or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Reading for Understanding Analysis amp Evaluation The Basics You should answer using bullet points You must read the question carefully Unless told to quote you ID: 676343
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Slide1
National 5Close Reading
or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love ‘Reading for
Understanding, Analysis
& Evaluation’ Slide2
The Basics
You should answer using bullet points
You must read the question carefully
Unless told to quote you
should
always answer
in
y
our own wordsSlide3
In your own words
One of the most common close reading questions asks you to explain a point made in the passage
in your own
words
.
Half
the marks in the National 5 example paper are for this kind of
question.Slide4
In your own words
One bullet point per mark
Use your own words as far as
you
possibly can
Quoting will get you ZERO marksSlide5
Question:“It matters not” (line 32)
Explain in your own words why the writer believes it is not important whether this story is true or not.
2
Example
This may be an urban myth. It matters not. A fairy tale’s power lies in its ability to express authentic fears – and this one reveals the paranoia that now prevails where bringing up children is concerned
.
Answer:
2 Marks for:
the
impact of such a story comes from the way it can express real worries.
this story exposes the ridiculous fears about raising kids.An answer which copies from the passage would score 0.Slide6
One of the most important things which you have to remember to do in Close Reading is to USE YOUR OWN WORDS
. Students frequently lose marks by not doing this.
You
must
use your own words
in your answers as far as possible to show that you understand what you are writing. Merely copying down the words of the passage does not show that you actually understand them.
For practice
–
In pairs
,
provide as many alternatives for each of these words as you can:
clever implore distorted brave
instant conduct cruel friendly
typical afraid quick easy
crowd curious evasiveSlide7
1)
Rewrite the following sentences
using your own words:
1.
I found the sum too complicated to solve.
2. The holiday was prohibitively costly – we remained
here
.
3. That parcel is too bulky to transport by car.
4. The film was processed rapidly.
5. My words were erased from the page. 6. She replied instantly. Slide8
For example:A question asks you what made the Eiffel Tower a worthwhile tourist attraction. The answer is in the following sentence:
‘At the Eiffel Tower you get the excitement of the lift and an incredible view.’
The answer is the phrase
‘an incredible view’
, but how could you put this
in your own words
?
In your answer you should not repeat this phrase exactly. Instead, you could say:
‘a wonderful panorama’
or
‘you can see a long way from the top’
.
You do not need to repeat the words of the question in your answer – this wastes time.Slide9
Look at the following question:
Explain clearly why the writer
‘wandered down the Mississippi’
in his boat.
2 U
‘It was the only possible way of encountering a great river at close quarters.’
The answer is in the following sentence:
If you simply copied out this sentence you would gain no marks.
The following answers to this question would gain 2,1 or 0 marks. Decide what marks you think each would get and why.
He wanted to see the river at close quarters.
He could get to know the river well by seeing it from up close.
The writer wandered down the Mississippi in his boat as it was the only possible way to go.Slide10
He wanted to see the river at close quarters.
He could get to know the river well by seeing it from up close.
The writer wandered down the Mississippi in his boat as it was the only possible way to go.
‘It was the only possible way of encountering a great river at close quarters.’
Explain clearly why the writer
‘wandered down the Mississippi’
in his boat. 2U
a) This answer gets
1 mark
. The first part of the answer is correct and put into the candidate’s own words, and thus gains 1 mark, but the second part of the answer is ‘lifted’ from the text and is worth 0 marks.Slide11
He wanted to see the river at close quarters.
He could get to know the river well by seeing it from up close.
The writer wandered down the Mississippi in his boat as it was the only possible way to go.
‘It was the only possible way of encountering a great river at close quarters.’
Explain clearly why the writer
‘wandered down the Mississippi’
in his boat. 2U
b) This answer gains
2 marks
, since both the idea of
‘encounter’
and
‘at close quarters’
are put into the candidate’s own words.Slide12
He wanted to see the river at close quarters.
He could get to know the river well by seeing it from up close.
The writer wandered down the Mississippi in his boat as it was the only possible way to go.
‘It was the only possible way of encountering a great river at close quarters.’
Explain clearly why the writer
‘wandered down the Mississippi’
in his boat. 2U
c) This answer gains
0 marks
, as it does not contain either of the ideas of
‘encounter’
or
‘at close quarters’.
There is no need to repeat the words of the question.Slide13
Look at the following question:
When Mr Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his
eleventy
-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in
Hobbiton
.
Lord of the Rings
In your own words, explain what kind of party Bilbo intended to hold.
Using Your Own Words - StrategySlide14
First
, read through the sentence until you see the
phrase
which describes the
party
:
Using Your Own Words - Strategy
When Mr Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his
eleventy
-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in
Hobbiton
.
Second
, come up with a word / phrase / expression which is as close as possible to the meaning of the word(s) in the passage:
Unusual?
Particularly?
Splendour?
Extravagance?
Third,
write your answer:
Bilbo’s party was going to be unusually splendid.Slide15
Now do this one yourself:
Explain, in your own words, what effect the party’s announcement had in
Hobbiton
.
When Mr Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his
eleventy
-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in
Hobbiton
.
1 Identify the relevant part of the passage.
2 Translate each part
in your own words
.
3 Write your answer
a lot of conversation
enthusiasm,
eager anticipation
The announcement resulted in a lot of conversation as people eagerly anticipated the party.Slide16
1 Identify the relevant part of the passage.
2 Translate each part
in your own words
.
3 Write your answer.
Using Your Own Words questions
- Strategy
You are going to complete some sample
in your own words
questionsSlide17
Before falling asleep she asked – even implored – me not to say a word to anyone, even her mother, about her sleep-walking adventure. I hesitated at first to promise; but on thinking on the state of her mother’s health and how the knowledge of such a thing would fret her, and thinking, too of how such a story might become distorted – nay infallibly would – in case it should leak out I thought it wiser to do so. I hope I did right.
