Enhancing Reading Comprehension and Analysis Skills

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National 5

Reading for UAE Skills

How we are going to achieve…

1)

Understanding

2)

Analysis

3)

Evaluation

•

What the writer is saying (Understanding)

•

How the writer is saying it (Analysis)

•

How effectively he is saying it (Evaluation)

Revising RUAE at home:

Once you have the strategies you are able to practise

them at home.

You can complete past papers from the SQA website,

although I would hold off until later.

Best revision is reading Opinion, Comment or Voice

articles from news websites – aim for one a week.

Scotsman

The Herald

The Times

The Guardian

The Telegraph

Basic news articles do not express much opinion or

contain many rhetorical devices.

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1.

In your own words questions

2.

Summary question

3.

Linking questions

4.

Context questions

5.

Contrast questions

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There are two jobs to do for in 

your own words 

questions:

1)     Find the correct answer in the passage – LOCATE

2)     Turn it into your own words – TRANSLATE

Remember: LOCATE and TRANSLATE

In your own words

1.

The paddle steamer moved through the violent sea.

2.

Jane was ecstatic when the manager told her she was hired.

3.

I was furious when you let me down.

4.

They were exhausted after their sleepless night.

5.

 It was impossible to see through the shadows in the room.

6.

The mashed potatoes were delicious and lump-free.

7.

The film made us leap from our seats shrieking.

8.

The sand felt hot and powdery under our feet.

Own words Worked Example

Passage

No novel of the past century

 has had more influence than George

Orwell’s 

1984. 

The title, the adjectival form of the author’s last name, the

vocabulary of the all-powerful Party that rules the superstate Oceania with the

ideology of Ingsoc 

doublethink

, 

memoryhole

, 

unperson

, 

thoughtcrime

, 

Newspeak

,

Thought Police

, 

Room 101

, 

Big Brother

—they’ve all entered the English language as

instantly recognizable signs of a nightmare future. It’s almost impossible to talk

about propaganda, surveillance, authoritarian politics, or perversions of truth

without dropping a reference to 

1984.

Question

Using your own words, identify the reasons the writer believes 

1984

 has had more

influence than any other book in the past century. 

(3)

Worked Example

Bad Answer

•

The title

•

the adjectival form of the author’s last name,

•

the vocabulary of the book

THIS IS A BAD ANSWER AS THEY HAVE QUOTED FROM THE PASSAGE

Good Answer

The reason the writer thinks the book is influential is because.:

•

The name of the book is very recognisable

•

The word ‘Orwellian’ is used as an adjective

•

The language used in the book is part of daily speech

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1

Many of the commentators I hear on television expressing their

opinions about football games leave me cold. I cannot be bothered

with their ill-informed, pompous and often irrelevant contributions. I

usually watch the games with the sound turned down.

Explain two reasons why the writer does not like football

commentators. (2)

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2

The most worrying thing about Big Brother is it has turned the

boredom of others into entertainment. It worries me that there seems

to be a demand for 24 hour coverage from “The House” and there is

constant footage of incredibly dull activities like housemates sleeping,

cooking or sitting on their own staring into space. What sort of nation

have we become when we are prepared to give up our own time to

watch others who are even more bored than we are?

Using your own words, explain why the writer finds Big Brother

“

worrying

”? (2)

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3

Scottish football went from a high – Aberdeen winning a European

trophy and the national team qualifying for five World Cup Finals in a

row – to a definite low. The reasons for the deterioration in the nation’s

standing in the footballing world? Chronic lack of investment in youth

football was one factor. The other is more profound – our unhealthy

diet and obsession with alcohol started to catch up with us as a nation,

particularly in terms of the athleticism (or lack of it) in our professional

footballers.

In your own words, describe the reasons for Scotland’s decline as a

footballing nation. (3)

Worked Example….

•

The topic of this text was ‘a notorious species of spider’, the tarantula,

and the narrator was the spider itself.

•

‘I’m nocturnal. I love the moonlight, the shadows, the dark places, the

dappled murk. I’m not being poetic. I’m simply being true to my

nature, my nocturnal nature. Like all tarantulas.’

•

Question:

 In your own words, in what way is the speaker ‘like all

tarantulas’ according to the first paragraph? (1 Mark)

There are two steps to answering a question of

this type.

•

Step One:

•

Look in the text for the information which will answer the question. In

this case, it is provided by the word ‘nocturnal’.

•

Step Two:

•

Express the information 

in your own words

 in a simple sentence

which fits the way the question is worded. In this example you had to

change from 1st person (‘I’) into 3rd person (‘the speaker’).

•

An acceptable answer to gain the mark would be:

•

‘The speaker is active by night.’

•

Remember, if you were simply to say ‘The speaker is nocturnal’ or ‘He

is nocturnal’ you would get no marks since you would have failed to

do step two, namely to 

use your own words.

