The gist: An interview reveals a person through their own words — but the interviewer's questions and what gets kept or cut shape the picture you're given.
You read a Q&A with someone famous.
🎤 “Q: People call you difficult. A: People call me difficult when I say no to them.”
In two lines you feel you know them. That's the interview's power — a person speaks, and their words reveal character. But notice: the question set that reply up, and an editor chose to keep it.
What to look for
Question and answer
Q&A or quotes woven into prose — the subject speaks in their own voice.
The interviewer's angle
The questions steer the subject; a pointed question invites a revealing answer.
Self-revealing word choice
How the subject speaks — defensive, warm, boastful — shows character.
What's kept or cut
An editor selects the quotes; the framing around them guides how you read them.
The key move: Ask ‘what do their words reveal, and how did the question shape them?’ An interview is a portrait built from speech — analyse both the speaker and the framing.
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Why it matters in the exam: Interviews appear in Paper 1. Examiners reward you for analysing how the subject's words reveal character and how the interviewer's framing guides your view — not just what is said.
Analyse this interview exchange: “Q: Was the fame worth it? A: (long pause) Ask me when I can walk down a street again.”
Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
Watch out: Don't treat the subject's words as the plain truth. An interview is framed — the question asked and the quotes kept shape the portrait you get.