Stated Attitude
This is the easiest one to identify. If a writer says what he or she feels, then you’re left in little doubt about his/her view. However, your answers shouldn’t focus on this type of answer alone. You should also refer to other aspects of the text (discussed below) which imply or suggest what the writer thinks.

In the sample article, the writer states his opinion openly. He says that there is something wrong with the education system (first paragraph) and that the government needs to do something about it (last paragraph).

Words Used
Writers pick words carefully to express themselves. The choice of words that a writer uses can tell you a lot about what the writer thinks. For example, if you describe an incident as an ‘unfortunate accident’, you clearly feel less strongly about it than someone who describes it as ‘the result of carelessness’.

The article in Appendix A contains many examples of words and phrases that tell us about the writer’s attitude. In the first paragraph, the writer says that the boy attends school for ‘only’ three hours a day. This word shows that he feels this is not enough. He uses the phrase ‘fobs off troublemakers with a few hours of so-called schooling’. This phrase shows that he feels pupils are being given poor treatment, and the ‘so-called’ schooling they are given is not of a good quality. In the middle of the article, he refers to the situation as ‘worrying’, and this tells us he feels concerned about the situation.