Dracula
In your own words, explain why the narrator agreed not to tell anyone about her “sleep-walking adventure”.
Now answer the following questions:
1Slide18
The manager came forward, eyeing the travellers with a mixture of fear and curiosity.Explain, in your own words, how the manager reacted to the travellers.
2
He beamed on us with his beautiful smile; he held out a hand to my aunt; and a hand to me. I was too deeply affected by his noble conduct to speak.
The Moonstone
In your own words, explain what the narrator thought of the gentleman’s “conduct”.
3Slide19
Before falling asleep she asked – even implored – me not to say a word to anyone, even her mother, about her sleep-walking adventure. I hesitated at first to promise; but on thinking on the state of her mother’s health and how the knowledge of such a thing would fret her, and thinking, too of how such a story might become distorted – nay infallibly would – in case it should leak out I thought it wiser to do so. I hope I did right.
Dracula
In your own words, explain why the narrator agreed not to tell anyone about her “sleep-walking adventure”.
Now answer the following questions:
1
‘state of her mother’s health’
Her mother had been ill
‘the knowledge of such a thing would fret her’
She would worry about it if she knew
‘how such a story might become distorted’
The facts might become twisted / inaccurateSlide20
The manager came forward, eyeing the travellers with a mixture of fear and curiosity.Explain, in your own words, how the manager reacted to the travellers.
2
‘eyeing the travellers with a mixture of fear and curiosity.’
He was partly scared of them and partly nosy about themSlide21
He beamed on us with his beautiful smile; he held out a hand to my aunt; and a hand to me. I was too deeply affected by his noble conduct to speak.
The Moonstone
In your own words, explain what the narrator thought of the gentleman’s “conduct”.
3
‘his noble conduct’
His behaviour was courteous / gracious / gentlemanlySlide22
Now complete the practice ‘in your own words’ questions in
your booklet.Slide23
Question 1
I
ts
uniqueness is a new occurrence
It is only teenagers that do it
It damages linguistic skills
People
think that the written language seen on mobile phone screens is new and alien, but all the popular beliefs about texting are wrong. Its distinctiveness is not a new phenomenon, nor is its use restricted to the young. There is increasing evidence that it helps rather than hinders literacy. Texting has added a new dimension to language use, but its long-term impact is negligible. It is not a disaster.
Question
The writer tells us that “all the popular beliefs about texting are wrong”.
Look at the remainder of the paragraph, and then explain in your own words what two of these popular beliefs are.
2Slide24
Question 2
It is too interested in looking after its own interests
It is more concerned with quantity of viewers than quality of programmes
It is spending money it doesn’t have
The
BBC is a massive sponsor, uniquely independent through its licence fee – and the guardian of public service broadcasting. But, as the fight for the control of communications
hots
up, friends of the BBC – both inside and out – are alarmed that all this is in jeopardy: the BBC has become too much of a self-seeking institution, too preoccupied with its ratings at the expense of good broadcasting, and unwisely over-extended financially.
Question
What are the three reasons for causing alarm to friends of the BBC? Use your own words as far as possible.
3Slide25
Question 3
Both “endured” cold living conditions
Both were on their own/single
Both were poor
Both found
husbands
Both
had their lives altered for the better
(
any 4 of the above)
Rowling is loved for her stories, but also for her story. A contemporary Cinderella, she endured the cold flat and life on single-parent benefit. Then Harry happened and she went to the ball. Neil Murray, her husband, might be abashed to find himself cast as Prince Charming, but her life has changed as much as any scullery-maid turned princess.
QuestionLook at lines 15–18. In your own words, explain what comparisons the writer draws between JK Rowling and Cinderella. 4Slide26
Context Questions
Use the following formula
:
‘
___________’ means ____________
The word/words ‘_______________’
helped
me understand this because
it / they
suggest(s) _____________________
Essentially these questions are intended simply to test your ability to work out what a word might mean from the context in which you find it.Slide27
It appears to me undeniable that a people has its individual character, its peculiar capacity for trust and suspicion, kindness or cruelty, energy or lassitude.
Example
Question
How
does the context in which it is used help you to understand the meaning of ‘lassitude’
?
2
Answer
‘Lassitude’ means tiredness or exhaustion
The words ‘trust and suspicion’
and ‘kindness or cruelty’ help me understand this because they are opposites, so lassitude must be the opposite of ‘energy’Slide28
Now complete the practice ‘context’ questions in your booklet.Slide29
Question 4
‘Vacillated’ means that he was indecisive
The word ‘hesitation’ helped me understand this because it suggests that he swithered between two different positions
For
two days the general vacillated. Should he give the order to advance, or should he allow his men to cling to their sturdy line of defence? This hesitation was to prove fateful.
Question
Give the meaning of the term ‘
vacillated
’ and explain how the context helps the reader to arrive at the meaning.
2Slide30
Question 5
‘Monstrous verbosity’ means to use unnecessarily complex language
The words ‘a primitive earth-breaking implement’ helped me understand this because they suggest that they wouldn’t just use a single simple word to describe something
Recently I found myself unimpressed by some visiting American who stunned me with monstrous verbosity, determined to use five words where one would do, bent on calling a canteen an ‘in-plant feeding situation’ and a spade ‘a primitive earth-breaking implement.’
Question
Show how the context of ‘
monstrous verbosity
’ helps you to arrive at its meaning.
