Effective Assessment Preparation Techniques

Assessment Preparation



Monday May 15- Fourth Level Assessment



Friday May 19- Fifth Level Assessment



One period for each.

Answering in your words

In a Reading for

Understanding

question,

you may be asked to answer 

‘In your own

words’.

Answering in your words

This means you cannot directly quote key

words and phrases. In addition, you should

keep your answers well-ordered and to the

point.

Writing your answer

Always write your answers in bullet points.

What are  the benefits?

Writing your answer

•

Your answer is clearly defined

•

You  can clearly see each point you have made

•

The marker can clearly see each point being made

Worked Example 1

Dr Caroline Schuster, a chartered psychologist, believes the

appeal and the distinctive red-carpet look – long frocks and

limousines – comes not only from US sitcoms and soaps

such as My Super Sweet 16, Prom Queen and High School

Musical, but also from a world where schoolgirls measure

themselves against film stars and supermodels. Proms, she

says, are an incitement to celebrity-fantasy. 'It gives you

the chance to become as near a celebrity as you can.'

Question

In your own words

, summarise the reasons why school

proms appeal to young people, according to lines 1 - 7

Worked Example 1

Writing your answer

There are THREE things to remember when answering

this question, or a question like this.

•

  First, the question guides you to where to look in the

passage - you must take your answer from the lines

indicated.

•

  Second, you must try to change the words of the

passage into your own words.

•

  Third, you will see there are three marks available for

this question. Use this as a guide, and try to find the

four points to write down your answer.

Worked Example 1

3 bullet points in your own words

•

Reason 1

•

Reason 2

•

Reason 3

Worked Example 1 Answer

Your answer should look something like this:

•

Allows young to people to feel like celebrities

•

To enable  the young people to live their dream

•

To be able to be the centre of attention

(3)

Answering in your words

Summary Question

Worked Example 2

Every detail has been overseen by the head of year. She is a

believer in the prom as a rite of passage, centring on fun,

dressing up and shared history. This is a celebration of their

time with us.' Sheffield sees the prom more as a social

opportunity, a chance to open up the mystical world of

formal dining. 'There will be children who will never go to a

formal function like this, so it is a lifetime experience for

them. And for those who do find themselves moving in

such circles, this will mean they will have learnt how to

cope with it.’

Question

With reference to lines 1 - 10, 

summarise

in your own words

, the

various ways in which the school staff  consider the event to be of

benefit to those involved. 

(6)

Worked Example 2

6 bullet points in your own words

•

Point 1

•

Point 2

•

Point 3

•

Point 4

•

Point 5

•

Point 6                                    

   6 marks

Worked Example 2 Answer

6 

bullet points in your own words:

•

It shows the pupils are maturing into adults

•

It allows the staff to remember their time with the pupils.

•

It allows pupils to build social skills

•

Pupils can attend a grand occasion for the first time

•

Be able to manage being out of their comfort zone

•

To experience presenting themselves for a proper

  occasion

Now you try

Using the answer formula learned, attempt the

following question.

N.B.

Remember to use bullet points!

Now you try

It 

is worth remembering the man for whose extraordinary

talents the company expressly launched the comic in 1937 after

the sensational impact of his new strips in its 

Sunday Post

. Even

as the clouds of war loomed, 

The Broons

 and 

Oor Wullie

 were

already national institutions. Such was the brilliance of Dudley D

Watkins that, of all the publisher's artists, he was one of only

two in its empire allowed to sign their strips.

Question

In your own words

,  briefly summarise 

three 

points

made by the writer in the above paragraph which

illustrate that Watkins’ talent was already recognised as

exceptional in 1937?

    3

Answer

•

The characters he created were diverse

•

People still remember him long after he had

  died

•

His talents are widely recognised

•

The wording of these questions is usually:

•

“ Show how the   (opening ) sentence of

paragraph  3 

acts as a link between

paragraph 2 and paragraph 3 “

•

This type of question is designed to test:

–

your 

understanding of meaning

–

your appreciation of 

the structure of a text.

As you know , good writing is planned and structured.

One of the ways this is done is by the writer providing

a link between paragraphs.

