Reading: Presentational Features
Reading: Presentational Features Revision
Presentational Features
Presentational features are key to making texts easier to understand and navigate.
They are used across all types of texts, and can be very useful when the reader needs to scan for specific information.
Make sure you are happy with the following topics before continuing.
Imagine…
…that you are in a new city.
The walls are tall, the streets are busy, you are totally lost.
What would be useful in this situation?
A map? A signpost?
Complex texts are like a new city, and presentational features are your signposts.
Using Presentational Features
There are two ways you can use presentational features as a reader…
Method 1
The first way you can use presentational features is to find important information within a text.
You may not have anything specific you need to find details on, but features such as:
-
- bullet points
- boxed and highlighted text
- headings and subheadings
will direct you towards what the writer thinks is significant.
Method 2
The second way you can use presentational features is to find specific information within a text.
You will have specific information you will need to find details on, so looking for features such as:
-
- headings
- subheadings
- quotes
- charts or graphs
…will be helpful instead.
They will direct you towards specific areas of a text, and give you clues about where the information you need is located within the text.
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Signposts of the Reading World
As visual signposts, presentational features help to direct you to certain areas of text.
These are examples of the presentational features you may come across in your exam, have a look and get familiar…
Example: Presentational Features
The text below uses presentational features.
Question:
Which ones can you spot?
Have a think about how they make the text easier to navigate, and how they draw your attention to specific pieces of information.
Take some thinking time…
Answer:
Did you spot the numbered bullet points, heading, subheadings, quote, colour and graphics?
The numbered bullet points features split the text into more manageable chunks, and tell the reader which order to read it in.
The colour and graphics make the text more interesting to look at, and the quote makes the text more credible.
And finally, the heading and subheadings give the reader information about what is in different sections of the text.
This is especially useful when they are looking for particular information.Â
Additional Resources
Exam Tips Cheat Sheet
FS Level 2Reading: Presentational Features Worksheet and Example Questions
Reading: Presentational Features L2
FS Level 2NewOfficial PFS
Reading: Presentational Features L1
FS Level 1NewOfficial PFSRevision Products
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