2Slide31
Sentence Structure
There is no ‘formula’ for this type of question, but you
should:
Know the different types
Know the punctuation
Be as clear as possibleSlide32
Sentence Structure
We are going to start by looking at
punctuation marks
.
Can you match up the
punctuation marks
with their
names
and their
functions
on the table which you have been given?Slide33
,
:
;
“ ”
-
commas
colon
inverted commas
semi-colon
dash Slide34
Punctuation
Symbol
Name
Function
These separate phrases and clauses within a sentence. A number of these may well indicate a list.
These introduce a quotation or a list, an explanation or elaboration or a summing up. There will often be a balance between the two parts of the sentence it divides.
These finish off one part of a sentence. It may be used instead of a conjunction to separate two clauses in a sentence.
These mark quotations, direct speech, foreign words or words used in an unusual way.
These can function like a colon. Two of them can mark off a parenthesis. ,
:
;
“”
-
comma
colon
s
emi-colon
i
nverted commasdashSlide35
Sentence S
tructure
Basic punctuation and sentences
Punctuation marks
are the
signposts
in the
structure of sentences
. They guide you when looking at the way sentences are made up.
You should be familiar with
basic sentence construction
, made up of a subject
, object and
verb, and understand the
purpose of using basic punctuation such as commas
and
full stops
.Slide36
Simple sentences
In the simple sentence
“He watches DVDs."
the subject
‘
he
’
carries out an action
‘
watches
’ and this is related to the object ‘
DVDs’:
He watches DVDs.
subject
verb
object
The sentence starts with a
capitalised word
and ends with a
full stop
.
A doing or action word
Who/ what ever is
doing
the action
Has something done to itSlide37
Whenever this simple noun – verb – object pattern is
added to
, or is
altered
, the writer has chosen to
create a different effect
.
Your task is to
identify
or
speculate about the reasons why
a sentence is made more complex or why it has been written in a certain way.Slide38
More complex sentences
Sentences which have
more than one clause
may require
commas
to punctuate them. Other
punctuation devices
you may see in close reading include:
the
colon
: used to introduce an elaboration or explanation of the words that went before itthe semi-colon ; used to connect two sentences that are very close in content
the
question mark ? used to indicate a question or doubt
the exclamation mark !
used to indicate surprise
brackets
( )
or
dashes -
contain words marked off from the rest of the sentence for emphasis or as an aside. Also known as
parenthesisSlide39
Variations on the basic
Example - Inversion
"The dog bit the man"
is very similar to
"The man bit the dog”.
In the above example only the
order of words
is changed but the
meaning alters
completely because the subject of the sentence has switched places with the object.
This technique is known as
inversion. Inversion is where the normal expected order of a sentence is turned round for some effect; in this case to create surprise or humour.Slide40
The establishing of subject and
object
in a sentence is one of the basic starting points of language.
The
subject
of the sentence is whoever or whatever is
doing
the verb. It could be a name, a pronoun (he, she, it, they etc) or a thing.
The
object
of the sentence
has something done to it.
Understanding the way a sentence has been constructed can help us describe
more complex and sophisticated writing
.Slide41
Verbs, subjects and objects - practice
Copy the following sentences using three different colours to underline the
verb
,
subject
and
object
in each one:
Paul gave Suzie some chewing gum.
Pete’s dog dug a deep hole in the garden.
My dad baked a fantastic cake for my birthday.
Andy watched tv all night.I failed to complete my homework on time again.Every July we go on holiday to Tenerife.
My dad received an email from his long lost brother.Even though it was raining hard, he played football in the park.
A huge bridge spanned the lake.The children picked strawberries.Slide42
Verbs, subjects and objects - practice
Copy the following sentences using three different colours to underline the
verb
,
subject
and
object
in each one:
Lazy students fail their exams.
Mary opened the letter.
The cat drank the milk.
The child threw the ball.Arthur cut his finger.
My dad bought a new car.
I bought a present for my sister.I finished my book last night.
The little boy ran across the road.
He dropped his shopping.Slide43
Example - Parenthesis
A simple sentence such as
“The man waited outside the bank.”
can be made more complex by adding a bit more information:
“The man, who had done nothing to create suspicion, waited outside the bank”.
The writer may give us the
extra information
to
add to our understanding
and
expectation of what is to come but the additional words do not change the grammar of the sentence. Equally, being told something more about the man does not change the original meaning of the sentence.Slide44
This technique can be signalled using commas, brackets or dashes but in each case is called a parenthesis
.
A phrase in parenthesis is one that is flagged as
giving extra information
.
Your job is to decide
why
it has been done.Slide45
Remember, NAMING the technique in structure questions will not be enough
.
In the Close Reading exercise you will often be asked
why
or
'to what extent'
a technique is effective.
These devices are all signals to what is happening in a sentence or a paragraph. With practice, you will learn to
recognise them
AND their
significance
.Slide46
Example - Printing Conventions
As well as understanding the different uses of punctuation, there are some
printing conventions
that are used in written text. It is useful to recognise these:
Italics
are often used to indicate the title of a published piece of writing
Bold
print is used to emphasise a word
"
Quotation marks
"
can be used to indicate speechSlide47
Look at the following passage. What do we learn from the printing conventions?
After
Isadora
, he made a couple of neglected minor gems in the US,
The Gambler
(1974), with James
Caan
as a college professor and compulsive gambler, and
Dog Soldiers
, aka
Who'll stop the Rain?
(1978), about a traumatised Vietnam war correspondent caught up in drug smuggling.This is part of an obituary for film director Karel Reisz. Even if we do not know who he is, from what we read we can work out roughly what the passage is about.