Strategy of Attack

•

The link sentence often comes at the very start of

a paragraph

•

Read the first sentence and look for words that

link back to the last paragraph

•

Write those words down

•

Explain how they create a link back

•

Find words in the first sentence that link forward

•

Explain how they create a link forward

•

Quote the words from the first  (or appropriate

part of the sentence (

Quotation X

).

•

Show  how they 

refer back 

to the earlier section.

•

Quote the words form the later section (

Quotation

Y

).

•

Explain how they 

introduce

 what is coming next.

•

You must be 

specific to the actual context 

of the

passage.

•

You must explain 

HOW

 it is done not just assert it

is done.

Copy down the following answer format:

•

“quotation X” refers back to the previous

section where…….

•

“quotation Y” introduces the next section

which………

•

An extract from an article in USA Today, in which Kevin Maney is surprised

about some new thinking on the value of video games

It’s summer vacation.  The kids have acres of time to fill.  So, of

course, they’re in the basement playing some video games that

involves either weapons or skateboards.  Who can doubt that their

minds are turning into chipped beef on toast as they sit in the dim

light, their educations and social lives leaking away?  As a

conscientious parent, I feel a gravitational pull to say these words:

"Turn that off and read a book!”  or play piano, or run outside, or

get in a  street fight.  Anything but play more video games.

     Except apparently that kind of thinking is all wrong

.  It is about to

become as dated as the four basic food groups, the philosophy of

spare the rod and spoil the child, and asbestos as a safety feature.

Video games might be about the best thing your kids can do to

ensure their future success.  Better, even, than reading.  Which feels

a lot like the moment in 

Sleeper 

 when Woody Allen finds out that

in 2173, cream pies and hot fudge are health foods. Question

Question

     How does the sentence “

Except apparently that kind of thinking is

all wrong

.” act as a link between the two paragraphs and show us

the writer’s line of argument?

•

“

That kind of thinking

” refers back to the

previous paragraph which gave the view that

video games are detrimental to children and

that virtually anything else would be better.

•

“all wrong” 

introduces the argument against

this in the rest of the paragraph that criticism

of video games is old fashioned ( which the

writer finds hard to believe)

•

In this extract Lucy McDonald looks into the world of women lorry

drivers.

     Kaz Horrocks is a long-distance lorry driver. “I was bored in my old

job,” she says, “and I enjoy the solitude of driving. Every day is

different—sometimes I see amazing sunsets and lambs playing in

the fields. I love it when you see the year’s first hawthorn blossom

     and know that spring is near.”

     Neither hawthorn nor lambs are in evidence when I meet Kaz at

six o’clock one dismal June morning in a lorry park. About 100

lorries have overnighted here. They are in lines, slumbering giants

on the asphalt, their cab curtains drawn tightly as the drivers sleep

inside.

Question

     How does the sentence “

Neither hawthorn … in a lorry park.

” act

as a link between the two paragraphs and show us the reality of

Kaz’s life as a lorry driver?

     Kaz Horrocks is a long-distance lorry driver. “I was bored in my old

job,” she says, “and I enjoy the solitude of driving. Every day is

different—sometimes I see amazing sunsets and lambs playing in

the fields. I love it when you see the year’s first hawthorn blossom

     and know that spring is near.”

Neither hawthorn nor lambs are in evidence when I meet Kaz at

six o’clock one dismal June morning in a lorry park. 

About 100

lorries have overnighted here. They are in lines, slumbering giants

on the asphalt, their cab curtains drawn tightly as the drivers sleep

inside.

Question

     How does the sentence “Neither hawthorn … in a lorry park.” act

as a link between the two paragraphs and show us the reality of

Kaz’s life as a lorry driver?

•

Kaz Horrocks is a long-distance lorry driver. “I was

bored in my old job,” she says, “and I enjoy the

solitude of driving. Every day is different—sometimes

I see amazing sunsets and lambs playing in the fields.

I love it when you see the year’s first hawthorn

blossom and know that spring is near.”

Neither hawthorn nor lambs 

are in evidence when I

meet Kaz at six o’clock one 

dismal June morning 

in a

lorry park.

 About 100 lorries have overnighted here.

They are in lines, slumbering giants on the asphalt,

their cab curtains drawn tightly as the drivers sleep

inside.

