KS1 (Age 5-7)KS2 (Age 7-11)11 Plus (Age 7-11)KS3 (Age 11-14)GCSE (Age 14-17)PSHE A.I.ESL Spanish Specialist Games

Need help with Presentational Devices? Ask our AI Tutor!

AI Tutor - Lucy

Connecting with Tutor...

Please wait while we establish connection

Hi! I'm Lucy, your AI tutor. How can I help you with Presentational Devices today?

now

The associations a reader might have with any particular colour are what guides a writer when choosing to colour text.

Presentational Devices

Presentational devices guide readers. Learn how headings, images, charts, and layout highlight key points, persuade audiences, and make information clear in GCSE English.

Explore the Topic →

(quiz starts below)

Fascinating Fact:

Charts show numbers visually. A bar chart comparing four categories is understood faster than a paragraph of figures.

In GCSE English, presentational devices shape meaning in non-fiction. You will explore how layout, type size, images, captions, and charts guide the eye, support arguments, and help readers compare information quickly.

Key Terms

Layout: The arrangement of text and images on a page to focus attention and aid understanding.
Caption: A short explanation placed near an image or chart to clarify its message.
Bar chart: A diagram that compares data using rectangular bars so differences are easy to see.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What are presentational devices in English?

Presentational devices are visual features such as headings, subheadings, images, charts, bullet points, and whitespace that make information clearer and more persuasive for the reader.

How do charts improve non-fiction writing?

Charts allow fast comparisons and show trends at a glance. They reduce heavy text and can strengthen an argument by making evidence easier to understand.

How do I analyse layout in a GCSE response?

Comment on placement, size, and hierarchy. Explain how headings, images, and whitespace guide reading order and how these choices support the writer’s purpose and audience.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .

Which of the following is NOT a purpose of bulleted lists?

To provide information clearly, without unnecessary words

To save precious time when writing

To draw the reader's eye to the information

To make information easy to retrieve

Saving time might seem like a good answer, but remember: writers choose presentational devices that will have the most effect for their audience and will suit their purpose in writing. If a writer wanted to save time, how much easier would it be not to write at all?

2 .

Which of the following statements is NOT true?

Good layout presents information in a way that's easy to follow

Good layout guides the reader to the most important aspects of the text

Good layout is tailored to the audience

Good layout is impartial and has little effect on the reader's understanding of a text

Have you ever read a newspaper article with the phrase 'Continued on page 10' halfway through the most interesting paragraph, but then when you turned to page 10, the rest of the article wasn't there, or was there but wasn't obvious? That's an example of poor layout

3 .

Which of the following means 'a set of type; the appearance of letters and characters'?

Bulleted list

Caption

Italics

Font

A writer will carefully choose the best font for a particular audience. Writers often use italics or bold in order to draw attention to particular words or to distinguish between different text features (i.e. headlines would not be as noticeable if they were not in a larger, bold font)

4 .

When are charts and diagrams useful?

Charts and diagrams are useful for illustrating the meaning of any data or statistics used in the text

Charts and diagrams are only useful for breaking up the text so the reader won't be bored

Charts and diagrams are only useful for confusing the reader

Charts and diagrams are never useful

Charts and diagrams may seem dependable, but watch out! Even these truthful-looking mathematical tools can be used in a biased manner by an unscrupulous writer

5 .

Which of the following is NOT a presentational device?

Illustrations

Titles

Purpose

Use of colour

Audience and purpose will guide the choice of presentational devices

6 .

'Layout' means...

the way a broadsheet newspaper looks when it is open and 'laid out'

the method used to index the text

the way a text is organised on the page

how easily a text can be assembled

Specifically, layout describes how writing and any presentational devices are organised on the page

7 .

At its most basic level, a title tells the audience what the subject of a text is. A title might also...

express bias, trying to influence the reader's response to the text

indicate the tone of the text

give a clue to the writer's attitude to the subject

All of the above

Titles can often be analysed as closely as you would analyse a line of poetry - look for emotive language, allusions, or any connotations which words or phrases have

8 .

What guides a writer's choice when using colour in a text?

The associations a reader might have with any particular colour

Whether a particular colour suits the writer's wardrobe

The writer will always choose the cheapest colour

The writer only wants the text to look attractive

A publisher may sometimes wish for cheaper printing costs, but a writer's only consideration is 'what effect will this colour have on my reader?' (i.e. what does the reader associate with this colour?)

9 .

A biased caption would...

only give factual information about the photo or illustration

allow the reader to decide what the photo or illustration means

tell the reader how to interpret the illustration or photo

explain a topic which is completely separate from the photo or illustration

10 .

'Mobile phone company insists woman must pay bill after thieves run up £15,000 charges in TWO HOURS' - what is the purpose of the use of capitals in this headline?

To be as clear with the facts as possible

To express a sense of incredulity

To encourage the reader to skip the headline and go straight to the report

The use of capitals has no purpose

The reader is meant to think, 'That's crazy/terrible/shocking/unbelievable!'

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Planning

Author: Sheri Smith (PhD English Literature, English Teacher & Quiz Writer)