YEAR 8 · 10-MINUTE BOOSTER
Choose evidence that fits
Choose a short quotation that supports the exact point you want to make.
2 minutes to read · 6 to try · 2 to check and improve. Suggested timings, not a test. Write in a notebook; nothing is uploaded or sent for marking.
Before you try
Evidence earns its place by supporting a particular point. A striking description is not automatically useful evidence: ask what it actually shows.
Start with your claim, then select the fewest words that preserve the relevant meaning. Copy them accurately and place quotation marks around them. You do not need to copy a whole sentence.
Read this
1Rain tapped the library windows as Mara arranged the exhibition. The other volunteers had gone downstairs for biscuits, leaving a plate beside her bag. She pressed each label flat, then used a ruler to check the gaps between the drawings. One picture leaned slightly to the left. Mara stepped back, tilted her head and adjusted it by the width of a fingernail.
2The clock above the desk clicked towards five. From downstairs came the scrape of chairs and a burst of laughter. Mara picked up a biscuit, but a curling corner caught her eye. She put it down and reached for the tape.
Original practice text created for The English Practice. People and situations are fictional.
Your turn
- Find a quotation of no more than 12 words to support this claim: Mara takes particular care over the presentation of the exhibition.
- In one sentence, explain how your quotation supports that precise claim.
- Would ‘Rain tapped the library windows’ support the same claim? Explain why or why not.
Make your own attempt before opening the model below. If you are stuck, revisit the explanation; you can use a model to help, then try again in your own words.
Ready to compare? Reveal the model and explanation
One possible response—not the only successful answer
A useful quotation is ‘used a ruler to check the gaps between the drawings’.
Using a ruler to check the spaces shows that Mara wants the display to be carefully arranged, even down to small details.
‘Rain tapped the library windows’ describes the weather and setting, not Mara’s care over the display, so it does not support this particular claim. Another precise choice would be ‘adjusted it by the width of a fingernail’, because such a tiny adjustment shows her attention to detail.
Why it works
- The chosen quotation is short enough to keep the reader’s attention on the relevant action.
- The explanation connects the ruler and the spacing to care over presentation; it does not simply repeat the quotation.
- The answer rejects the rain quotation for this claim, without suggesting that setting details are never useful.
A model illustrates the thinking, not a script to memorise. Different wording or an alternative interpretation can work when it answers the task and is properly supported.
Check your work
Tick a check only when you can point to it in your answer. These ticks are not sent to us or recorded as a progress score.
Make one improvement
Underline the words in your quotation that do the most work. Remove any unnecessary words from either end, then reread to check that the meaning is still accurate.
Want a further challenge? Optional stretch
Find different evidence for the narrower claim that Mara puts finishing the display before enjoying her break. Explain why your new choice fits that claim especially well.
Allow extra time for this. It is not part of the 10-minute booster.
Before moving on, explain one choice you improved. Finishing an activity is practice, not proof that a skill is secure; try applying it again in fresh work.
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