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You must 

use your own words

.

•

You get no marks for quoting

.

•

You should 

use bullet points

 instead of writing in paragraphs.

•

Think: 

each bullet point is worth one mark.

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A crisis in the teaching profession means that the government is

investing in a massive advertising campaign to attract young graduates

in to the profession. “Many staff are simply at retirement age with not

enough trainees to take their place, said Kathy Field, a spokesperson for

the EIS, Scotland’s largest teaching union,” however graduates are

choosing other career paths with higher wages that are perceived as

being of a higher status. Some teacher have also come to the

conclusion that the hectic pace of modern education plus the challenge

of unruly pupils, means they are leaving the profession for other, easier

alternatives.”

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)

Summary Questions

•

Look out for the following...

•

Linking phrases (Firstly, On the other hand, However...)

•

Structure – paragraphs

•

Evidence – statistics and facts.

•

Effective language – metaphors, similes etc

Practice Question

•

Referring to the whole article, summarise the key advantages for

employers in hiring staff with autism. ( 5 marks)

•

HINT: None of the details in your answer should be specific to just

one employee. All the given details should be general advantages.

Linking questions

•

A linking sentence is one which links two paragraphs  together.

•

Usually this sentence will appear at the 

start of the second

 of the two paragraphs

which are being linked.

•

Look carefully at the sentence which is the link.

•

There will be 

two parts

 to this sentence:

•

 One part will link back to 

the content

 of the paragraph 

before

.

•

The other part of the sentence will link forward to the 

content

 of the 

new

paragraph.

Link Question formula

1.

Quote a word or phrase that links back to earlier in the

passage.

2.

Quote a word or phrase that link forward to what is to come

in the passage.

Remember!!! You will get no marks if you quote the

full link sentence!

Worked Example….

•

For example, a link question based on the news article about a

For example, a link question based on the news article about a

teenage computer curfew might be worded like this:

teenage computer curfew might be worded like this:

How does the sentence 

How does the sentence 

‘Needless to say, my efforts to explain this to

‘Needless to say, my efforts to explain this to

my daughter were pretty hapless.’ 

my daughter were pretty hapless.’ 

form a link between paragraphs 8

form a link between paragraphs 8

and 9?

and 9?

•

‘

Especially for girls, with their intimate, gossipy, social the drive to remain as

Especially for girls, with their intimate, gossipy, social the drive to remain as

connected as possible with friends is overwhelming. Yet perversely, floating in an

connected as possible with friends is overwhelming. Yet perversely, floating in an

electronic sea has the deeper effect of depriving them of the habit of being

electronic sea has the deeper effect of depriving them of the habit of being

alone, developing their own thoughts.

alone, developing their own thoughts.

•

Needless to say, my efforts to explain this to my daughter were pretty hapless. I

Needless to say, my efforts to explain this to my daughter were pretty hapless. I

dredged up the example of the hostage Terry Waite who got through years

dredged up the example of the hostage Terry Waite who got through years

chained to a radiator in Beirut by the sheer strength of his interior life. My

chained to a radiator in Beirut by the sheer strength of his interior life. My

daughter listened politely, but her expression was incredulous. When was she

daughter listened politely, but her expression was incredulous. When was she

ever going to be chained to a radiator in Beirut?’

ever going to be chained to a radiator in Beirut?’

A good answer to this question would be:

•

1) 

1) 

The expression ‘to explain this’ 

The expression ‘to explain this’ 

links back 

links back 

to the previous paragraph

to the previous paragraph

which discusses the harmful effects of always being connected to your

which discusses the harmful effects of always being connected to your

phone

phone

•

2) 

2) 

The expression ‘my efforts were hapless’ 

The expression ‘my efforts were hapless’ 

links forward 

links forward 

to the writer’s

to the writer’s

attempt to explain the value of having an interior life and being an

attempt to explain the value of having an interior life and being an

individual to her daughter.

individual to her daughter.

Link Example

Show how the underlined sentence acts as a link at this point in the passage (2)

Her mother left her at the age of five. As a result, she was forced to fend for and

pay for herself: ensuring she had enough to eat; clothes to wear and shelter from

the elements.

Despite her harsh childhood, Emma’s ancestry linked her to wealth and social

standing.

 Her grandmother was Lady of the local clan, with a grand manse and

estate to her family name, which was renowned throughout the country.

Context Questions

You might be asked to show HOW the context helps us to understand

the meaning of a word.

This will usually be a two mark question: 1 for the meaning, 1 for how

the context helped you find the meaning.

Context Question Formula

•

The word/ expression ‘_____________’ as used here means

_______________.

•

 I can work this from the context because

___________________________________________________.

Context question practice

At Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals in London, an initiative was set up

two years ago to help people aged 18-30 with autism gain work

experience.

