Higher Close Reading Link Questions

What type of question is this? Link questions are the third type of understanding questions that you will cover in Higher English. Link questions ask you to identify the parts of a sentence which link back to the previous topic and link forward to introduce a new topic.

Some useful information Usually, but not in all cases, the “link” will be the first sentence in a paragraph. It will refer back to the previous paragraph and tell the reader what the following paragraph will be about. Your understanding is being tested as you must summarise what the previous topic was and show what topic will follow. Your answer must follow the quote and comment structure to gain full marks.

How do I answer a link question? Use the following steps to answer context questions: Step 1: Quote the part of the sentence which refers to the earlier topic and explain what that topic is. (1 mark) Step 2: Quote the part of the sentence which looks forward to the next topic and explain what that topic is. (1 mark) ½ mark You answer largely depends on your understanding of the paragraph before & after the linking sentence!

Example of a link question: My mother was born near Gloucester, in the early 1880s. Through her father, John Light, she had some mysterious connection with the Castle, half-forgotten, but implying a blood-link somewhere. Indeed it was said that an ancestor led the murder of Edward II. But whatever the illicit grandeurs of her forbears, Mother was born to quite ordinary poverty. When she was about thirteen years old her mother was taken ill, so she had to leave school for good. She had her five young brothers and her father to look after, and there was no-one else to help. Question: Show how the underlined sentence performs a linking function between two ideas. Answer: Step 1: “Whatever the illicit grandeurs of her forbears” links back to the previous paragraph and the topic of the father’s grand and noble family. (1 mark) Step 2: “Mother was born to quite ordinary poverty” introduces the next topic which is the mother’s poor and struggling family. (1 mark)

Vocabulary to be aware of! Vocabulary to change the direction of an argument But…However… In spite of this… In contrast… Yet… In opposition to this… Vocabulary to continue/emphasise an argument Furthermore…Subsequently…Consequently…Again…Secondly…thirdly…lastly …Once more…

Practice Questions Complete questions 2, 3, 4 & 6 from the Higher language book (p.13-15).

Q 2 Show how the first sentence in the second paragraph acts as a link in the argument. The phrase “the position” refers to the stance the beggar has occupied at the end of the drive by the gates. “brought the old man little benefit” introduces the idea that the old man was too weak to beg, and eventually died of exposure after the heavy snowfall.

Q3 Show how the first sentence of the second paragraph acts as a link in the argument. The phrase “the appearance” links back to the previous paragraph which was a list of the features of the Queen’s beauty. The phrase “the character of Mary Stewart” introduces a description of her intellect and her personality.

Q4 Show how the phrase underlined relates to what has gone before it and introduces a new idea to be developed in the remainder of the paragraph. The word “vast” refers back to the very large numbers working in service. The word “heterogeneous”, which means of many different kinds, looks forward to the explanation of the huge variety of types of service.

Q6 Show how the sentence in italics acts as a link. The phrase “the years as a golden boy” refers back to the description of Alastair's successful school career. The phrase “made a sad contrast” leads up to the list of disasters which overtook him later when he was at university.