Most obviously there are some titles that contain words that are capitalised and italicised. There are also dates in brackets following them. From these clues we can guess that the titles refer to books or films and the dates inform us when they were made.Slide48
Identifying different techniques
The key to
understanding sentence structure
is to
recognise when it departs from familiar, everyday patterns
:
when the simple sentence becomes
longer
and
more complex
,
when more use is made of different punctuation marks and when different printing conventions are used.
One approach to answering close reading questions, or practising for examinations, is to look at the punctuation
and try to block out the words
. Slide49
ExampleHe flicked through the copy of
Vogue
he had bought at the newsagent's the day before. For a long time women's magazines had been a puzzle to him. All of them - whether for the young or middle-aged, cheap or pricey - seemed identical in their triviality: no politics, no economics, no sociology, no history, no analysis. Everything was reduced to the golden rule of four: food, relationships, disease and looking good.
If we block out the words and look only at visual differences in font and punctuation we have:
H
e
flicked through the copy of
italics
he had bought at the newsagent
's
the day before. For a long time women's
magazines had been a puzzle to him.
All of them
- whether for the young or middle-aged
,
cheap or pricey
-
seemed identical in their triviality
:
no politics, no economics, no sociology, no history, no analysis.
Everything was reduced to the golden rule of four: food, relationships, disease and looking good.From this we can see parenthesis, lists and a
title. There may also be some repetition.Slide50
He flicked through the copy of
italics
he had bought at the newsagent
's
the day before
.
F
or a long time women
's magazines had been a puzzle to him.
In the second sentence,
"For a long time"
is placed at the start to emphasise the
'time'
rather than the
'puzzle'
.
F
or a long time women
's
magazines had been a puzzle to him.The first two sentences are simple statements. Even if you don't know the magazine, the word in italics tells you it must be a publication. Slide51
In the third sentence "All of them"
reinforced by the parenthesis
"whether for the young or middle aged, cheap or pricey"
emphasises the point that the writer does not make any exceptions.
For him, all such magazines are the same and the parenthesis is to rule out any exclusions; age or price do not change his opinion.
A
ll of them
-
whether for the young or middle-aged
, cheap or pricey
- seemed identical in their triviality
:
no politics,
no economics
,
no sociology
,
no history
,
no analysis.Slide52
The word 'triviality' is followed by a colon and this lets us know that what follows will expand on the idea of triviality.
It does so by using the list of negatives that follows.
This
listing
and
repetition
are stylistic features used to hammer home the point that there are no exceptions to his rule: when you repeat 'no' five times, you must mean it! Notice also that you can pick up the idea of the
list
by looking merely at the repeated commas:
A
ll of them
- whether for the young or middle-aged,
cheap or pricey -
seemed identical in their triviality
: no
politics
,
no
economics
,
no
sociology, no history, no analysis.Slide53
The last sentence is similar in that he has reduced all magazines to the "golden rule of four"
which we know is going to be enumerated after the colon as:
"food, relationships, disease and looking good."
E
verything was reduced to the golden rule of four
:
food
,
relationships, disease and looking good
.Slide54
Sentence Structure - Test
Read the following extracts and select the best answer to the questions:Slide55
Sentence Structure - Test
1
“It has been said that two things are
required for happiness
: love and work.”
What is the reason for the colon in this sentence ?
It
breaks the sentence up and makes it more
interesting
.
It
replaces a full stop and saves having two sentences so that it looks more dramatic and assured. It introduces an explanation of what is required for happiness.Slide56
Sentence Structure - Test
2. “
London. Michaelmas Term lately over, and the Lord Chancellor
sitting in
Lincoln's Inn Hall. Implacable November weather.”
Bleak
House, Charles Dickens
What features of sentence construction do you notice here?
a) He is writing in note form. He has a one-word sentence at the start. It is like a diary entry, rather than continuous writing. He tells you where it happens.
b) The first and third sentences have no verbs. The first consists of a single word and the third has three, presumably for dramatic effect. Word order makes you concentrate on the fierce weather because it is placed at the end of a dramatic sentence.c) He puts the name of the place first so we know where it is happening, its exact location. He ends with the time of year, November, because when it was set is just as important as where it is happening. Setting is about both time and place and we get a clear picture of bad, wintry weather.Slide57
Sentence Structure - Test
3
“Clearly, advancing in long rows at walking pace was suicidal, but that was the plan.”
(A description of soldiers attacking at the Somme in 1916)
Which is the best description of the structure of this sentence?
The word order is different. It starts with the adverb
'clearly'
and has its main message at the end.
Putting
'advancing...suicidal' in parenthesis, explains more about the plan.The word order is different. This is a periodic sentence with the main verb at the end; 'was the plan.' The writer's opinion is given at the start. Using 'clearly' he expects you to agree with him.Slide58
Sentence Structure - Test
4
“Mornings, of course, always bring a sense of new hope and rejuvenation; aching and frozen though I was, I felt better for the thin air and the slow rising of the sun.”
Which features of sentence structure are
most noticeable
?
Word order is most noticeable; morning is the subject of the writing so it is put at the start.
The parenthesis
'of course'
forces you to agree with what he is saying. It is like an aside remark to the reader.
The semi-colon separates the two sentences and their related ideas. A general statement is made, then a specific one about that particular morning.All three of the above.Slide59
Sentence Structure - Test
5
“The Scottish race has been variously and plentifully accused of being dour, mean, venal, sly, narrow, slothful, sluttish, nasty, dirty, immoderately drunken, embarrassingly sentimental, masterfully hypocritical, and a blueprint for disaster when eleven of them are together on a football field.
”
Show
how sentence structure helps the writer make the point effectively.
There is one sentence with a long list of nasty things said about Scots people.
There is a list of thirteen things said about Scots. It is built up to suggest excess. The writer doesn't like them.
