your article are:
A. Time limit and handwriting
B. Word count and spelling
C. Audience and purpose
D. Teacher’s mood and paper colour
C. Audience and purpose
Which part of your article should hook the reader at the beginning?
A. Conclusion
B. Body paragraph 2
C. Introduction
D. Reference list
C. Introduction
Mixing short and long sentences is mainly used to show:
A. Grammar mistakes
B. Handwriting style
C. Varied sentence structure and fluency
D. Spelling ability
C. Varied sentence structure and fluency
Roughly how much of your article should you devote to each bullet point?
A. One tenth
B. Half
C. One third
D. A few words only
C. One third
To show your own voice, you should combine details from the text with:
A. Personal comments and reactions
B. Random jokes that don’t fit
C. Unrelated song lyrics
D. Only direct quotations
A. Personal comments and reactions
Writing your answer as a formal letter with “Dear Sir/Madam” instead of an article is:
A. Using the wrong text type
B. Good creativity
C. A strong introduction
D. Correct exam format
A. Using the wrong text type
A magazine article often speaks directly to the reader using:
A. “They”
B. “We” only
C. “He/She”
D. “You”
D. “You”
The main body of a good article usually:
A. Repeats the introduction several times
B. Develops the bullet points in 2–4 clear paragraphs
C. Only uses one very long paragraph
D. Has no clear link to the bullet points
B. Develops the bullet points in 2–4 clear paragraphs
Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to be there?” is an example of:
A. A factual statement
B. A rhetorical question
C. A statistic
D. A quotation
B. A rhetorical question
Before planning, what should you first do with the source text?
A. Ignore it and write from memory
B. Only read the first sentence
C. Read it carefully, highlighting ideas for each bullet point
D. Rewrite it word for word
C. Read it carefully, highlighting ideas for each bullet point
Which of these is acceptable to keep exactly the same from the source?
A. Whole paragraphs
B. Long descriptive sentences
C. Proper names and key statistics
D. Every sentence beginning
C. Proper names and key statistics
What happens if you completely miss one bullet point?
A. You get bonus marks
B. You lose content marks for that area
C. Nothing happens
D. Your language marks automatically become full
B. You lose content marks for that area
What is the most appropriate overall tone for a school magazine article in the exam?
A. Extremely formal and academic
B. Very casual with lots of slang
C. Semi-formal and friendly
D. Completely sarcastic
C. Semi-formal and friendly
Subheadings in an article are used mainly to:
A. Increase the word count
B. Confuse the reader
C. Signal a change of topic and organise ideas
D. Replace the headline
C. Signal a change of topic and organise ideas
Words chosen to make the reader feel shocked, sad or inspired are called:
A. Neutral words
B. Emotive language
C. Imperative verbs
D. Connectives
B. Emotive language
High reading marks are given when you:
A. Only copy whole sentences
B. Use both obvious facts and deeper ideas from the text
C. Invent all the information
D. Only list quotes without explanation
B. Use both obvious facts and deeper ideas from the text
What is “lifting” in directed writing?
A. Using connectives correctly
B. Copying language straight from the text
C. Writing in present tense
D. Changing the title
B. Copying language straight from the text
Question 3 (directed writing) is commonly marked as:
A. 10 for Reading, 15 for Writing
B. 25 for Reading only
C. 15 for Reading, 10 for Writing
D. 5 for Reading, 20 for Writing
C. 15 for Reading, 10 for Writing
Where should the content of your article mainly come from?
A. Your imagination only
B. The source text / reading passage
C. Random facts from social media
D. Past papers from other years
B. The source text / reading passage
What should a strong conclusion not do?
A. Leave a lasting impression
B. Summarise the key message or attitude
C. End with a call to action or a thought
D. Introduce a completely new idea not mentioned before
D. Introduce a completely new idea not mentioned before
Which combination best describes effective article style?
A. Flat tone, repeated phrases, many errors
B. Engaging tone, varied vocabulary, accurate sentences
C. Only very long sentences with no punctuation
D. Only questions and exclamations
B. Engaging tone, varied vocabulary, accurate sentences
Which structure shows that your article is well organised?
A. No introduction or conclusion
B. A beginning, a middle and an end
C. Five introductions and no conclusion
D. Random paragraphs in any order
B. A beginning, a middle and an end
Using ideas that are suggested but not directly stated in the passage shows you can:
A. Ignore the text
B. Read between the lines (infer)
C. Count words quickly
D. Memorise spelling
B. Read between the lines (infer)
Top-band Writing answers are usually:
A. Very short, with many errors
B. Long but unclear, with lifting
C. Engaging, accurate and sophisticated in style
D. Written in note form
C. Engaging, accurate and sophisticated in style