diff --git a/lang/en/help/quiz/description.html b/lang/en/help/quiz/description.html
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f15c672f8e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lang/en/help/quiz/description.html
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+<P ALIGN=CENTER><B>Description</B></P>
+
+<P>This type of question is not really a question.  </p>
+
+<p>All it does is print some text without requiring any answers.</p>
+
+<P>It can be used to print a descriptive text to be used by a following group of questions.</p>
diff --git a/lang/en/moodle.php b/lang/en/moodle.php
index a346b998838..3aa62257fd1 100644
--- a/lang/en/moodle.php
+++ b/lang/en/moodle.php
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ $string['activity'] = "Activity";
 $string['activityiscurrentlyhidden'] = "Sorry, this activity is currently hidden";
 $string['activitymodule'] = "Activity module";
 $string['activityreport'] = "Activity report";
+$string['activitysince'] = "Activity since \$a";
 $string['add'] = "Add";
 $string['added'] = "Added \$a";
 $string['addinganew'] = "Adding a new \$a";
diff --git a/lang/en/quiz.php b/lang/en/quiz.php
index d8d10730094..5b017f882eb 100644
--- a/lang/en/quiz.php
+++ b/lang/en/quiz.php
@@ -46,7 +46,9 @@ $string['default'] = "Default";
 $string['defaultgrade'] = "Default question grade";
 $string['defaultinfo'] = "The default category for questions.";
 $string['deletequestioncheck'] = "Are you absolutely sure you want to delete '\$a'?";
+$string['description'] = "Description";
 $string['editcategories'] = "Edit categories";
+$string['editingdescription'] = "Editing a Description";
 $string['editingmatch'] = "Editing a Matching Question";
 $string['editingmultichoice'] = "Editing a Multiple Choice question";
 $string['editingquiz'] = "Editing quiz";
diff --git a/mod/quiz/description.html b/mod/quiz/description.html
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7aaaf9a0a3a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mod/quiz/description.html
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+<FORM name="theform" method="post" <?=$onsubmit ?> action="question.php">
+<CENTER>
+<TABLE cellpadding=5>
+<TR valign=top>
+    <TD align=right><P><B><? print_string("category", "quiz") ?>:</B></P></TD>
+    <TD>
+    <?  choose_from_menu($categories, "category", "$question->category", ""); ?>
+    </TD>
+</TR>
+<TR valign=top>
+    <TD align=right><P><B><? print_string("questionname", "quiz") ?>:</B></P></TD>
+    <TD>
+        <INPUT type="text" name="name" size=40 value="<? p($question->name) ?>">
+        <? if (isset($err["name"])) formerr($err["name"]); ?>
+    </TD>
+</TR>
+<TR valign=top>
+    <TD align=right><P><B><? print_string("question", "quiz") ?>:</B></P></TD>
+    <TD>
+        <? if (isset($err["questiontext"])) {
+               formerr($err["questiontext"]); 
+               echo "<BR \>";
+           }
+           print_textarea($usehtmleditor, 15, 60, 630, 300, "questiontext", $question->questiontext);
+           if ($usehtmleditor) {
+               helpbutton("richtext", get_string("helprichtext"), "moodle");
+           } else {
+               helpbutton("text", get_string("helptext"), "moodle");
+           }
+        ?>
+    </TD>
+</TR>
+<TR valign=top>
+    <TD align=right><P><B><? print_string("imagedisplay", "quiz") ?>:</B></P></TD>
+    <TD>
+    <?  if (empty($images)) {
+            print_string("noimagesyet");
+        } else {
+            choose_from_menu($images, "image", "$question->image", get_string("none"),"","");
+        }
+    ?>
+    </TD>
+</TR>
+</TABLE>
+
+<INPUT type="hidden" name=id value="<? p($question->id) ?>">
+<INPUT type="hidden" name=qtype value="<? p($question->qtype) ?>">
+<INPUT type="hidden" name=defaultgrade value="0">
+<INPUT type="submit" value="<? print_string("savechanges") ?>">
+
+</CENTER>
+</FORM>
+<? 
+   if ($usehtmleditor) { 
+       print_richedit_javascript("theform", "questiontext", "no");
+   }
+?>
diff --git a/mod/quiz/edit.php b/mod/quiz/edit.php
index c2ebdd92703..8d4dd442701 100644
--- a/mod/quiz/edit.php
+++ b/mod/quiz/edit.php
@@ -93,8 +93,11 @@
                 $questions[] = $key;
 
                 $questionrecord = get_record("quiz_questions", "id", $key);
+
                 if (!empty($questionrecord->defaultgrade)) {
                     $modform->grades[$key] = $questionrecord->defaultgrade; 
+                } else if ($questionrecord->qtype == DESCRIPTION){
+                    $modform->grades[$key] = 0; 
                 } else {
                     $modform->grades[$key] = 1; 
                 }
diff --git a/mod/quiz/lib.php b/mod/quiz/lib.php
index f5e7c652772..585b2b0cb0b 100644
--- a/mod/quiz/lib.php
+++ b/mod/quiz/lib.php
@@ -19,13 +19,15 @@ define("MULTICHOICE",   "3");
 define("RANDOM",        "4");
 define("MATCH",         "5");
 define("RANDOMSAMATCH", "6");
+define("DESCRIPTION",   "7");
 