Staynton Brown, associated director of equality and diversity at the

hospital, dismissed any suggestion of the initiative being a

philanthropic one. ‘This is not a charitable gesture’, he said. ‘we want

to make sure we have the most talented workforce possible. It’s in our

interests in multiple ways. We’ve all benefited from the changes we’ve

incorporated to accommodate those with autism. By clarifying the way

we give information to and help introduce the interns into the hospital,

we’ve made communication clearer for everyone, which leads to better

patient care.

Context questions

How does the context of the second paragraph help you to work out

what is meant by ‘philanthropic’?

(2)

a)

•

The word ‘philanthropic’ as used here means done out of feelings of

charity or solely for the good of others.

•

I can work this out from the context because the expression is

followed with the idea that employing people with autism is not

‘charitable.’

Contrast

•

Contrast

 is a technique often used by writers to differentiate between

two aspects of an argument, or two views of an issue.

•

It works by setting two things against each other

 and asking the

reader to see what the differences are.

•

Its 

effect

 is often to clarify a line of thought.

Formula

•

“x” suggests . . .

•

This contrasts with . . . “y” as it suggests . . .

Example 1

•

‘The supreme athlete and unique showman once deemed by Time magazine to

be the most instantly recognised human being in the world, struggled up from a

settee, tottered across the carpet and embraced me in an enveloping bear-hug.

Facially bloated he could speak only in brief, almost unintelligible gasps.’

•

By referring to these lines, show how the writer uses contrast to convey his shock

at meeting Muhammed Ali years later. (2)

Steps to consider

•

The easiest contrast to use

 here is probably between 

‘supreme athlete’

 and

any of the words which suggest that physically Ali was weak: 

‘struggled’,

‘tottered’.

•

Alternatively, you could take

‘unique showman’

 and contrast that with his

inability now to communicate or perform well: 

‘brief almost unintelligible

gasps’.

•

A third possibility would be

 to take 

‘the most instantly recognised’

 and

contrast that with 

‘facially bloated’.

Answer

•

The writer conveys his shock by contrasting Ali’s past

physical glory, the description ‘supreme athlete’ suggesting

that every muscle is honed and ready for combat, with the

very weak condition he is in now. ‘Struggled’ and ‘tottered’

suggest that his muscles will hardly hold him, that he is a

ruin of a man compared with what he once was.

Example Question

•

In days of old Bond was expected to save the world and get the girl

every time. When old smoothy, Sean Connery played 007, he seduced

women as frequently as he knocked back a dry martini or shot a

baddie-and with equally little thought. Bond girls of old were

accessories, serving only to highlight Bond’s macho aggressiveness

and control. Now the new girls match our hero shot for shot. They

lure Bond into the boudoir, they rescue him in the nick of time from a

speeding bullet and, shock horror- sometimes they even do it better!

•

Explain the difference between old Bond movies and more recent

films (2)

Section B - Analysis Questions (WIST)

•

Word Choice

•

Imagery

•

Structure

•

Tone

Word Choice

All words that a writer uses are chosen in some way, but when we talk

about word choice as a technique, we mean that certain words are

deliberately chosen to obtain particular effects or to suggest particular

meanings. (Not every word is word choice)

Most words have two levels of meaning, a denotation and a more

complex connotation.

Denotation – basic, simple, straightforward meaning.

Connotation – the ideas that a word suggests to you.

Write down some synonyms for ‘thin’. Beside each one identify a couple of

connotations.

e.g. 

Slender – connotations of healthy and graceful

These words all essentially mean ‘thin’, but have massively different connotations.

Scrawny – connotations of underfed and sickly-looking

Slender – connotations of healthy and graceful

lean

- connotations of healthy and trim

Slim – neutral word, also positive like thin

Skinny – connotations of being unhealthy

Underweight – connotations of being insufficient

Some words are flat and neutral: they don’t have connotations.

Betsy 

walked

 into the room.

What would the effect on this sentence be if ‘walked’ was changed to –

slouched

strode

crept

skipped

Waddled

‘The word slouched has connotations of laziness, carelessness, and untidiness.’

Some words are flat and neutral: they don’t have connotations.

Betsy 

walked

 into the room.

What would the effect on this sentence be if ‘walked’ was changed to –

slouched

Strode – confident, arrogant

Crept – duplicitous, sneaky

Skipped – joyful, ecstatic

Waddled – timid, uncomfortable, clumsy

‘The word slouched has connotations of laziness, carelessness, and untidiness.’

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The boy was 

interrogated

 about his actions by his parents.

We have been 

bombarded

 with numerous images.

Many claimants have had their welfare payments 

axed.

The boy was 

interrogated

 about his actions by his parents.

D:

ask questions of (someone) closely, aggressively, or

formally.

C: asked persistently and in hostile manner

We have been 

bombarded

 with numerous images.

