Flashcards
English language: Structure and Language
Cards in this deck (4)
- 1the literary devices an author uses, like similes and metaphors the emotive language - language designed to make the reader feel a certain way the connotations of particular word choices the types of words used in the text, eg dialect words, long and complicated words or short and straightforward words the types of sentences used, eg long or short, simple or complicatedFind out about the characters by looking closely at the words they use in dialogue. If they use long, difficult words, it might show how clever a character is (or thinks they are!).
Language also tells us a lot about the underlying ideas of a text. Words have two sets of meanings:
denotations - their dictionary meaning
connotations - the ideas they link to - 2For example, the word 'desk' literally denotes a table, but it has connotations of work and study. Words can reveal a theme, such as death, or love, or create a particular mood in a scene. Sentence length can be altered to show character. An author might suggest that a character is boring or self-important by making them speak in long sentences. Whereas, short sentences might be used to create tension.Make sure that you go to word level analysis to get the most marks and see what is behind the meaning
- 3Here is an extract from Rumpole and the Blind Tasting, a short story by John Mortimer. Rumpole is a lawyer. What literary devices does Mortimer use in this extract, and what effects do they create?It is a good few years now since I adopted the habit of noting down the facts of some of my outstanding cases, the splendours and miseries of an Old Bailey hack, and those of you who may have cast an eye over some of my previous works of reminiscence may well be muttering ‘Plus ҫa change, plus c’est la même chose’ or words to the like effect. After so many cross-examinations, speeches to the Jury, verdicts of guilty or not guilty, legal aid cheques long-awaited and quickly disposed of down the bottomless pit of the overdraft at the Caring Bank, no great change in the Rumpole fortunes had taken place, the texture of life remained much as it had always been and would, no doubt, do so until after my positively last case when I sit waiting to be called on in the Great Circuit Court of the Skies, if such a tribunal exists.
- 4Analysis The first person narrator is Rumpole. He directly addresses the reader – ‘those of you’. This creates an informal tone and makes the reader feel the narrator is talking to them. The long sentences suggest that Rumpole likes the sound of his own voice. Mortimer uses complex vocabulary to create the impression of an educated character. For example, ‘reminiscence’ instead of memory. This is also shown by the use of French. The list of Rumpole’s jobs shows us how Rumpole spends his time. It suggests that he is only interested in his work. This is supported by the final metaphor - the ‘Great Circuit Court of the Skies’. This suggests that Rumpole’s work will continue even after death.Structure
The structure of a text refers to its shape as a whole. This can mean the order of the plot events in a story, novel or play.
Think about how the structure works in terms of the effects it creates. Ask yourself why the paragraphs are ordered the way they are. Is it important for us to know certain bits of information before we get to the next part of the text?
Look for links from the beginning to the end of a text. For example, is there a repeated image? Or is there a significant change in an attitude, character or setting?
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- English language: Structure and Language
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- Dan Perkins
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