Skip to content

Course home

Sign up

4.3.3 Question 2(b) attitudes and opinions

Question 2(b) attitudes and opinions: understand the syllabus point

  1. Cambridge requirement. In Question 2(b) candidates respond to a short answer question testing understanding of attitudes and opinions.
  2. What successful performance shows. The learner applies the requirement accurately and purposefully in an unfamiliar context. Quality depends on relevant choices, developed support and clear control, not on a memorised label.
Key Idea
  • Turn the syllabus wording into an action you can demonstrate under timed conditions.

Question 2(b) attitudes and opinions: a reliable method

  1. Prepare a flexible line of thought. Choose a focused topic, gather reliable supporting material and anticipate several directions the conversation could take. Prepare ideas rather than a memorised script.
  2. Shape the talk for listeners. Use a clear opening, purposeful sequence and concise ending. Examples and signposts should help the listener follow the argument.
  3. Control delivery. Speak audibly, vary pace and emphasis, and use vocabulary suited to the topic. Notes should prompt rather than replace genuine communication.
  4. Sustain interaction. Listen to the entire question, answer directly, justify viewpoints and extend the exchange with relevant detail. Ask for clarification if necessary.

Question 2(b) attitudes and opinions: application and improvement

  1. Worked thinking. If a follow-up question challenges the talk's main claim, acknowledge the concern, answer it with a relevant example and explain whether the challenge changes or qualifies your position.
  2. Diagnose the weakness. Name the precise problem, such as copied wording, unsupported inference, feature spotting, weak organisation or inaccurate expression, then revise that feature and compare the result.
Exam technique
  • For Cambridge IGCSE First Language English 0500/0990, follow the paper and option entered by your centre. Read command words, source boundaries and word guidance carefully, and reserve time to check accuracy and task fulfilment.
Common Mistake
  • Do not force a generic paragraph structure onto every task. Use the structure that makes the required thinking clearest.
Self review
  • Can I explain question 2(b) attitudes and opinions in my own words?
  • Can I apply the four-step method to an unfamiliar task?
  • Have I used precise evidence or deliberate crafted choices?
  • Can I identify and correct one likely weakness?
PreviousNext

How was this guide?

Teach Genie

Review 4.3.3 Question 2(b) attitudes and opinions by teaching Genie

Teach it back in your own words, spot gaps, and remember it better.

Start teaching
Genie and Baby Genie

Lesson

Recap your knowledge with an interactive lesson

7 minute activity

Start lesson

Question 2(b) tests whether you understand and communicate attitudes and opinions in an unfamiliar context. A strong response does more than name a viewpoint: it makes a relevant choice, supports it clearly and controls the response for its listeners.

Turn the syllabus point into an action: state what you think, explain why, support it with a relevant example and respond thoughtfully if the question develops.

Do not rely on a memorised label or paragraph structure. The structure should make your thinking clear and should suit the task.

Questions

Put it into practice with exam-style questions

40 exam-style questions

Practice questions

Question 1

5 marks

Stay for the names

Original non-fiction-style practice text.

When the film ended, most of our row stood up. My cousin remained seated for the credits. I used to find this irritating: the story had finished, the bus would not wait, and hundreds of names could tell me little about people I would never meet. This time, she pointed out the workshop where she had spent a month making miniature doors.

The doors had appeared for perhaps four seconds. Her contribution was neither the secret explanation of the whole film nor an insignificant accident. It was one piece of its making, now briefly attached to a name.

I will still leave early when I must catch the last bus. I shall no longer call the credits empty time. Sitting through them is not a test of moral character. It can simply be a chance to let a finished story become an account of work.

Assess the writer’s attitude towards staying to watch film credits. Use three details from the text to support your answer.

Flashcards

Remember key concepts with flashcards

20 flashcards

Practice flashcards

What does Question 2(b) test?

4.3.3 Question 2(b) attitudes and opinions Revision Guide

  1. IGCSE
  2. /English Language
  3. /4.3.3 Question 2(b) attitudes and opinions

Revision notes for CIE IGCSE English Language 4.3.3 Question 2(b) attitudes and opinions: explanations and worked examples.

Revision guides