Take this Exam: National 5 English: Analysing Language | Zestly

Question 1

In the sentence, 'The council — which had promised a full consultation — announced the decision on a Friday afternoon,' what do the dashes do?

Accepted Answer

They drop the broken promise into the middle of the announcement, so the two sit together and the sentence reads as an accusation.

Answer

They mark a pause for breath in a long sentence.

Answer

They show that the information between them is unimportant.

Answer

They introduce a list of what the council decided.

Question 2

In the sentence, 'There was only one thing left to do: tell her,' what does the colon do?

Accepted Answer

It holds the sentence back for a moment and then delivers, so the whole weight falls on the last two words.

Answer

It joins two complete sentences that could each stand alone.

Answer

It introduces a list of the things left to do.

Answer

It shows that the speaker is uncertain.

Question 3

In the sentence, 'Cold, tired and out of ideas, he sat down,' what does putting the three descriptions before the action achieve?

Accepted Answer

It makes the reader feel the state he is in before learning what he does, so the sitting down reads as a surrender rather than a choice.

Answer

It makes the sentence grammatically correct, which it would not otherwise be.

Answer

It tells the reader the order in which he became cold, tired and short of ideas.

Answer

It suggests that he sat down quickly.

Question 4

In the sentence, 'The gate clanged shut behind them,' what does 'clanged' contribute?

Answer

It tells the reader the gate was made of wood.

Answer

The harsh metallic sound of the word makes the closing feel final and unwelcoming, as though they are shut in.

Answer

It suggests the gate was closed gently by someone being careful.

Answer

It shows that somebody was following them.

Question 5

In the sentence, 'The queue crawled towards the door,' what does the word 'crawled' suggest?

Answer

That the people in the queue are on their hands and knees.

Answer

That the queue is long rather than slow.

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That the people in the queue are frightened.

Answer

That the queue is moving painfully slowly, and barely moving at all rather than simply going at a steady pace.