One sentence has a list of twelve critical things said about the Scots, ending with a joke about Scottish football as an
anticlimax
.Slide60
Sentence Structure
Test
AnswersSlide61
Sentence Structure - Answers
1
“It has been said that two things are required for happiness: love and work.”
What is the reason for the colon in this sentence?
a)
It
breaks the sentence up and makes it more interesting.
This answer is just too vague. You should refer to features of sentence construction here.
b)
It replaces a full stop and saves having two sentences so that it looks more dramatic and assured.This answer is just not precise enough, and does not give a reason.c) It introduces an explanation of what is required for happiness.Well done! This is the most common use for a colon.
✔
✗
✗Slide62
Sentence Structure - Answers
2
“
London. Michaelmas Term lately over, and the Lord
Chancellor sitting
in Lincoln's Inn Hall. Implacable November
weather
.”
Bleak
House, Charles DickensWhat features of sentence construction do you notice here?a) He is writing in note form. He has a one-word sentence at the start. It is like a diary entry, rather than continuous writing. He tells you where it happens.
This is almost true but misses out specific references to sentence construction.
✗Slide63
Sentence Structure - Answers
2
“
London. Michaelmas Term lately over, and the Lord
Chancellor
sitting in Lincoln's Inn Hall. Implacable November
weather
.”
Bleak
House, Charles DickensWhat features of sentence construction do you notice here?b) The first and third sentences have no verbs. The first consists of a single word and the third has three, presumably for dramatic effect. Word order makes you concentrate on the fierce
weather because it is placed at the end of a dramatic sentence
.Well done! This answer makes relevant points in a concise way.
✔Slide64
Sentence Structure - Answers
2
“
London. Michaelmas Term lately over, and the Lord
Chancellor sitting
in Lincoln's Inn Hall. Implacable November
weather
.”
Bleak
House, Charles DickensWhat features of sentence construction do you notice here?c) He puts the name of the place first so we know where it is happening, its exact location. He ends with the time of year, November, because when it was set is just as important as where
it is happening. Setting is about both time and place and we
get a clear picture of bad, wintry weather.
This doesn't answer the question as it only deals with the content and meaning and not the way the sentence is made up.
✗Slide65
Sentence Structure - Answers
3
“
Clearly, advancing in long rows at walking pace was suicidal,
but
that was the plan.”
(
A description of soldiers attacking at
the
Somme in 1916)
Which is the best description of the structure of this sentence?
a) The word order is different. It starts with the adverb 'clearly' and has its main message at the end.This answer clearly deals with the sentence construction but does not have as much technical detail as the last answer.b) Putting 'advancing...suicidal'
in parenthesis, explains more about the plan.Two commas can indicate a parenthesis, but not here. The phrase enclosed by commas is essential to the grammar of the sentence.
✗
✗Slide66
Sentence Structure - Answers
3
“
Clearly, advancing in long rows at walking pace was suicidal,
but
that was the plan.”
(
A description of soldiers attacking at the Somme in 1916)
Which
is the best description of the structure of this sentence?
c) The word order is different. This is a periodic sentence with the main verb at the end; 'was the plan.' The writer's opinion is given
at the start. Using 'clearly' he expects you to agree with
him.Well done! Perhaps the best answer as it has most technical detail.
✔Slide67
Sentence Structure - Answers
4
“Mornings, of course, always bring a sense of new hope and rejuvenation; aching and frozen though I was, I felt better for the thin air and the slow rising of the sun.”
Which features of sentence structure are most noticeable?
a) Word order is most noticeable; morning is the subject of the writing so it is put at the start.
b) The parenthesis
'of course'
forces you to agree with what he is saying. It is like an aside remark to the reader.
c) The semi-colon separates the two sentences and their related ideas. A general statement is made, then a specific one about that particular morning.
d) Well done! They all are equally important.
✔Slide68
Sentence Structure - Answers
5
“The Scottish race has been variously and plentifully accused
of
being dour, mean, venal, sly, narrow, slothful, sluttish, nasty,
dirty
, immoderately drunken, embarrassingly sentimental,
masterfully
hypocritical, and a blueprint for disaster when
eleven
of them are together on a football field.”
Show how sentence structure helps the writer make the point effectively.a) There is one sentence with a long list of nasty things said about Scots people.Good choice but this answer is not as good as the final one.
b) There is a list of thirteen things said about Scots. It is built up to suggest excess. The writer doesn't like them.
The answer is incorrect at the end as the writer is simply reporting what is said, not agreeing with it!
✗
✗Slide69
Sentence Structure - Answers
5
“The Scottish race has been variously and plentifully accused of being dour, mean, venal, sly, narrow, slothful, sluttish, nasty, dirty, immoderately drunken, embarrassingly sentimental, masterfully hypocritical, and a blueprint for disaster when eleven of them are together on a football field.”
Show how sentence structure helps the writer make the point effectively.
c) One sentence has a list of twelve critical things said about the Scots, ending with a joke about Scottish football as
an
anticlimax
.
Well done! This has more to it than the other answers.
✔Slide70
You should learn the following aspects of sentence structure which are in your booklet.Slide71
Long and complex / short simple sentences
Complex sentences may mimic complex ideas; short sentences have impact
Repetition of words or phrases
Repeated ideas will be emphasised or spotlighted
List
Provides detail, complexity, etc.
