1. Section A - Reading
Question 3: Inference and Deduction
Approaching and answering
Question 3

2. Question 3: Inference and Deduction
•8 marks
•12 minutes on this question
•You need to briskly analyse the language of the text to
answer the question
•Discuss four or five points where the reader (i.e. you!) are
able to ‘read between the lines’

3. Describe the thoughts and feelings of the narrator in the blank boxes…
Text Inference / Deduction
“We were on a mission. As we turned into our road
from the alleyway, a quiet buzzing sound drifted over
us. We knew we were on our way.”
“I jerked upright, the drifting aimless thoughts
pushed away and replaced with a consuming anger
at what had happened. I screamed at the wind.
Swearing and yelling blind.”
“I had had friends before but there was no one with
whom I could speak with such honesty as I could with
Amolak.”
“I was already unhappy with what I was seeing. I'm
causing this to happen, I kept thinking. This pig has
been hand-fed for six months, fattened up - for me.”
“I am being transported to that place, the vast place
where the screams, voices, the bangs, the footsteps
combine to make this painfully deafening confusing
mush of sound. Although as we walk in the tears run
down my face, nobody seems to notice my terror.”

4. Match-up. Develop and explain…
Text Inference / Deduction
“We were on a mission. As we turned into our road
from the alleyway, a quiet buzzing sound drifted over
us. We knew we were on our way.”
Trust
“I jerked upright, the drifting aimless thoughts
pushed away and replaced with a consuming anger
at what had happened. I screamed at the wind.
Swearing and yelling blind.”
Fear and apprehension
“I had had friends before but there was no one with
whom I could speak with such honesty as I could with
Amolak.”
Frustration and anger
“I was already unhappy with what I was seeing. I'm
causing this to happen, I kept thinking. This pig has
been hand-fed for six months, fattened up - for me.”
Excitement
“I am being transported to that place, the vast place
where the screams, voices, the bangs, the footsteps
combine to make this painfully deafening confusing
mush of sound. Although as we walk in the tears run
down my face, nobody seems to notice my terror.”
Guilt

5. 1. •Highlight the key words in the question. Usually, the question
asks you to explain some thoughts and feelings of a first-person
narrator.
•Be aware, however, that you may be asked to infer and deduce in
a different way. PAY CAREFUL ATTENTION TO THE QUESTION.
Explain some of the thoughts and feelings Claire Francis
has during the storm.
Explain some of the thoughts and feelings Christopher
Ondaatje has about his experience of Lake Victoria.
Explain which parts of Pete Boardman’s story of the
return to Camp 6 you find tense
and exciting.

6. 2.
IN GROUPS
•Actively read the text: You are looking for particular parts of
the text which you’ve been asked to write about in the question.
•Next, go through the text, highlighting sections that will help
you answer the question.
•You might like to annotate the article very briefly with ideas that will
help you answer the question.
Ferry Across the Lake: Explain some of the thoughts and feelings
Christopher Ondaatje has about his experience of Lake Victoria.

7. FERRY ACROSS THE LAKE: On his journey to the source of the Nile, Christopher Ondaatje crosses part of Lake Victoria
From a past paper from AQA
Thinking
about the
past and
connecting it
to the
present
Admires
this
place

8. 3.
IN GROUPS
•Now you’re ready to write up your ideas, you
need a clear introductory sentence introducing your response, as usual.
Use the question to help you do this; turn it into a statement.
•You then need to talk about each section you’ve
highlighted. The question will tell you what to write about; don’t stray
from this!
•Pepper your points with short quotes that help you explain
your response. Do not copy large chunks of the text.
Writing up ideas

9. Connective The author / language in the
text…
The reader…
(or ‘we’…)
Firstly
Secondly
Thirdly
As well as this
Furthermore
Moreover
Finally
Lastly
Likewise
Similarly
Builds
Connotes
Contrasts
Conveys
Creates
Demonstrates
Describes
Depicts
Emphasises
Evokes
Exaggerates
Expresses
Gives the impression
Gives a sense
Highlights
Informs
Implies
Indicates
Narrates
Realises
Recognises
Refers to
Reflects
Reveals
Signifies
Suggests
Shows
Tells
Is made aware
Is informed
Is told
Learns
Discovers
Realises
3.
USEFUL WORDS & PHRASES

