English Language Section A

English Language Section A

1. Q1

   • Things to remember.
     • 8 marks
     • Retreival
     • Embedded Quotes
       • 2-3 words
     • 15 mins
       • including active reading time - 3mins
     • 4-5 relevant points
     • Show you fully understand the text using evidence
     • Highlight the most important words in the question
       • The most important words tell you what to write about.
     • GAP
       • Genre- what is it? An article? A book extract?
       • Audience- Who is the audience? Age? Gender? Class? Interests?
       • Purpose- What is the purpose of the text? To inform? To entertain?
         • For Q1 the likley purposes will be; to inform, to explain, to describe or argue.
     • Address the question
     • DON'T copy chunks of text
     • Pepper your points with 2-3 word quotes
     • Write a clear simple opening sentence
     • 2-3 sentences per point

2. Q2

   • Things to remember
     • 8 Marks
     • 15 mins
       • Including active reading time - 3 mins
     • Briskly analyse the language of presentational features
       • Headlines
         • 1. Headlines are BIG, BOLD and PROMINENT; they attract the reader TYPOGRAPHICALLY
           • 2. The LANGUAGE of headlines tries to amuse/attract/shock /fascinate/interst/intrige the reader
             • 3. Headlines SUMMARISE the article; they LINK to it
         • Headlines with puns
           • e.g - Science friction
           • Often contain an idiom (well known phrase/saying) or a cultural reference.
         • Headlines with other devices
           • Alliteration
           • Rule of three
           • Repetition
           • Personification
           • Cliche
           • Exaggeration
           • Hyperbole
           • Rhetorical Question
           • Figurative Language
       • Sub-headlines
       • Captions
     • Analyse the image
     • Explain how presentational features are effective
       • How they link to the text
     • Highlight the key words in the question.
   • The Picture
     • They are usually given prominent positions
     • They support the headline, they try to amuse / attract / shock/ fascinate / interest / intrigue the reader.
     • They illustrate the article. They depict the story being told.
     • Colour should be considered
   • It will ALWAYS
     • Ask you to link the presentational features to the content of the text.
     • Ask you to analyse the presentational features, noticing how they are effective.
   • REMEMBER
     • Explain how the headline and picture are effective, and how they link to the text.
     • Explain how the headline, sub-headline and picture are effective, and how they link to the text.
     • Explain how the headline, picture and caption are effective, and how they link to the text.

3. Q3

   • Things to remember
     • Inference and Deduction
     • 8 marks
     • 15 minutes
       • including active reading time
     • Briskly analyse the language of the text to answer the question
     • Discuss four or five points where the reader is able to ‘read between the lines’
       • for example
         • “I was already unhappy with what I was seeing. I'm causing this to happen, I kept thinking. This pig has been hand-fed for six months, fattened up - for me.”
           • The inference or deduction from this is...
             • Guilt
   • The Question
     • Highlight the key words in the question. Usually, the question asks you to explain some thoughts and feelings of a first-person narrator.
     • PAY CAREFUL ATTENTION TO THE QUESTION
   • Actively read the text
     • You are looking for particular parts of the text which you have been asked to write about in the question.
   • Highlight sections that will help you answer the question.
   • Annotate the article very briefly with ideas that will help you answer the question.

4. Q4

   • Remember
     • 16 marks
     • 30 minutes
       • including active reading time
     • You need to identify 4 devices (techniques, or features) used in two texts
     • Analyse the effect of some of these devices.
       • Comment on similarities and differences of the two texts
   • Language is always used for some kind of effect or other.
     • You can talk about the kind of language a writer uses, noticing what kind of words are used, or what kind of tone or style is created by language and structure.
   • Linguistic devices
     • 1st, 2nd or 3rd person, (narrative viewpoint)
     • Directly addressing the reader
     • Imperatives
     • Rhetorical Questions
     • Register - Formal/Informal language
     • Diction - Simple/Complex vocabulary
     • Figurative Language & Imagery: Similes/Metaphor/ Personification etc.
     • Word play & puns
     • Alliteration
     • Rhyme & Rhythm
     • Slogan & Catchphrase
     • Anecdote & Allusion
     • Statistics & Facts
     • Exaggeration & Hyperbole
     • Repetition
     • Humour
     • Lists
     • Emotive Language
     • Punctuation Type
     • Expert advice
     • Short sentences
     • Superlatives
   • The Question
     • The language question is always the same: It will ask you to compare Text 3 (or ‘Source 3’) with either Text 1 or Text 2.
     • You need to be writing about how language is used in the two texts, identifying and analysing language devices.
     • Highlight the key words in the question.
   • Highlight words, phrases, passages, statistics etc. that will help you answer the question.