Climax / anticlimax following a list Creates suspense/shows easing of tension
Questions / exclamations / commands Achieve a particular tone, e.g. emotive (arousing strong feelings)
Sentences without verbs (minor sentences)
Create a colloquial (informal) style or build tension
Unusual word order, e.g. inversion
Alters emphasis; may build tension
Sentences with symmetrical pattern of structure but with contrasting (opposite) ideas
Provide contrast
Parenthesis Adds extra information, comment or clarification Slide72
Punctuation is often a good signpost for sentence structure, so you should also remember the ‘jobs’ done by the following kinds of punctuation:
Commas
Separate items in a list or clauses in a sentence
Pairs of brackets, dashes or commas
Create parenthesis (see above)
Colon (or dash)
Introduces a list, example, explanation or quotation Semi-colon Separate complex items in a list (usually a very long list); separate two distinct, but connected, sentences
Inverted commas
Indicate quotation or speech; sometimes used to indicate irony Slide73
QuestionComment on an aspect of the writer’s use of sentence structure. 2
Answer
The
author uses a colon
This
introduces an explanation of the ‘proviso’ mentioned at the beginning of the sentence
Example
The only proviso (according to some devilishly complicated mathematics known as game theory) is this: your superstitions must not impose too much of a burden on those occasions when they are without foundation.Slide74
Now answer the structure questions in the booklet.Slide75
Q6
From whence comes this compulsion to climb mountains? Why do I have this compulsion to get to the top of every insignificant bump on the landscape? Why, no matter how breathless, bruised, battered and bedraggled I become while hillwalking, do I return with a grin on my face and a desire to go out and do it again?
Question
Here the author reflects on his need to climb mountains. Comment on how
two
aspects of sentence structure are used to explore his feelings.
4
Several rhetorical questions
This shows that even he doesn’t really know why he does it
Long, complex list
This explores the range of reasons not to enjoy hillwalking and reinforces the point made by the questions
Remember – don’t just spot the structure used
You also need to comment on the effect which this structure hasSlide76
Q7
But as that new way of living arrives—as we retreat from the wild places, and the fences of national parks go up; as we cease the exploitation of animals, and the cow, the camel, the sheep, the chicken and the pig become items in modern exhibition farms, where schoolchildren see how mankind used to live; as our direct contact with our fellow creatures is restricted to zoos, pets and fish tanks; and as every area of natural beauty is set about with preservation orders and rules to keep human interference to a minimum—will we not be separating ourselves from our planet in order, as we suppose, to look after it better?
Question
Identify an aspect of sentence structure being used here and explain how it supports or clarifies the author’s argument.
2
Very long, complex list is
used, with items separated by semi-colons
This is used to demonstrate the huge range of ‘new ways of living’ (or ways in which we are ‘separating ourselves from our planet’)Slide77
Word Choice
When you are being asked about word choice you are simply being asked to look at the words and see
why
the writer has chosen those particular words to describe some thing or some feeling, rather than any similar words. Slide78
Word Choice
The sentences below contain vague, dull, and non-descriptive words and phrases. Rewrite each sentence with better word choice. Remove the vague vocabulary and replace it with words that are more precise and descriptive whilst keeping the meaning.
The
man
went down
the street.
The
teacher
said something
to the four boys.
The dog barked at something. I was so happy. The cat made a noise.Slide79
Consider this
A person who is under average weight for his or her height could be described as,
‘
Underweight
’
‘
Skinny
’
or
‘Slim’What would be the effect if the writer chose the word ‘underweight’? Slide80
‘Underweight’
This could be saying that the person was being looked at in a clinical or medical way, and being seen as needing treatment. Perhaps the context of the passage would be a political one.
‘
Skinny
’
This person is being described as thin but in an unattractive way, perhaps suggesting something angular and bony.
‘
Slim
’
This
person would be being described as thin but in an attractive way, it suggests a smooth, neat and elegant appearance. Slide81
‘Underweight’, ‘s
lim
’
and
‘
s
kinny
’
all mean roughly the same, but the effect of choosing one of them instead of the other three is quite powerful. What makes the difference is the connotation of each word. Slide82
You should be aware of the difference between the denotation of a word and its connotation(s).
Denotation
– the denotation of a word is its basic, plain meaning.
Connotation
– something which contributes to the
word’s
impact or
effect; the ideas associated with it. Slide83
Word Choice
You must
always quote
if you are asked to identify word choice
(the only exception to this will be in the questions where the example of word choice is provided for you).
You
should then offer some sort of
analysis
either by thinking about the meaning of the words
or
the connotations.Slide84
Word Choice Questions
QUOTE AND EXPLAIN
Think about meanings AND connotationsSlide85
Understanding word choice
Questions about
word choice
are very common in Close Reading papers. Often a question will ask you to deal specifically with word choice. Other questions might ask you to consider word choice among other techniques. Slide86
Understanding word choice
Words used in different contexts can have different
connotations
,
an
idea or feeling which a word invokes for a person
as well as its
literal or primary meaning
.
When you
answer a question about word choice you are not only being asked
what that word means but to consider how that meaning is affected by the context of the passage. You will be able to infer a great deal about writers' opinions from the words they use. Slide87
Understanding word choice
Word choice questions ask you to focus on the
connotation
rather than the
denotation
of a word.
Considering word choice is all about thinking beyond the obvious meaning of a word in order to explore
what it suggests
. Often words meaning almost the same thing imply quite different things. You need to be alert to recognise these when they occur. Slide88
Understanding word choice
Example 1
One question asks,
Should parents be allowed to
smack
their children?
and another asks,
Should parents be allowed to
strike
their children?
The questions are almost the same, but the word '
strike
' suggests something more violent and aggressive than '
smack
', which has connotations of a more gentle action, a slap rather than a blow.
The first question seems, therefore, to be
less opposed to
smacking than the second.Slide89
Understanding word choice
Example 2
Would you rather have a ‘
crowd
’ outside your house, or a ‘
mob
’
?
