Language term
Bias
A one-sided viewpoint that favours one side and downplays others.
What it means
Bias is a one-sided viewpoint. The writer favours a particular person, group or idea and plays down or ignores opposing views. Bias may be open or hidden.
It shows in the selection of facts, the use of emotive or loaded language, and the choice of what to emphasise or leave out. A biased text presents an unbalanced picture, steering the reader towards one conclusion. Recognising bias is essential for reading critically, so that a reader can weigh a text's reliability and see where its argument is being tilted in one direction.
Why it matters in the exam
In the reading paper, detect bias and explain how a writer's word choice and selection of facts create a one-sided view. Examiners reward this key critical-reading skill. Recognising bias helps you judge how far to trust a text and how it tries to influence you.
In argumentative writing, awareness of bias helps you decide when to argue one side strongly and when to acknowledge other views fairly.
Example
An article praises a new road scheme at length, while briefly dismissing residents' complaints as fussing. Its unbalanced treatment shows bias.
How to use it
In analysis, identify the side a writer favours. Show how their word choice, emphasis and selection of facts create bias. Do not just assert that a text is biased.
Reading critically, ask what has been left out. In your own writing, decide deliberately whether your purpose calls for a strongly one-sided argument or a fair, balanced treatment of both sides.
Knowing the term is the first step. In a paid one-hour trial, a teacher helps your child use "Bias" accurately in an answer.