Analyzing Language Techniques in a Literary Passage
Exploring the writer's use of language in conveying meaning through techniques like word choice, imagery, and sentence structure. Emphasizes the importance of identifying and analyzing specific features to provide a detailed analysis. Guidelines provided for effectively approaching language questions in writing tasks.
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RUAE Preparation Questions on The Writer s Language
IMPORTANT!! Questions on the writer s language are asking you to identify and analyse techniques the writer has used to support / emphasise meaning. This means you should be looking at specific features such as word choice, imagery and sentence structure in your answers.
IMPORTANT!! Language questions are good because YOU choose the technique(s) to analyse. You can opt for the techniques and examples you feel most confident with But you MUST specify the technique(s) AND use the formulae / strategies you have been taught to analyse these!
IMPORTANT!! You simply use the same strategies for analysing word choice, imagery, sentence structure that you have been taught in class. The formulae / strategies DO NOT CHANGE just because the question is more generally on language than a technique that has been chosen for you.
IMPORTANT!! You need to clearly name / identify the techniques you are writing about. The easiest way to do this is to use subheadings before analysing and discussing your chosen examples.
IMPORTANT!! Check the marks available! You will need to use your knowledge of RUAE maths to decide how many examples to write about
DO THE MATH!! WORD CHOICE 1 WORD + ANALYSIS= 1 MARK (Zero credit for quoting and analysing a phrase or sentence) SENTENCE STRUCTURE 1 EXAMPLE = 1 MARK (Sometimes a detailed analysis will get you two marks, but it is rare. Assume one example + analysis = 1 mark).
DO THE MATH!! IMAGERY 1 IMAGE = 2 MARKS (One mark for understanding the literal meaning; a second for showing how the comparison relates to the thing in the passage. A weaker analysis will get you 1 mark.)
EXTRACT 1 HORSE RACING At weekends in Spain, thousands of people watch animals being used for sport; they watch them abused, they watch them killed. We think: how foreign, how cruel, but then we do the same thing here. At weekends in Britain, thousands of people watch horses being used for sport, they watch them being abused and they watch them being killed. If you think there is no abuse, what is whipping? The British gentleman used to be allowed to whip his wife, his servant, his child, his dog (damn it, it was good for them) but now the whip is allowed only on the racecourse. As for killing, every year, around 100 horses die on the racecourse, in public, the open. People stand and watch legs snap, necks shatter, backs break; they watch horses flail and squirm in agony; they watch them die.
EXTRACT 1 HORSE RACING Show how the writer s use of language makes clear her disapproval of horse racing. In your answer you should refer to such features as sentence structure, word choice, imagery
SAMPLE ANSWER 1 If you think there is no abuse shows that the writer is questioning whether or not horse racing actually is a form of abuse. They watch them being abused shows that people take pleasure in watching horses being cruelly mistreated on the racecourse. Necks shatter, backs break - The word choice suggests the horses are injured in extremely agonising and horrifying ways. We do the same thing here shows that we do the same thing as in Spain, which is watch horses being abused just for entertainment.
SAMPLE ANSWER 1 0 Marks. The candidate has not identified any suitable techniques as the question asked. Word choice is mentioned, but the candidate quotes and writes vaguely about a phrase, rather than an individual word. The candidate has simply quoted some expressions and explained them using her own words there is no attempt made to pick out techniques and analyse their impact upon the writer s argument. To improve this answer, the candidate must identify at least two techniques used by the writer, quote suitable examples of these, and fully analyse how they enhance the writer s argument.
SAMPLE ANSWER 2 SENTENCE STRUCTURE The parallel structure of the sentences about Spain and Britain in paragraph one, where the exact same things are said about each country ( thousands of people watch them abused watch them killed ) suggests that Britain is in actual fact no different to Spain, a place criticised for cruelty to animals. The repetition of watch throughout both paragraphs emphasises the horrifying idea of the spectators passively observing this abuse without being shocked or outraged, but instead seeing it as entertainment. WORD CHOICE squirm suggests the horses are writhing in an uncontrollable, disorientated way due to the pain they are in. shatter suggests the horse s necks are totally destroyed or obliterated during the races, emphasising the extremely cruel and brutal nature of racing.
SAMPLE ANSWER 2 4 marks. The candidate has chosen two suitable language features, as per the question s requirements. Two aspects of sentence structure (parallel sentence structure and repetition) are commented on appropriately. Quotation is used to illustrate points on structure. Two individual words ( squirm and shatter ) are analysed in detail, the candidate showing a clear grasp of their connotations. The layout of this answer is also excellent. Subheadings make it easy for the candidate to see how many separate points he has made, and make it easier for the examiner to identify and credit each individual point.
EXTRACT 2 THE BRITISH MUSEUM Show how the writer s use of language conveys how deeply he was affected by his first visit to the museum. (4 marks)
EXTRACT 2 THE BRITISH MUSEUM The British Museum is the greatest universal museum in the world. On my first visit there as a teenager, I remember feeling physically overwhelmed by the sheer scale and variety of the artefacts, art and ideas on display: Mesopotamian relics, Roman statuary, pharaonic carvings, Viking burial treasures. I wandered, blinking, from room to room. The museum was not trying to tell me something; it seemed to be offering to tell me everything.
SAMPLE ANSWER 1 WORD CHOICE greatest shows that the writer thinks it is the greatest museum ever. overwhelmed also shows us how he felt when he was there. SENTENCE STRUCTURE The writer uses a long sentence. This reflects how much he has to say about his experience in the museum. There is also a list of the various artefacts that were on display in the museum, such as Roman statuary and Viking burial treasures showing us he took great pleasure in his time at the museum.
SAMPLE ANSWER 1 0 Marks. There is a LOT wrong with this answer!! The candidate s layout is good but sadly there are no marks available for just setting your answer out nicely! The comment on greatest just re-states the actual word! As well as this, greatest is just too simplistic a word to try and analyse. overwhelmed apparently tells us the writer s feelings well, what exactly are these feelings? And what are the connotations of overwhelmed ?
SAMPLE ANSWER 1 Long sentences are just a feature of formal, sophisticated writing. At no point is saying a long sentence shows the writer has a lot to say / has many ideas / wants to give lots of information remotely suitable. Don t mention long sentences in RUAE you won t get credit. Yes, there is a list of artefacts but just spotting this gets you zero credit. You must identify the nature of items in this list, and then go on to explain how the writer is conveying the idea of a huge variety / large scale / infinity/ endlessness
SAMPLE ANSWER 2 Your turn! Using what you have revised today, write a four- mark answer to the question on the British Museum extract. You should consider: Layout subheadings and bullets / numbers The maths of what you write are you using enough examples? Restricting yourself to individual words for points on word choice Quotingto illustrate comments on sentence structure