Probably a ‘
crowd
’
, since ‘mob’ has connotations of an unruly, rather threatening group.Slide90
Understanding word choice
Example 3
When a group of workers is looking for a pay-rise, newspapers who
support
them will usually write something like:
Sheet metal workers are asking for a 20%
increase
while newspapers who are
opposed to
them will probably say they are
demanding a 20% increase.Why? Because, although the figures are the same, ‘demanding’ suggests a more aggressive, unreasonable approach.Slide91
Understanding word choice
Example 4
She looked at Sharon's new hairstyle,
and sniggered
.
What does the choice of the word ‘
sniggered
’
here suggest about her attitude to Sharon? Friendly? Sympathetic? Respectful?
Surely not. If the writer had wanted to suggest that, she'd have chosen a word like '
chuckle' or 'giggle' that suggest a more friendly, warm kind of laughter. ‘Sniggered’
suggests a bit of contempt, a bit of a sneer.Slide92
Word Choice - Test
Read the following short text extracts with questions on
word choice
and then decide which one you think is the
best answer
.Slide93
Word Choice - Test
1)
“
A nine-year-old boy is attacked and killed while fleeing from
dingoes
on a beach at Fraser Island, in north-
eastern Australia
.
The
news, as rare as it is horrifying, elicits the
predictably violent response
. There have been calls for the wholesale destruction of the island's 160 protected dingoes. Past attacks are
dredged up and enumerated in graphic
detail.”Which
of these statements conveys the author's disapproval of the suggestion that all the dingoes should be killed: a) The
writer does this using words like '
violent
',
'
destruction
',
'
dredged up
', 'enumerated' and 'graphic' which all show how strongly he feels.Slide94
Word Choice - Test
1)
“
A nine-year-old boy is attacked and killed while fleeing from
dingoes
on a beach at Fraser Island, in north-
eastern Australia
.
The
news, as rare as it is horrifying, elicits the
predictably violent response
. There have been calls for the wholesale destruction of the island's 160 protected dingoes. Past attacks are
dredged up and enumerated in graphic
detail.”Which
of these statements conveys the author's disapproval of the suggestion that all the dingoes should be killed: b) The word 'predictably
' implies people are responding automatically, without thought and that they are
unoriginal
and dull; while '
dredged up
' implies they are digging deep into the past to come up with any
old
excuse they can find.Slide95
Word Choice - Test
1)
“
A nine-year-old boy is attacked and killed while fleeing from
dingoes
on a beach at Fraser Island, in north-
eastern Australia
.
The
news, as rare as it is horrifying, elicits the
predictably violent response
. There have been calls for the wholesale destruction of the island's 160 protected dingoes. Past attacks are
dredged up and enumerated in graphic
detail.”Which
of these statements conveys the author's disapproval of the suggestion that all the dingoes should be killed: c) The words 'violent
' and '
destruction
' both suggest
how aggressive
the people's response is and the writer
makes
it
clear he disapproves of this.Slide96
Word Choice - Test
1)
“
A nine-year-old boy is attacked and killed while fleeing from
dingoes
on a beach at Fraser Island, in north-
eastern Australia
.
The
news, as rare as it is horrifying, elicits the
predictably violent response
. There have been calls for the wholesale destruction of the island's 160 protected dingoes. Past attacks are
dredged up and enumerated in graphic
detail.”Which
of these statements conveys the author's disapproval of the suggestion that all the dingoes should be killed: d) The writer uses many words which show how irresponsible
,
thoughtless
and aggressive these
people
are being and so
makes
his disapproval quite
clear.Slide97
Word Choice - Test
Question 1
The writer does this using words like '
violent
', '
destruction
', '
dredged up
', '
enumerated
' and '
graphic' which all show how strongly he feels.The word 'predictably' implies people are responding automatically, without thought and that they are unoriginal and dull; while 'dredged up' implies they are digging deep into the past to come up with any old excuse they can find.
The words 'violent' and '
destruction' both suggest how aggressive the people's response is and the writer makes it clear he disapproves of this.
The writer uses many words which show how irresponsible, thoughtless and aggressive these people are being and so makes his disapproval quite clear.Slide98
WORD CHOICE - ANSWERS
1)a) The writer does this using words like
'violent', 'destruction', 'dredged up', 'enumerated
' and '
graphic
' which all show how strongly he feels.
This answer would get no marks because it only quotes words; marks are given only for appropriate comment.
b) The word '
predictably
' implies people are responding automatically, without thought and that they are unoriginal and dull; while '
dredged up' implies they are digging deep into the past to come up with any old excuse they can find.
Well done! This answer shows how the author implies disapproval by commenting on the implications of specific word choices.
c) The words 'violent' and '
destruction' both suggest how aggressive the people's response is and the writer makes it clear he disapproves of this.
This answer makes a fairly general comment loosely connected to two words.
d) The writer uses many words which show how irresponsible, thoughtless and aggressive these people are being and so makes his disapproval quite clear.