•

“

Neither hawthorn nor lambs 

” refers back to

the previous paragraph which gives the idea

that the things she can see: spring, nature,

animals are the things Kaz enjoys about being

a lorry driver.

•

“

dismal June morning

” introduces the idea

that this is the reality of her job, dull,

mundane, etc (the opposite of what she

would have wanted).

Now try it for yourself

     According to the publicans, it’s all the fault of the

supermarkets, who offer alcohol at astonishingly

irresponsible cut-prices and make getting drunk at home

(or in the street) so much cheaper than going to a pub that,

in these turbulent economic times, there’s really no contest

for the impoverished serious drinker.

     But fashionable though it is to lay the blame for all social

ailments at the doors of the giant supermarkets, this

particular thesis doesn’t quite add up.

     After all, supermarkets also flog coffee, yet the invasion of

every high street by Starbucks, Costa, Caffe Nero and all

those other interchangeable coffee chains suggests that

people are quite happy to frequent establishments selling

exorbitantly priced beverages if the ambience is congenial

and the clientele civilised.  The coffee shops appeal to

people who would nowadays never dream of spending an

hour in the local boozer.

Now try it for yourself

•

According to the publicans, it’s all the fault of the

supermarkets, who offer alcohol at astonishingly

irresponsible cut-prices and make getting drunk at home

(or in the street) so much cheaper than going to a pub that,

in these turbulent economic times, there’s really no contest

for the impoverished serious drinker.

•

But fashionable though it is to lay 

the blame 

for all social

ailments at the doors of the giant supermarkets, this

particular thesis 

doesn’t quite add up.

•

After all, supermarkets also flog coffee, yet the invasion of

every high street by Starbucks, Costa, Caffe Nero and all

those other interchangeable coffee chains suggests that

people are quite happy to frequent establishments selling

exorbitantly priced beverages if the ambience is congenial

and the clientele civilised.  The coffee shops appeal to

people who would nowadays never dream of spending an

hour in the local boozer.

•

“

blame

” refers back to the previous paragraph

which claims that supermarkets selling alcohol

cheaply is why so many pubs have closed.

•

“

doesn’t quite add up

” introduces the idea in

the next paragraph where the writer suggests

there is a flaw in this argument by discussing

the coffee shops are full but expensive.

Now try it for yourself

     There’s something irresistible about the smell of fried bacon. It’s one of the

delights of being a meat eater and possibly the single most common reason

why weak-willed vegetarians throw in the towel. For some, the joy of bacon

in rashers squeezed between factory-sliced white bread and smeared with

tomato ketchup. For others, it’s the crisp slice of streaky bacon on the British

breakfast plate, ready to be dipped into a runny yellow yolk or a dollop of

baked beans. And our love affair shows no sign of fading. A recent poll of

Britain’s best-loved 100 foods saw bacon as number one, beating chicken into

second place and knocking chocolate into third. 

But while one in ten Britons

claim bacon as their favourite, are those rashers that sizzle so seductively in

the pan what they seem?

     One problem may lie in a form of iron called 

haem 

that is found naturally in

red meats such as beef, lamb and pork. It can trigger the formation of

substances called N-nitroso compounds (NOCs) in the body which can

damage the lining of the bowel. Some types of NOCs have been linked to

bowel cancer.

Question

      With close reference to the text, explain clearly how the last sentence in

paragraph 1 (‘But while one in ten…what they seem?) acts as a link in the

structure of the writer’s argument. 

3

Now try it for yourself

     There’s something irresistible about the smell of fried bacon. It’s one

of the delights of being a meat eater and possibly the single most

common reason why weak-willed vegetarians throw in the towel. For

some, the joy of bacon in rashers squeezed between factory-sliced

white bread and smeared with tomato ketchup. For others, it’s the

crisp slice of streaky bacon on the British breakfast plate, ready to be

dipped into a runny yellow yolk or a dollop of baked beans. And our

love affair shows no sign of fading. A recent poll of Britain’s best-loved

100 foods saw bacon as number one, beating chicken into second

place and knocking chocolate into third. 

But while one in ten Britons

claim 

bacon as their favourite

, are those rashers that sizzle so

seductively in the pan 

what they seem?

     One problem may lie in a form of iron called 

haem 

that is found

naturally in red meats such as beef, lamb and pork. It can trigger the

formation of substances called N-nitroso compounds (NOCs) in the

body which can damage the lining of the bowel. Some types of NOCs

have been linked to bowel cancer.

