Sometimes, it’s really comforting to have a right or wrong answer – but this does not happen that often in English.

English teachers and examiners are interested in how you can weigh up ideas, and think about your own opinions. You might be familiar with questions that ask things like:

• ‘Both texts explore the damage that humans have on the natural world.’ How far do you agree with this statement?
• The middle part of the story (from line 22-40) explore the character of Milly. A student said that ‘It is clear that Milly is awkward and obnoxious – she deserves to be treated badly.’ To what extent do you agree with this view?

This type of question is where you are assessed on AO4 – you are asked to evaluate an idea and provide your opinions and thoughts on this statement.

Depending on the syllabus you are studying, you might be expected to do this for a fiction or non-fiction text.