Summary.—An experiment was designed to find out whether there were any quantitative and qualitative differences in the spoken discourse of 16‐year‐old pupils of ‘high’ and ‘low’ ability in discussions of problems arising from textual material. Cognitive, linguistic and qualitative analyses of the discourse were carried out. Results from the cognitive‐based method of analysis suggested that pupils in the ‘high’ ability groups sustained discussion for longer, achieved a higher cognitive level of discourse and asked more interpretative questions. At a linguistic level, these pupils used more expressions of tentativeness and included more general referents in their discussions. A qualitative analysis of the discussions revealed that individuals who operated at the higher cognitive levels were able, within discussion groups, to achieve a more complex unde