Two kinds of opinion in one text
Part C articles often contain several voices. There is the writer, and there are the people the writer quotes or reports: a researcher, a nurse manager, a patient advocate. Items may ask about any of them: 'What is the writer's view of…?', 'How does Dr Lee feel about…?', 'Which best describes the writer's attitude?'
The most common mistake is giving the right opinion to the wrong person. Before you answer, ask: whose view does the stem ask about? Then find that person's words in the text and read only those closely.
Hedging: how sure is the speaker?
Hedging words show how certain someone is. They matter because the options often differ only in strength.
| Strength | Typical words and phrases |
|---|---|
| Very sure | clearly, shows, demonstrates, there is no doubt, certainly |
| Fairly sure | suggests, indicates, is likely to, probably |
| Unsure | may, might, could, it is possible that, appears, seems, remains unclear |
Text: 'The data appear to support wider use of the scheme, although it is too early to say whether the benefits will last.' Item: What is the writer's view of the scheme?
The writer is convinced the scheme should be used everywhere.
The writer is cautiously positive about the scheme.
Why: Appear to support is positive but hedged, and too early to say adds doubt. Cautiously positive matches both.
Evaluative language
Writers show attitude through words that judge, not just describe. Notice them, especially in the first and last paragraphs, where writers often state their position.
| Attitude | Typical words in the text |
|---|---|
| Positive | promising, valuable, welcome, impressive, sensible |
| Negative | flawed, worrying, misguided, disappointing, ill-considered |
| Mixed | modest, uneven, a step in the right direction, only part of the answer |
Learn the attitude words that appear in options too: sceptical (doubts it), cautious (careful, not fully sure), dismissive (does not take it seriously), ambivalent (has mixed feelings), supportive, critical, optimistic, concerned.
Concession: While X, Y
Writers often admit a point before making their real argument. The structure is While X, Y; Although X, Y; X. However, Y; or Admittedly X, but Y. The writer's main view is usually in Y, the part after the turn.
Text: 'While electronic prescribing has reduced some types of error, it has introduced new ones that are harder to spot, such as choosing the wrong item from a drop-down list.' Item: The writer's main point about electronic prescribing is that…
it has reduced errors.
it has created new risks as well as reducing some errors.
Why: Reduced some types of error is the concession. The writer's emphasis is on the new errors in the second half.
Reporting verbs: how the writer frames a quotation
When the writer reports what someone said, the choice of verb can show how the writer sees the claim.
| Verb | What it often signals |
|---|---|
| says, states, notes, explains | Neutral reporting |
| points out, shows | The writer tends to accept the point as true |
| argues, maintains, insists | The person holds a position, possibly against others |
| claims, alleges | The writer may be keeping some distance from the claim |
| acknowledges, concedes, admits | The person accepts a point that weakens their own side |
| warns, cautions | The person sees a risk |
These are tendencies, not fixed rules. Claims can be neutral in some writing, so look for other signals nearby, such as 'although no figures have been published'.
A worked example
Dr Amara Nwosu, who leads a pilot of nurse-led discharge on two surgical wards, argues that the model frees doctors to spend more time with sicker patients. She acknowledges that some nurses felt uneasy at first about making the final decision. Hospital managers claim that the pilot has already cut the average length of stay by a day, although no figures have yet been published. For my part, the idea is a sensible one, and it builds on skills senior nurses use every day. But a pilot on two wards with enthusiastic staff tells us little about how the model would work on a busy medical ward at night.
Item 1: What does Dr Nwosu accept about the pilot? A It has reduced length of stay. B Some nurses were not comfortable with it at first. C It may not suit medical wards.
B is correct: acknowledges marks something she accepts. A is the managers' claim, not hers. C is the writer's concern, not Dr Nwosu's. Both wrong options are real ideas from the text, given to the wrong person.
Item 2: Which best describes the writer's attitude to nurse-led discharge? A confident it will work in every setting B supportive of the idea but unsure the evidence is strong enough yet C sceptical that nurses have the necessary skills D dismissive of the managers' claims
B is correct. For my part signals the writer's own voice: sensible is positive, and the But sentence adds doubt about the evidence. A ignores the doubt. C contradicts 'builds on skills senior nurses use every day'. D is too strong: claims and 'no figures' show some distance, but the writer does not reject the managers' view.
Check yourself
4 quick questions. Tap an answer to see why.
1 Text: 'The minister claims the new rosters have ended staff shortages.' What does claims most likely suggest?
2 Text: 'Although the app is popular with patients, there is little evidence that it improves blood pressure control.' What is the writer's main point?
3 A stem asks about a quoted researcher's view. Where should you look?
4 Which word means 'having mixed feelings'?