D: 

attack (a place or person) continuously with bombs/subject

(someone) to a continuous flow of questions, criticisms, or

information.

C: multiple things have been sent, continuously busy

Many claimants have had their welfare payments 

axed.

D: 

end, cancel, or dismiss suddenly and ruthlessly.

C: Done unfairly, insensitive, without consideration

If you’re talking about word choice, you need to be able to select

a word (or short phrase) and then explain why it’s important.

‘word’

+

…has connotations of….

+

This suggests…

explanation of its connotations in your own words and link back

to the question.

Example 1 

The

missing part of the Cinderella story is

what happens when she puts on the glass slipper and

disappears into the palace.  Rowling filled in the blanks,

describing to Jeremy Paxman how she has to cope with

begging letters, journalists rifling through her bins,

photographers lurking on the beach, and strangers

accosting her in the supermarket.

Explain 

how

 the writer’s word choice in these lines helps to show the

negative effects of fame. (

4 marks

)

The writers word choice of ‘___________’  has connotations of

________, _________. This suggests ____________________...

Answer

Candidates should explain how the word choice shows the

negative effects of fame.

Any two of the following explanations with accurate analysis for

two marks each.

•

“begging letters” – implies unpleasant/unwanted attention

•

Journalists “rifling” through her bins – suggests invasion of

privacy/indiscriminate searching and/or unpleasant/unwanted

attention

•

Photographers “lurking” on the beach – implies

covert/hidden/suspicion/being observed from a distance and/or

unpleasant/unwanted attention

Answer

•

“Strangers” implies people she does not know giving

her unwanted attention

•

“Accosted” implies unwanted attention/a sense of

danger

•

“In the supermarket” implies she cannot perform

everyday tasks

Example 2

Look at lines 25-29.  Explain how the writer uses word

choice to emphasise how special the event is for

teenagers attending. 

4

Extract

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

magisterial surroundings of the Pavilion 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 is of hairspray and scent.

Friends who normally wear shapeless uniforms and dirty

trainers are transformed into exotic peacocks in huge-

skirted ball gowns, teetering heels and heavy make up.

Back to the question

Look at lines 25-29.  Explain how the writer uses word

choice to emphasise how special the event is for

teenagers attending. 

4

Answer

Candidates should explain how the word choice conveys

that the setting of the event and the appearance of the

teenagers are different form usual.

At least 2 examples with comments for full marks.



‘magisterial’ – connotations of something impressive,

luxurious, dignified



‘formally’ – implies a special occasion where everything

is done carefully/properly



‘transformed’ – suggests a complete change into

something almost recognisable

Answer

•

‘exotic peacocks’ -  ‘peacocks’ has connotations of

trying to show off, an elaborate, colourful appearance

etc.  ‘exotic’ suggests something rare, out of the

ordinary

•

‘shapeless uniforms’ – suggest something dull,

unattractive, unappealing – contrasts with what they

wear to the prom

•

‘dirty trainers’ – again, unglamorous, everyday,

unappealing – contrasts with ‘teetering heels’ etc.

Example 3

The following extract is taken from a passage which

considers the impact of texting on our language.

Show how any

 two 

examples of the writer’s word choice

in lines 18-23 make clear his belief that the critics of

texting are wrong. 

4

Extract

Research has made it clear that the early media hysteria

about the novelty (and thus the dangers) of text

messaging was misplaced.  People seem to have

swallowed whole the stories that youngsters use nothing

but abbreviations when they text, such as the reports

that a teenager had written an essay so full of textspeak

that the teacher was unable to understand it.  An extract

was posted online, and quoted incessantly, but, as no

one was ever able to track down the entire essay, it was

probably a hoax.

Back to the question

Show how any

 two 

examples of the writer’s word choice

in lines 18-23 make clear his belief that the critics of

texting are wrong. 

4

Answer

One mark for selection of word and one mark for

comment.  Any two of the following:

•

“hysteria” – suggests critics are in a panic, raising

irrational objections, overreacting etc.

•

“swallowed whole” – suggests critics gullibility etc.

•

“stories”/”reports” – suggests critics are prepared to

believe unfounded accounts

•

“incessantly” – suggests critics are obsessive, relentless,

won’t stop to consider other arguments

•

“hoax” – suggests critics are prepared to believe

something made up.

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•

Writers use images to strengthen what they say by putting all sorts

of pictures in the reader’s mind.

•

Imagery is not the same thing as description. A description tells us

what something is like

.

•

An imagery question will cover:

•

Simile

•

Metaphor or

•

Personification

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The tree danced in the wind.

The stairs groaned under the passing feet

Personification

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e.g. Lightning danced across the sky.

1.

The inside of the old man’s head was like a dusty old attic full of bric-a-

brac.

2.

My alarm clock yells at me every morning.

3.

My heart leapt like a salmon throwing itself up a waterfall.