•

“

bacon as their favourite

” refers back to the

previous paragraph which claims that the

public enjoy the taste and smell of bacon and

that it is a preferred food.

•

“

what they seem?

” introduces the idea in the

next paragraph where the writer suggests that

bacon may not be as good for us as we think

due to chemicals linked to diseases.

Reading for Analysis

Word Choice

•

These can be in different forms:

•

A) questions which ask you about “word

choice”

•

B)  questions which ask you about specific

examples of word choice

•

C)  as part of a question about “language”

•

Most words have TWO different levels of

meaning:

•

D

enotation:  

d

ead basic meaning

•

C

onnotation:  

c

onned into an emotional reaction

For example

•

Plump, overweight, voluptuous, curvy , fat all

have the same denotation of being overweight

•

However, they all have different connotations and

some are positive others are insulting..

•

Similarly, stormed, sauntered, swaggered all

have the same denotation of walking.

•

However, they all have different connotations,

telling different things about the way the

person walked and the feelings they had  at

the time.

•

Stormed suggests:

•

Sauntered suggests:

•

Swaggered suggests:

Look at the following list of words.

•

1.  Match the pairs or trios of words which

have the same denotation.

•

2.  Work out the different connotations for

each grouping.

•

Ancient

•

Announced

•

Believer

•

Beloved

•

Broadcast

•

Complex

•

Complicated

•

Diligent

•

Drunk

•

Elderly

•

Enquiry

•

Fanatic

•

Fat

•

Fundamentalist

•

Hard working

•

Inebriated

•

Interrogation

•

Intricate

•

Lover

•

Mature

•

Obese

•

Partner

•

Plump

•

Question

•

Stated

•

Swotty

•

Tipsy

In a question about 

word choice 

it is important that

you base your answer on specific words or

phrases. An answer to a question on 

word choice

written in general terms will not achieve any

marks.

At National 5 level you will usually be given one

mark for picking out a relevant aspect of 

word

choice

; your second or third mark will be for the

quality of your comment.

For a three mark question it is suggested that you

go for 

TWO 

examples in your answer.

Worked example 1

    After school and in the playground, away from the

teachers’ eyes, sweets and chocolates were traded.

They became the marks of rebellion and the

statements of independence.  Eating foods they

suspected the grown ups would rather they didn’t

made these foods ever so much more enticing.  They

weren’t just food but food plus attitude.

Question

    Show how the writer’s word choice makes clear the

children’s attitude to the school ban. 2A

Worked example 1

•

After school and in the playground, away from

the teachers’ eyes, sweets and chocolates were

traded.  They became the 

marks of rebellion 

and

the 

statements of independence

.  Eating foods

they suspected the grown ups would rather they

didn’t made these foods ever so much more

enticing

.  They 

weren’t just food but 

food plus

attitude.

•

Show how the writer’s word choice makes clear

the children’s attitude to the school ban. 2A

Plan of attack

•

Highlight

 the 

area

 of passage

•

Highlight

 any 

specific task 

in the question

•

Highlight

 the 

number of marks

•

Highlight

 the 

words

 that are relevant in the

passage

•

Choose 

an appropriate number of 

examples 

that

you 

understand

 and can analyse and discuss.

•

Answer the question using the suggested format

Suggested answer pattern

•

“word/phrase” – 

has connotations of………./

suggests

……………

•

Thus it 

implies/ emphasises/suggests

/reinforces/makes me realise that………………..

•

“enticing” suggests

 the children found the

forbidden food tempting and exciting.

•

“

not just food but food with attitude

” 

implies

the sweets became a symbol of their fight

against the school’s authority

•

“marks of rebellion

” also 

suggests

 the children

ate the banned foods  because they were

forbidden therefore were more determined to

eat them

Remember to

•

Quote

 the significant words or phrases

•

Discuss 

their connotations or impact

•

Stay 

relevant

 to the specific question task.

•

Highlight

 question and word choice

Now you try

     Because of the popularity of partner dancing – as opposed

to the lone experience of shuffling one’s feet and randomly

jerking your arms at a club/family wedding – the BBC has

decided to make a celebrity version of Come Dancing the

centrepiece of its new Saturday night schedule.  Fronted by

Bruce Forsythe, the show will feature celebrities testing

their salsa skills under the guidance of world champion

ballroom dancer Donnie Burns.

