Cambridge Progression Test Stage 4 English 2025 Paper 2

1. Reading Comprehension and Language: Understanding Sophie’s emotions and actions (e.g. why she couldn’t sleep, why she got out of bed); identifying similes, connectives, and verbs; recognising verb substitutes like “whispered” for “said.”
2. Grammar and Vocabulary: Identifying phrases (e.g. “drop off”), word types (adverb, verb, connective), and punctuation use (e.g. commas for clauses); analysing apostrophes and onomatopoeia; interpreting adjectives for mood (e.g. mysterious).
3. Text Interpretation and Structure: Linking first and last lines for cohesion; explaining how the writer builds suspense or heightens tension (e.g. describing the tall figure Sophie saw); recognising stylistic choices like alliteration or simile.
4. Character Response and Reasoning: Reflecting on personal feelings about Sophie’s experience; supporting opinions with evidence from the story; analysing reactions like fear or curiosity in a believable context.
5. Sentence Types and Word Function: Matching sentence structures (e.g. question, instruction, exclamation) and matching words to their grammatical roles (e.g. “still” = adverb, “but” = connective).
6. Creative Writing (Story Development): Writing a short story based on encountering a strange noise or shadow; developing setting, character emotion, and tension; exploring real or fantasy explanations; structured narrative with resolution.