 $QUIZ_QUESTION_TYPE = array ( MULTICHOICE   => get_string("multichoice", "quiz"),
                               TRUEFALSE     => get_string("truefalse", "quiz"),
                               SHORTANSWER   => get_string("shortanswer", "quiz"),
                               MATCH         => get_string("match", "quiz"),
                               RANDOM        => get_string("random", "quiz"),
-                              RANDOMSAMATCH => get_string("randomsamatch", "quiz") );
+                              RANDOMSAMATCH => get_string("randomsamatch", "quiz"),
+                              DESCRIPTION   => get_string("description", "quiz") );
 
 $QUIZ_FILE_FORMAT = array ( "custom"   => get_string("custom", "quiz"),
                             "missingword" => get_string("missingword", "quiz"),
@@ -60,7 +62,7 @@ function quiz_add_instance($quiz) {
     // The grades for every question in this quiz are stored in an array
     if ($quiz->grades) {
         foreach ($quiz->grades as $question => $grade) {
-            if ($question and $grade) {
+            if ($question) {
                 unset($questiongrade);
                 $questiongrade->quiz = $quiz->id;
                 $questiongrade->question = $question;
@@ -100,7 +102,7 @@ function quiz_update_instance($quiz) {
 
     if ($quiz->grades) {
         foreach ($quiz->grades as $question => $grade) {
-            if ($question and $grade) {
+            if ($question) {
                 unset($questiongrade);
                 $questiongrade->quiz = $quiz->id;
                 $questiongrade->question = $question;
@@ -376,6 +378,9 @@ function quiz_print_question_icon($question, $editlink=true) {
         case RANDOMSAMATCH:
             echo "<IMG BORDER=0 HEIGHT=16 WIDTH=16 SRC=\"pix/rm.gif\">";
             break;
+        case DESCRIPTION:
+            echo "<IMG BORDER=0 HEIGHT=16 WIDTH=16 SRC=\"pix/de.gif\">";
+            break;
     }
     if ($editlink) {
         echo "</A>\n";
@@ -391,6 +396,16 @@ function quiz_print_question($number, $question, $grade, $courseid,
 /// Prints a quiz question, any format
 /// $question is provided as an object
 
+    if ($question->qtype == DESCRIPTION) {  // Special case question - has no answers etc
+        echo '<p align="center">';
+        echo text_to_html($question->questiontext);
+        if ($question->image) {
+            print_file_picture($question->image, $courseid);
+        }
+        echo '</p>';
+        return true;
+    }
+
     if (empty($actualgrade)) {
         $actualgrade = 0;
     }
@@ -778,7 +793,10 @@ function quiz_print_quiz_questions($quiz, $results=NULL, $questions=NULL, $shuff
     $questionorder = array();
 
     foreach ($questions as $question) {
-        $count++;
+
+        if ($question->qtype != DESCRIPTION) {    // Description questions are not counted
+            $count++;
+        }
 
         $questionorder[] = $question->id;
 
@@ -1377,8 +1395,10 @@ function quiz_grade_attempt_results($quiz, $questions) {
             $question->grade = $grades[$question->id];
         }
         
-        if (!$answers = quiz_get_answers($question)) {
-            error("No answers defined for question id $question->id!");
+        if ($question->qtype != DESCRIPTION) {    // All real questions need answers defined
+            if (!$answers = quiz_get_answers($question)) {
+                error("No answers defined for question id $question->id!");
+            }
         }
 
         $grade    = 0;   // default
@@ -1839,6 +1859,9 @@ function quiz_save_question_options($question) {
         case RANDOM:
         break;
 
+        case DESCRIPTION:
+        break;
+
         default:
             $result->error = "Unsupported question type ($question->qtype)!";
             return $result;
diff --git a/mod/quiz/pix/de.gif b/mod/quiz/pix/de.gif
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..550df5db8c4
Binary files /dev/null and b/mod/quiz/pix/de.gif differ
diff --git a/mod/quiz/question.php b/mod/quiz/question.php
index 92846eef83b..2c3b63d015b 100644
--- a/mod/quiz/question.php
+++ b/mod/quiz/question.php
@@ -107,6 +107,10 @@
             $question->image = $form->image;
         }
 
+        if (isset($form->defaultgrade)) {
+            $question->defaultgrade = $form->defaultgrade;
+        }
+
         if ($err = formcheck($question)) {
             notify(get_string("someerrorswerefound"));
 
@@ -309,6 +313,11 @@
             require("random.html");
         break;
 
+        case DESCRIPTION:
+            print_heading(get_string("editingdescription", "quiz"));
+            require("description.html");
+        break;
+
         default:
             error("Invalid question type");
         break;