     How does the 

word choice 

in these lines show that the

writer thinks that dancing on one’s own as opposed to with

a partner is not very satisfying.

2

Now you try

    That is a lesson from history some of our more

hysteria-prone politicians would do well to ponder

as they devise ever more unfriendly welcomes for

those who would come here today to live and

work.

Question

Show how the writer's 

word choice

 in this

sentence "That is ... and work" makes clear her

attitude to certain politicians. 

(

2

)

Now you try

    Admittedly, Saturday night TV may not reek of

Latin glamour.  But the new Dirty Dancing film,

soon to reach UK cinemas, makes up for that.  Set

in the blistering heat of Cuba, Havana Nights

features the sort of drippingly sexy salsa that you

really have to be Latin to pull off.

Question

    How does the 

word choice

 in these lines create an

exotic description of salsa dancing? 

2

Now you try

    He was breathing heavily and the smell was

inconceivably foul; it was the reek of rotting

flesh, of festering wounds, of ancient

perspiration, and of fear.

Question

   Explain fully how the writer emphasises the

smell through word choice.

Now you try

     By 6 pm, several 16-year-olds are standing in the

magisterial surroundings of the Pavillion suite at Orsett hall.

The unceasing rain hasn’t dampened the excitement as the

teenagers flood in to inspect the formally laid tables,

helium balloons and glittery fairy lights. The prevailing

smell of is of hairspray and scent. Friends who normally

wear shapeless uniforms and dirty trainers are transformed

into exotic peacocks in huge-skirted ballgowns, teetering

heels and heavy makeup.

     Look at lines 1- 9. Explain how the author uses 

contrasting

word choice 

to emphasise how special the event is for the

teenagers attending. 

 4

Now you try

    Recently, a newspaper article headed “I h8 txt msgs: how

texting is wrecking our language” argued that texters are

“vandals who are doing to our language what Genghis Khan

did to his neighbours 800 years ago. They are destroying it:

pillaging our punctuation; savaging our sentences.”

     As a new variety of language, texting has been condemned as

“textese”, “slanguage”, a “digital virus”, “bleak, bald, sad

shorthand”, “drab shrinktalk which masks dyslexia, poor

spelling and mental laziness”.

Question

How does the writer’s word choice help to convey the

negative view of texting? Refer to two examples .

Reading for Analysis

Sentence Structure

•

These questions are usually triggered by 

“ Comment

on the sentence structure…”

 or 

“Show how the

sentence structure …….”

•

As with any other features you are analysing,

identification alone is not enough.

•

Also your answer must cover 

more than just the

meaning.

•

Your answer must also be 

context specific to the

article and 

not just the usual effect of the feature in

general.

Warning!

•

Remember that a question on sentence

structure 

does not want you simply to identify

the structure or use of punctuation, etc.

•

It is asking you to comment on how the

sentence is put together and the effect it has.

There are usually FIVE main possibilities when

analysing sentence structure:

•

Punctuation and lists

•

Length of sentence(s)

•

Use of sentence patterns ( climax, anti-climax

antithesis, etc.)

•

Repetition

•

 Syntax or word order

Punctuation:  why?

•

It aids understanding

•

It gives clues to the reader about

•

When a point is finished (.)

•

When there is doubt (“” and ?)

•

The tone (!)

•

Extra information or explanations (,, -- () : )

•

a link or balance between statements (;)

•

Separate items in a complicated list (;)

What do punctuation questions ask?

•

You are usually asked to explain 

why

punctuation has been used or 

the effect

created.

•

Often questions are about areas or examples

where there is a 

departure from normal

usage or the punctuation is used for a

particular effect.

•

Thus it is important that 

you know and

understand the rules of punctuation.

Common punctuation focus

Most common specific questions are about;

•

Colons ( : )

•

Semicolons ( ; )

•

Inverted commas( “ “ )

•

Dashes ( - )

•

Brackets( ( ) )

•

Pairs of commas

•

Unusual uses

•

    Occasionally you may be asked as part of a larger

question to comment on more common punctuation

e.g. capital letters, exclamation marks, etc.