4.

As the band began to play, the sound erupted around the hall.

5.

The young boy snaked along the corridor.

6.

The pain in my stomach was like a hundred rats gnawing at my guts.

7.

Rita heard the last piece of pie calling her name.

8.

The stairs groaned as we walked on them.

1.The inside of the old man’s head was like a dusty old attic full of bric-a-brac.

Simile

2.My alarm clock yells at me every morning.

Personification

3.My heart leapt like a salmon throwing itself up a waterfall.

Simile

4.As the band began to play, the sound erupted around the hall.

Personification

5.The young boy snaked along the corridor.

Metaphor

6.The pain in my stomach was like a hundred rats gnawing at my guts.

Simile

7.Rita heard the last piece of pie calling her name.

Personification

8.The stairs groaned as we walked on them.

Personification

When you answer you should use the formula

below:

•

There is a method for analysing images.

•

You begin with what the image literally is like, or literally means. Then

you go on to the metaphorical meaning, showing how that image

applies to and adds meaning to the subject under discussion.

•

1) 

Explain the comparison

 / identify technique

•

2) 

Just as ... 

(explain the literal meaning), 

So

too ... 

(explain the metaphorical meaning

).

•

3) Link to task (This suggests…)

•

1) The writer uses a metaphor to compare his

1) The writer uses a metaphor to compare his

work load to a mountain.

work load to a mountain.

•

2) 

2) 

Just as a mountain is large and is challenging

Just as a mountain is large and is challenging

to climb, so too is the amount of work he has to

to climb, so too is the amount of work he has to

do.

do.

3) This suggests that the man’s workload is

3) This suggests that the man’s workload is

enormous and will be really difficult to complete.

enormous and will be really difficult to complete.

Worked Example….

‘Jonathan Young has big plans for his career. The business analyst at Goldman Sachs is

on the autistic spectrum. But this, he says, is not something he allows to hold him

back.

‘I’m the company’s global go-to guy for all the information used in every single one of

our presentations; he says. ‘I’m moving up the ladder every year in terms of

responsibility or promotion. My ambition is to maintain this momentum.  In 10 years,

I want to be someone fairly big.’

Here’s an imagery question about this extract:

1. Comment on the imagery used here in the second paragraph. (2)

Full Answer

•

‘Jonathan Young compares his progress at work to climbing a ladder.

Just as climbing a ladder takes you higher, so Young is moving up and

being promoted within the company.  This suggests that Young is

making significant progress in his career.’

•

A state the comparison: ‘Jonathan Young compares his progress at work to climbing

a ladder.’

•

B analyse the image: ‘Just as climbing a ladder takes you higher, so too Young is

moving up and being promoted within the company.

•

C say what the image shows: This suggests that Young is making significant progress

in his career.’

Question:1

Question:1

 Look at the following image: ‘vanish to the margins’ (paragraph 1)

 Look at the following image: ‘vanish to the margins’ (paragraph 1)

Explain what the image means and analyse its effect.

Explain what the image means and analyse its effect.

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enfolding hug, so too technology

has a tight hold of teenagers.

This shows that technology is

considered very important to

teenagers – they rely on it.

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Sentence Structure Formula

Sentence structure is how a sentence is made and

built up 

and how the various elements are arranged.

•

Identify the sentence structure feature and quote

•

Explain its effect on the reader – link back to task

Step One:

•

Look out for the 

types of sentence 

the writer uses.

•

Here are the main types and the effect each type is likely to have:

•

They end in a full stop.

•

Most sentences are statements, so it is

usually if other types of sentence are used

that you will need to comment.

•

Writing which is made up of statements

alone may have a calm 

or impersonal tone.

•

They always end with a question mark.

•

Using questions may challenge the reader, or

show uncertainty in the writer.

•

Look out for 

rhetorical questions

, which do not

expect an answer. They create what is called an

emotive tone, 

which simply means one which

stirs up feelings or emotions.

•

‘Think of a number’. 

They end with either a

full stop or an exclamation mark.

•

They are often used in advertisements or

where the writer tries to 

create the effect of

talking directly to the reader

•

Exclamations do not always contain verbs. They

often begin with ‘What’ or ‘How’, and end in

either an exclamation mark or a full stop.

•

Exclamations may also create an emotive or

dramatic tone.

5

)

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Since they are abbreviations of other types of

sentence they may end in a full stop or a question

mark.

•

‘What now?’ ‘Oh no.’ Such sentences will be very

short and may create a tense or dramatic mood.

•

They are typical of 

informal language 

and may

be used in direct speech, notes or diary entries.

Sentence Types

1.

Are we doing enough to combat the benefit crisis?

2.

Stop what you are doing Mark!

3.

I couldn’t believe what she had told me!

4.

Is there anything more we could be doing to help?

5.

What a place.

6.