10. A sample response from Question 3 (Explain some of the thoughts and feelings Christopher Ondaatje has about his
experience of Lake Victoria.)
In this extract, Christopher Ondaatje describes his visit to Lake Victoria. He experiences various thoughts and feelings during his
journey.
Firstly, in the opening paragraph, the author gives us the impression that he is thinking about both the present and the past. He
describes his location and what he can see before him, and reveals that Mwanza is a “vibrant African city” that is growing and
busy. Implying that this place is a living city, he states that it “seemed to grow as we watched”. Furthermore, he shows an
awareness of the lake being much older and having played a role in “the great explorations of the past”. This conveys to the
reader the fact that Ondaatje has a sense of the lake’s history and its importance as a landmark for previous travellers.
The second paragraph suggests to us that our narrator is overcome by the beauty of nature. He portrays where he is as an
“idyllic spot” and then goes on to describe the sounds of the birds, the beauty of the sunrise and the sound of the lake. His
senses are informing his feelings here; what he sees and hears are all conveyed very positively and he claims waking here would
“be a good way to start every morning”.
However, as Ondaatje describes the travellers’ wait to catch the ferry to cross the lake, the language he uses hints that he is no
longer in control of the situation. Passengers have to rely on the local system, which is not very reliable, and there is doubt that
they will even get on the ferry. The previous idyllic setting is now contrasted by the discomfort of the day getting “hotter and
hotter”. The description of conditions on the ferry shows the passengers’ discomfort only gets worse, calling the setting “hot
as hell – and getting hotter.” Moreover, worse than the discomfort he feels is his knowledge that a similar ferry sank or “went
down” a year or so earlier with loss of life. Ondaatje’s anxiety is shown in that he realises there is no system of controlling the
amount of weight taken on by the ferry and that it is also an old ferry which he depicts as “decrepit”. The thought of this past
tragedy and the disorganisation he is witnessing causes him to worry and feel anxious.
Lastly, in the the final paragraph, the writer describes the sound and movement of the ferry; again he is impressed by what he
can see of nature but there is also a sense of disbelief that the heavily laden ferry is managing to move. When he sees the
“teeming mass” of a crowd waiting to board on the other side of the lake he realises that this crossing is an everyday
occurrence for the locals and that they are continuing to use it in spite of any concerns about safety; as he is viewing the safety
aspect from the point of view of somebody used to a culture of stringent health and safety rules he is clearly feeling anxious
and worried while the locals seem to take the situation in their stride.
A*

11. A sample response from Question 3 (Explain some of the thoughts and feelings Christopher Ondaatje has about his
experience of Lake Victoria.)
In this extract, Christopher Ondaatje describes his visit to Lake Victoria. He experiences various thoughts and
feelings during his journey.
Firstly, in the opening paragraph, the author describes his location and what he can see before him, and reveals
that Mwanza is a “vibrant African city”. This suggests that he likes and admires this busy place – he also
describes it as “huge and beautiful”. The lake makes him think about the past and how the “mighty” lake was
important to “past explorations”.
Secondly, Ondaatje tells us that he finds the place an “idyllic spot” with a “spectacular sunrise” which implies
that he finds the setting beautiful. He uses his senses when he describes the sounds of the birds and the
scenery around him and he finds the setting peaceful and calming. He even says he would like to wake up in
this place “every morning”.
When Ondaatje describes the travellers’ wait to catch the ferry to cross the lake, we are made aware that he is
uncomfortable and frustrated. The ferry is late and the weather is getting “hotter and hotter” which makes
things worse. When he is on the actual ferry the author seems to become more uncomfortable when he
describes it as “hot as hell – and getting hotter”. “Hell” has very negative connotations, so we can infer that he
is not enjoying himself. Moreover, Ondaatje tells us that in the past a ferry “went down” which suggests to us
that he is perhaps worried and anxious.
Lastly, at the end of the text the writer describes the sound and movement of the ferry and he says that
“somehow the craft stayed afloat” which reveals that he cannot believe that the boat has not sank. When he
reaches the bay Ondaatje feels relieved as he claims the passengers “felt a bit of breeze at last”.
C

12. Question 3: Inference and Deduction – Sample Mark Scheme