Common uses  commonly asked about

•

in 

PARENTHESIS

 ( any interruption, or additional

information, in the flow of the sentence which

can be removed and still leave a sentence that

makes sense)

•

To pass National 5 - as my English teacher keeps

telling me - all I have to do is pay attention and

study.

•

to separate two phrases from one sentence

especially 

in INVERTED SENTENCES.

•

Because you have paid attention and studied, I

know you will pass Higher English

Comma

This is used to separate words or items in a 

list

e.g.

    Mr Smith’s class are a mixed bunch:  there

are the workers

,

 the sleepers

,

 the last minute

arrivals

,

 the chatty ones and the silent

watchers.

The exclamation mark !

•

This is used

•

to show some sort of 

strong feeling or emotion

•

to show someone is 

shouting

•

after 

exclamations

   e.g. Yuck!  Oooh !

•

To show 

emphasis

 or something is stressed as

important.

     NB These are most effective if used rarely and usually

only one per sentence unless to create effect.

The question mark ?

This is used:

•

at the end of a 

question

•

to turn a 

statement into a question (rhetorical

question)

•

to show that the speaker has 

some doubt or is

questioning the facts

Inverted Commas/ Speech Marks/ Quotation

Marks ( “ “ )

These have four main purposes:

•

to indicate the 

title of a literary text, film, play,

etc.

•

to indicate 

direct speech

•

for 

quotations

•

to mark off 

an individual word 

or 

phrase

 from the

rest of the sentence ( sometimes put in 

italics

instead)  This is usually used for

•

foreign phrases

•

slang

•

sarcasm or a word or term a writer does not agree with (like

adding so-called)

the Dash ( - )

•

This is usually used

•

to cut off an afterthought or added example or

explanation from the rest of the sentence ( like commas in

PARENTHESIS)

•

If you want to pass National 5 English – and any other

subject – you need to sort out your priorities.

•

to separate a surprise or abrupt change

•

to link a series of disconnected phrases like a list or

outpouring of ideas

•

a single dash can be used to add on extra information

much as a colon does

•

to convey hesitation within , or a breaking off at the end

of a sentence

•

Now, I hope there won’t be any more interruptions today

because –

Brackets  ()

•

These are used

•

Like dashes and commas to show 

PARENTHESIS

•

There is so much to learn about punctuation

(especially for use in Interpretation) that I am getting

confused

.

•

To show an author or character adding in an 

aside or

their own opinion

•

All politicians ( at least so they would have you

believe) are hard working and honest.

Worked Example 1

    The panel divided into two teams.  One offered a number of

alternative.  These included

:

 a 

“

Landscape of Thorns

” –

 a

square mile of randomly-spaced 80ft basalt spikes which jut

out of the ground at different angles

;

“

Menacing

Earthworks

” –

 giant mounds surrounding s 2000ft map of

the world displaying all the planet’s nuclear waste dumps

;

a 

“

Black Hole

” –

 a huge slab of black concrete that absorbs

so much solar heat that it is impossible to approach.

Question

     Show how the punctuation of the sentence beginning

“These included…” is particularly helpful in following the

argument at this stage.

•

The punctuation helps separate out the various

solutions

•

The colon after “included” shows it will be

followed by a list of examples of these

“Alternatives”

•

The semicolons divide the 3 solutions so it is clear

which is which

•

The inverted commas give you the name of each

solution.

•

The dashes are used to separate the names of

solutions from the explanations of what they are

that follow so you know which explanation

belongs to which solution.

Worked Example 2

   The transaction seemed to fluster her, as if she

might not have enough money to pay for the

few things she'd bought. A tin of lentil soup.

An individual chicken pie. One solitary tomato.

Maybe she did need the avocados - or

something else.

Question

    Show how the writer’s use of sentence

structure conveys how the woman had bought

a “few things”.

•

Short sentences.

•

Each item is given a sentence of its own.

•

This emphasises the small amount of items

bought.

    Ken is lucky that Julie can drive one of the trucks,

change the 2 feet high tyres, make sure Alex does

his school lessons on his laptop, cook, make

sandwiches and dish out the £2 tickets.

Question

    How does the structure of the whole sentence

help to reinforce the idea of how busy Julie is

between Easter and October ?