Over 30% of people agreed with the politician’s views.

7.

If we do not act now we will forever regret it.

8.

Goodness gracious, I can’t believe it!

Sentence Types

1.

Are we doing enough to combat the benefit crisis? Question

2.

Stop what you are doing Mark! Command

3.

I couldn’t believe what she had told me! Exclamation

4.

Is there anything more we could be doing to help? Question

5.

What a place. Minor sentence

6.

Over 30% of people agreed with the politician’s views. Statement

7.

If we do not act now we will forever regret it. Command

8.

Goodness gracious, I can’t believe it! Exclamation

You will never be asked to identify types

of sentence, you will always be asked to

explain the effect of choosing particular

sentence  types.  This is only possible

when you know the full context.

Step Two - length:

•

Consider whether sentences are long

and complex or short and simple.

Long/ Complex Sentences

•

Long sentences containing several verbs and therefore several

clauses are called complex. 

These are typical of written English,

and usually, 

the more complex the sentences, the more formal

the language.

•

e.g., It/s merely to suspect that physicians marry quality with

quantity when they judge how far to intervene.

Simple Sentences

•

Sentences with only one verb are called simple. 

These

are typical of speech and types of language which aim

to communicate very quickly and directly.

•

Usually, short sentences are 

dramatic, have an impact

on the reader

, make a point in a simple or direct – or

even brutal – way.

Long Vs Short Sentences

1.    

We looked out over the battlefield.  This was it.

Comment on the use of sentence structure in this part of the message. (2)

2.

Be careful.  That is all I have to say.

Comment on the use of sentence structure in this part of the text. (2)

Long Vs Short Sentences

1.    

We looked out over the battlefield.  This was it.

Comment on the use of sentence structure in this part of the message. (2)

The use of the short sentence emphasises the place the people are at is important –

even deadly, as it is a battlefield.

2.

Be careful.  That is all I have to say.

Comment on the use of sentence structure in this part of the text. (2)

The use of the declarative sentence emphasises the person’s command to ‘be careful’

as it states this is all they want to say.

Share with your partner something you read

over the summer holiday.

•

It doesn’t have to be books, as I know this is

rather rare (prove me wrong).

Step Three:

•

Look at the 

arrangement of words within the sentence, 

particularly in longer

ones.

•

Some of the following features may be worth commenting on.

•

A) Word Order

•

B) Particular Patterns in Sentences

•

C

) Parenthesis

•

D

) First or Third person

•

E

) Punctuation

•

The best advice is that anything unusual probably deserves a comment.

•

A reversal of the normal word order is known as 

inversion

,

•

e.g., ‘

back we went

’ instead of ‘we went back’.

Using inversion throws emphasis on to a particular part of the sentence 

— in this

example it is the word ‘back’ which is stressed.

•

The boy hit the ball into the garden.

•

The ball was hit by the boy into the garden.

•

The garden was where the boy hit the ball.

What difference does the word order make?

Word Order - Examples

1.

Gold was all I could see around me in the cave.

Comment on the use of sentence structure in this part of the message.

(2)

Word Order - Examples

1.

Gold was all I could see around me in the cave.

Comment on the use of sentence structure in this part of the sentence.

(2)

Using inversion

, the writer 

places emphasis on the word ‘gold’ to show

it was the most prominent item

 the person could see.

B) Particular Patterns in Sentences

Two patterns are specially common:

•

list

•

repetition

•

Julius Caesar’s legendary saying ‘I came, I saw, I conquered’ is an example of both of these

techniques at once.

•

The 

list

 of verbs ‘came, saw and conquered’ creates a sense of action.

•

The 

repetition 

of the personal pronoun ‘I’ suggests a speaker who is egotistical and

dominating.

Lists/ Repetition

1.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up … I have a

dream that my four little children one day will live in a nation.

2.

Where are the heroes of today?  Where are they now?

3.

 The film had a weak storyline, unrealistic characters, sentimental

music

and a highly dodgy message.

4.

The shrieks of the prisoners, the stink of their clothes, the foul air in

the cells and the feeling of despair almost overwhelmed him.

C) Parenthesis

•

A 

parenthesis

 is an extra piece of information inserted into

a sentence and enclosed by a pair of 

commas, brackets or

dashes.

•

A 

parenthesis

 may be a single word, a phrase or a whole

clause.

An Example…

•

Indeed, 

parenthesis

 may make the meaning clearer, by

adding an explanation or clarifying detail:

•

e.g., ‘A girl, not in her class, called Judith, giggled.’

•

In this example from The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, the first

parenthesis implies a reason why the girl giggled, while the

second makes clear which girl it was.

Parenthesis

1.

The travellers returned – exhausted but triumphant – from their

journey.

2. The frog goes through various stages – egg, tadpole and froglet –

        before finally reaching maturity.

