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Comprehension · Guide 6 of 6

Answering 2- and 3-mark questions

Longer questions need more than one fact. Point, Evidence, Explain (PEE) is a simple plan that earns every mark.

  • Ages 9 to 11
  • 11+ Comprehension
  • Worked examples

What is it?

The number of marks tells you how much the examiner wants. A 1-mark question needs one fact. A 2-mark question usually needs a point with evidence, or two points. A 3-mark question needs a point, evidence and an explanation, or more than one point.

PEE stands for Point, Evidence, Explain. Some schools call it PEA (Point, Evidence, Analysis) or PQE (Point, Quote, Explain): they all mean the same thing.

Point, Evidence, Explain

  1. PPoint

    Answer the question in one clear sentence.

    Maya is worried about her grandad.

  2. EEvidence

    Quote a short phrase from the text that proves it.

    'Her stomach tightened.'

  3. EExplain

    Say how the evidence shows your point.

    This suggests she feels sick with nerves because he hasn't come back.

How to spot it

  • The marks in brackets: (2 marks), (3 marks).
  • Instructions such as 'Use evidence from the text', 'Explain your answer', 'Give two reasons', 'How does the writer…?'.

Step-by-step method

  1. Step 1: Look at the marks and plan how many parts your answer needs.
  2. Step 2: Underline the key words in the question and use them in your first sentence (your Point).
  3. Step 3: Find a short quotation: a few words, not a whole paragraph. Put it in quotation marks.
  4. Step 4: Explain: 'This suggests…', 'This shows…'. Zoom in on one word if you can.
  5. Step 5: For more marks, add a second point with its own evidence.
  6. Step 6: Reread the question at the end: have you answered exactly what it asked?

Worked examples

Example 1: a 2-mark answer

Question: How can you tell Maya is worried? Use evidence from the text. (2 marks)
  1. Step 1: Point: Maya is worried. (1 mark for the idea)
  2. Step 2: Evidence: 'Her stomach tightened.' (1 mark for the support)

Answer: Maya is worried because the text says 'Her stomach tightened', which happens when you're nervous.

Example 2: a 3-mark answer

Question: How does the writer make the harbour seem threatening? (3 marks)
  1. Step 1: Point: the writer makes the harbour seem dangerous by describing the storm.
  2. Step 2: Evidence: 'the sky had turned the colour of a bruise'.
  3. Step 3: Explain: a bruise is dark and comes from being hurt, so it suggests the storm is violent and something bad may happen.

Answer: The writer makes the harbour seem dangerous by describing the sky as 'the colour of a bruise'. This suggests the sky is dark and stormy, and the word 'bruise' hints that someone might get hurt.

Example 3: a weak answer made strong

Question: Why is Maya worried? (2 marks)
  1. Step 1: Weak: 'Because of the boat.' Too vague, and no evidence: probably 0 or 1 mark.
  2. Step 2: Strong: name the reason and prove it from the text.

Answer: Maya is worried because Grandad is late: he 'always came back before four o'clock' but it is now 'ten past five'.

Common traps

  • Evidence with no point

    A quotation on its own doesn't answer the question. Start with your idea.

  • Quoting too much

    Copying several lines makes it look as if you don't know which words matter. Choose a few key words.

  • Explaining with the same words

    'It shows she is worried because she is worried' gains nothing. Explain how the evidence shows it.

  • Writing too little for the marks

    A one-word answer to a 3-mark question can only score 1 at most.

Top tips

  • Use the question's words to start your answer: 'Maya is worried because…'.
  • Keep quotations short and use quotation marks.

Practice questions

Read the passage

The Harbour

1The storm had been building all afternoon. By the time Maya reached the harbour, the sky had turned the colour of a bruise, and the fishing boats were tugging at their ropes like restless dogs.

2She pulled her coat tighter and scanned the quay for her grandfather's red boat. It wasn't there.

3Her stomach tightened. Grandad always came back before four o'clock; he said the sea kept its promises only until teatime. Maya checked her watch: ten past five.

4Behind her, the lighthouse blinked awake, sweeping its long white arm across the waves.

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