    One problem may lie in a form of iron called 

haem 

that

is found naturally in red meats such as beef, lamb and

pork. It can trigger the formation of substances called

N-nitroso compounds (NOCs) in the body which can

damage the lining of the bowel. Some types of NOCs

have been linked to bowel cancer.

     Question

     Look at lines 1 – 6. With close reference to the text,

explain how far the writer’s use of sentence structure

and word choice has convinced you that ‘haem’ is

dangerous.

 4

    In they all came, one after another:  some shyly, some

boldly, some gracefully, some awkwardly, some pushing,

some pulling; in they all came, anyhow and everyhow.

Away they all went, twenty couples at once: hands half

round and back again the other way; down the middle and

up again; round and round in various stages of affectionate

grouping; old top couple always turning up in the wrong

place; new top couple starting off again, as soon as they got

there; all top couples at last and not a bottom one to help

them.

Question

     Comment on how the sentence structure conveys the idea

of the people dancing.

There is no doubt that obesity is the world’s biggest public-

health issue today – the main cause of heart disease, which

kills more people these days than AIDS, malaria, war; the

principal risk factor in diabetes; heavily implicated in cancer

and other diseases.  Since the World health organisation

labelled obesity an epidemic in 2000, reports on its fearful

consequences have come thick and fast.

Question

     How does the writer’s sentence structure stress the

seriousness of the health problem?

    Martin Luther King passionately told his audience:

“With this faith we will be able to work together, to

pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail

together, to climb up for freedom together, knowing

that we will be free one day.”

 Question

    Explain how he writer’s use of sentence structure

helps us understand how King dealt with the

challenges ahead. 2

Now you try

    Recently, a newspaper article headed “I h8 txt msgs: how

texting is wrecking our language” argued that texters are

“vandals who are doing to our language what Genghis Khan

did to his neighbours 800 years ago. They are destroying it:

pillaging our punctuation; savaging our sentences.”

     As a new variety of language, texting has been condemned as

“textese”, “slanguage”, a “digital virus”, “bleak, bald, sad

shorthand”, “drab shrinktalk which masks dyslexia, poor

spelling and mental laziness”.

Question

Show how the sentence structure emphasises the negative

impact of texting.

   Then there were the thrillers. Late at night the

terrified heroine, alone in the house in a semi-

diaphanous nightie, picks up the phone to call the

police and realises that the line is dead. It’s been cut.

The killer is already inside. And he’s coming for her.

   Question

    How does the writer use sentence structure

effectively to convey meaning in lines 1 – 5?

Imagery

Imagery deals with the techniques

Simile

Metaphor

Personification

Imagery

Writers use imagery to

•

Strengthen their description

•

To put pictures or images into the reader’s

mind

•

To show how one thing is like another

Answering a question on imagery

1.

Quote the image

2.

Explain what two things are being compared

3.

Say what the writer is suggesting through this

comparison

Answering a question on imagery

1.

“Image”

2.

A is being compared to B

3.

This suggests that just as A is . . . so too B is . .

.

Example

•

She slopped through the slush, thinking of Spring. By

the time she reached the middle of the river, the

mist had enveloped her. The boathouse behind was

gone, and the long, smudged line of her water-filled

steps trailed away into nothingness. The pencil line

of the opposite shore had disappeared.

•

Analyse how  the writer’s use of language, including

imagery, conveys what she can see.

1.

“The pencil line of the opposite shore had

disappeared”

2.

The land at the other side of the water is

being compared to a drawing done by pencil.

This suggests that just as a pencil line would

be thin so too only an outline of the opposite

shore had  been seen before it was covered

by the fog.

Example

•

In a strange turn, however, Halloween is coming

home from America. The origins of Halloween are as

twisty and sinister as a swirling witches’ brew with all

manner of historical ingredients plopped into the

bubbling cauldron.

•

What does the writer’s use of language, including

imagery, suggest about the ‘origins of Halloween?’

1.

“as twisty and sinister as a swirling witches’

brew”

2.

The origins of Halloween are being compared to

a potion that would be made in a witches’

cauldron.

3.

This suggests that just as a witches’ brew would

have many different and unusual ingredients, so

too are there many different and varied

historical influences on the origin of Halloween.