3. Even if the major powers tried to cut down pollution – and they

            won’t – we cannot stop global warming.

D) First or Third person

•

Does the text use pronouns such as I, me and we — first

person?

•

Or does it use he, she and they — third person?

•

Although this may not be considered strictly a matter of

structure, you will often be given credit for making a

comment on the choice of ‘person’ a writer makes.

E) Punctuation

•

Commas (,)

separates phrases and clauses within a sentence.

A number of commas may well 

indicate a list.

•

A colon (:)

introduces a quotation or a list; an explanation or elaboration;

or a summing up.

•

A semi-colon (;)

finishes off one part of a sentence. it may be used instead

of a conjunction to separate two principal clauses in a sentence.

•

Inverted commas

 (‘’)(“”)

mark quotations, direct speech, foreign words or

words used in an unusual way. 

(Italics may sometimes be used similarly.)

•

A dash (—)

can function like a colon to introduce a quotation, list,

explanation, elaboration or summing up; two dashes can mark off a

parenthesis.

 (In typography, a dash is longer than a hyphen.)

•

A hyphen (-)

joins two words to make a compound word, or indicates a

split word at the end of a line

.

Comment on Sentence Structure

1)

Before we go on holiday, I have to pack the cases, take the dog to the

kennels, make up a packed lunch for travelling, check we have our tickets

and phone for a taxi to the airport

.

2)

We face many problems – war, poverty, starvation, and drugs – in the

world today.

3)

I was filled with hate, hate such as I’d never felt before, hate I never knew

I could feel.

4)

I will never understand what you did. Never.

5)

In all my days working with him, I have never seen him be rude to

another worker or take advantage of someone’s kindness because he is

always helpful and goes out of his way to be understanding if anyone is

in trouble.

6)

Crowds of people was all I could see around me in the busy town centre.

Example

Vanity Fair 

(a monthly print owned by Conde Naste) has long been

associated with the more liberal side of American politics. With

writer and journalist Christopher Hitches as a regular guest editor,

the magazine stirred controversy within the tea party alliance,

bible-belters and the gentler Republicans.  The magazine loves

controversy. Their features on waterboarding; Guantanamo Bay;

political commentary; scathing criticisms of governmental policy

and of all things, the latest fashions, often offered very mixed views

and opinions. This ensures that it is never a dull read.

What features of

sentence structure can

you identify?

Example

Vanity Fair 

(a monthly print owned by Conde Naste) 

has long been

associated with the more liberal side of American politics. 

With

writer and journalist Christopher Hitches as a regular guest editor,

the magazine stirred controversy within the tea party alliance,

bible-belters and the gentler Republicans.  The magazine loves

controversy. 

Their features on waterboarding

; 

Guantanamo Bay

;

political commentary

;

 scathing criticisms of governmental policy

and of all things

, the latest fashions, 

often offered very mixed views

and opinions. This ensures that it is never a dull read.

What features of

sentence structure can

you identify?

Your apartment is an electronic orchestra and you are the conductor. With

simple flicks of the wrist and spoken instructions, you can control

temperature, humidity, ambient music and lighting. You are able to skim

through the day’s news on translucent screens while a freshly cleaned suit is

retrieved from your automated closet. You head to the kitchen for breakfast

and the translucent news display follows, as a projected hologram hovering

just in front of you. You grab a mug of coffee and a fresh pastry, cooked to

perfection in your humidity – controlled oven, and skim new emails on a

holographic tablet projected in front of you. Your central computer system

suggests a list of chores your housekeeping robots should tackle today, all of

which you approve.

1.

How does the sentence structure of this paragraph contribute to a

conversational tone throughout?

2.

Show how the sentence structure suggests that technology will make

future life straightforward?

Examples

1.

How does the sentence structure of this paragraph contribute to a

conversational tone throughout?

The writers repeatedly uses ‘you’ or ‘your’ at the start of the sentence. This

creates the impression that they are talking directly to the reader.

2. Show how the structure of the second sentence suggests that technology

will make future life straightforward?

The writer lists a number of things we will be able to control: ‘temperature,

humidity, ambient music and lighting’. This suggests that everything in life

will be easily controlled, and that life will be therefore straightforward.

Tone

Tone refers to the 

attitude

 that a writer conveys towards a subject.

When you hear someone speaking, you can tell if he/she is angry, confused,

sad, excited.

These tones are created by factors such as volume, the speed of speech,

which words the speaker puts emphasis on and how fluently or hesitantly

the words come out.

We can identify tone in written English through 

word choice, imagery,

sentence structure and other literary techniques

.

Tone

Word Bank

Angry

How to identify the tone

•

Word Choice – Positive or negative connotations

•

Imagery - comparisons

•

Contrast

•

Punctuation – exclamation marks, question marks

•

Short sentences

•

Long sentences

•

Repetition

•

Exaggeration (hyperbole)

Tone Formula

1.

Identify the tone (If it hasn’t been done for you)

2.

Identify words/ a technique used to create the tone and quote it.

3.

Explain how the technique you have quoted creates the tone and

how it links back to the question.

Tone – Practice Questions

Copy out the following sentences into your jotter. Identify the tone

conveyed in each sentence 

and

 explain how the writer helps you to

understand tone.

1.

‘That boy is like a nightmare,’ sighed Mr Smith.

2.

‘Is that supposed to look nice?’ he sneered.

3.

‘Rachel! You’re an angel!’ her mother beamed.

4.

‘I...I....I don’t want to go into that house,’ he stuttered.

Use of Language Questions (WIST)

•

Word Choice

•

Imagery

•

Structure

•

Tone

Use of Language Example

Revision - Formulas

•

IYOW/ Summarising – Use bullet points depending on marks/ Locate and

Translate

•

Context Questions – Explain the meaning and show how you got it from

the context.

•

Link Questions – Quote, Link back, Quote, link forward.

•

Word Choice Questions – Identify the word, explain connotations and refer

back to question.

•

Imagery – Explain the comparison, give literal meaning (connotations) and

metaphorical meaning (just as...so too...)

•

Sentence Structure – Identify feature and explain the effect.

•

Tone – Identify the tone, quote, explain how the words. Feature you have

chosen creates the tone.

Section C - Evaluation

  Evaluation questions involve you making a

judgement.

 You have to judge how effective a particular technique

or strategy employed by the writer is.

3 main Types

1.

How effective do you find…… techniques like

imagery, word choice or tone.

2.

 How effective do you find…… an

example/illustration, or anecdote (experience).

3.

Effective Openings/ Conclusions

Effectiveness of a Technique

•

This type of evaluation involves analysis.

•

If you are asked to discuss the effectiveness of an image/ wordchoice/

sentence structure you should firstly follow the strategy for answering

analysis questions then  give your overall judgement of the

effectiveness of the image i.e was it very effective? Not effective at

all? Partially effective?

•

I found this image effective as it emphasises...

•

I found this use of sentence structure effective because it emphasises

the writer’s argument...

•

I found the use of powerful word choice effective because...

Effectiveness of an Example/Illustration

•

This type of evaluation involves understanding.

•

You must show how the particular illustration/example used makes

the writer’s point clearer.

•

Remember an illustration is often used to help explain a difficult point

the writer is making. Sometimes an abstract idea is given a concrete

example so that the reader can more easily grasp what is happening.

The Strategy

•

Explain the idea the writer is trying to put across.

•

Describe the illustration/example he uses to help readers understand.

•

Explain how the example makes the original point clearer.

•

Say how effective you think the particular example was.

Example

•

According to Steve Hall, ‘ One moment we could be basking in a Mediterranean climate and the

next icebergs could be floating down the English channel’. It would take just one quarter of 1%

more fresh water flowing into the North Atlantic from melting Artic glaciers to bring the

northwards flow of the Gulf Stream to a halt.’

•

And in August this year, a tremor of apprehension ran through the scientific community when the

Russian ice-breaker Yamal, on a tourist cruise of the Artic, muscled its way through the unusually

thin ice to the North Pole to find itself sailing serenely into an astonishingly clear blue sea. It was

the first time the effects of global warming had been seen so far North.

•

In the context of global warming how effective do you find the writer’s story about the Yamal?

•

The story about the Yamal sailing on the Artic was extremely effective in bringing home the

effects of global warming on the environment. The contrast  between ‘muscled’ and ‘ serenely’

clearly emphasises the shocking extent of global warming as it shows how quickly the ice has

melted into clear blue waters.. It backs up Steve Hall’s point that the disaster situation is closer

than we might think.

Effective Conclusions

•

To answer a question like this you need to have a clear idea of what

makes an effective conclusion.

•

You need to make a judgement about whether or not the conclusion

is effective.

•

You need to be able to justify this judgement using your knowledge of

effective conclusions.

•

Approach: Identify and explain!

Effective conclusion

Things to Look For

•

A summing up of ideas

•

Rounding off of incident

•

Structure building to a climax

•

A link to the opening

•

A link to ideas from earlier in the text

•

There is a contrast to ideas from earlier

•

A literary technique such as a pun, alliteration, simile, metaphor,

personification used to draw attention to ideas.

Finally

•

Evaluation is all about making a judgement and being able to justify

that judgement through discussing the ideas or techniques of the

passage.

•

Whilst you are free to argue that a technique/ illustration/ conclusion

is ineffective, remember the pieces of writing you are analysing have

been selected because they are effective pieces of writing.

Close Reading – Advice

•

Read the passage through before looking at the questions.

•

Take note of the marks given and use this to guide you on the length

of your answers.

•

Use bullet points as much as possible.