This answer does not refer to any specific words. It might get a half mark for the comment on 'aggression'.Slide99
Word Choice - Test
2)
“Inevitably, there will be isolated casualties. I know of a
mountain
lion that killed a jogger in Denver, Colorado. A child
died
after it was mauled by an urban coyote in the States. And
now
the tragic case of the boy killed by a rogue dingo. But these
cases
make news precisely because of their extreme rarity. We
must not be provoked into a frenzy of over-reactive culling as a result of this latest tragedy. The key to harmonious co-habitation is encapsulated in one word: respect.”Show how the word choice in the sentence 'We must not ... latest tragedy' is important in emphasising the writer's point of view:
a) 'culling' is an emotive word suggesting extensive, possibly unnecessary
, killing.Slide100
Word Choice - Test
2)
“Inevitably, there will be isolated casualties. I know of a
mountain
lion that killed a jogger in Denver, Colorado. A child
died
after it was mauled by an urban coyote in the States. And
now
the tragic case of the boy killed by a rogue dingo. But these
cases
make news precisely because of their extreme rarity. We
must not be provoked into a frenzy of over-reactive culling as a result of this latest tragedy. The key to harmonious co-habitation is encapsulated in one word: respect.”Show how the word choice in the sentence 'We must not ... latest tragedy' is important in emphasising the writer's point of view:
b) 'frenzy' suggests they're mad.Slide101
Word Choice - Test
2)
“Inevitably, there will be isolated casualties. I know of a
mountain
lion that killed a jogger in Denver, Colorado. A child
died
after it was mauled by an urban coyote in the States. And
now
the tragic case of the boy killed by a rogue dingo. But these
cases
make news precisely because of their extreme rarity. We
must not be provoked into a frenzy of over-reactive culling as a result of this latest tragedy. The key to harmonious co-habitation is encapsulated in one word: respect.”Show how the word choice in the sentence 'We must not ... latest tragedy' is important in emphasising the writer's point of view:
c) It emphasises the writer's point of view by using the word '
provoked'. This means we must not be provoked into something
we should not do and also '
over-reactive
' which means people
must
not
overreact
to the situation.Slide102
Word Choice - Test
2)
“Inevitably, there will be isolated casualties. I know of a
mountain
lion that killed a jogger in Denver, Colorado. A child
died
after it was mauled by an urban coyote in the States. And
now
the tragic case of the boy killed by a rogue dingo. But these
cases
make news precisely because of their extreme rarity. We
must not be provoked into a frenzy of over-reactive culling as a result of this latest tragedy. The key to harmonious co-habitation is encapsulated in one word: respect.”Show how the word choice in the sentence 'We must not ... latest tragedy' is important in emphasising the writer's point of view:
d) 'provoked' means the other people are trying to
make us do something against our will; '
must not’ is very
strong
and
assertive
.Slide103
Word Choice - Test
Question 2
'
culling
' is an emotive word suggesting extensive, possibly unnecessary, killing.
'
frenzy
' suggests they're mad.
It emphasises the writer's point of view by using the word '
provoked
'. This means we must not be provoked into something we should not do and also '
over-reactive' which means people must not overreact to the situation.'provoked' means the other people are trying to make us do something against our will; 'must not' is very strong and assertive.Slide104
WORD CHOICE - ANSWERS
2)a) ‘
Culling
' is an emotive word suggesting extensive, possibly unnecessary, killing.
Well done! This answer looks at the implications of the word 'culling'.
b) '
frenzy
' suggests they're mad.
This answer makes a fair point, but it is not developed enough to score a good mark.
c) It emphasises the writer's point of view by using the word 'provoked'. This means we must not be provoked into something we should not do and also 'over-reactive' which means people must not overreact to the situation. This answer might look good, but all it does is quote two words and then repeat them or their meanings. There is nothing about what they suggest.d) 'provoked' means the other people are trying to make us do something against our will; 'must not
' is very strong and assertive. This answer is quite good but would not score full marks, because the comment on 'must not' is rather generalised, and what is said about 'provoked' is doing no more than stating the meaning of the word rather than commenting on its use in the sentence
.Slide105
Word Choice - Test
3)
“I'm not sure what to call them, since it is hard to describe
these
constructions, with their inanely
grinning, appallingly- paid
staff dressed like circus clowns dispensing lumps of
fatty
meat and slices of crumpled salad in soggy buns,
accompanied
by tubs of steaming hot French fries and
teeth-rotting drinks, as 'restaurants'. True, they are 'places where food is bought and eaten', but it would be a sad world if these were really considered restaurants.” Show how the writer's word choice in this paragraph makes clear her contempt for fast food restaurants: a) She says they are '
inanely grinning, appallingly-paid staff dressed
like circus clowns' and that they serve '
lumps of fatty meat and slices of crumpled
salad
in soggy buns
' -
she
thinks it is all terrible.Slide106
Word Choice - Test
3)
“I'm not sure what to call them, since it is hard to describe
these
constructions, with their inanely grinning, appallingly
- paid
staff dressed like circus clowns dispensing lumps of
fatty
meat and slices of crumpled salad in soggy buns,
accompanied
by tubs of steaming hot French fries and
teeth-rotting drinks, as 'restaurants'. True, they are 'places where food is bought and eaten', but it would be a sad world if these were really considered restaurants.” Show how the writer's word choice in this paragraph makes clear her contempt for fast food restaurants: b)
She says the food is unhealthy, the staff are badly paid and stupidly dressed. She calls them '
constructions' which sounds unfriendly.Slide107
Word Choice - Test
3)
“I'm not sure what to call them, since it is hard to describe
these
constructions, with their inanely grinning, appallingly
- paid
staff dressed like circus clowns dispensing lumps of
fatty
meat and slices of crumpled salad in soggy buns,
accompanied
by tubs of steaming hot French fries and
teeth-rotting drinks, as 'restaurants'. True, they are 'places where food is bought and eaten', but it would be a sad world if these were really considered restaurants.” Show how the writer's word choice in this paragraph makes clear her contempt for fast food restaurants: c) The use of '
circus' and 'clowns' makes them
seem ridiculous, and 'lumps' does not sound very appealing
or healthy.Slide108
Word Choice - Test
3)
“I'm not sure what to call them, since it is hard to describe
these constructions
, with their inanely grinning, appallingly
-paid
staff
dressed
like circus clowns dispensing lumps of
fatty
meat and
slices of crumpled salad in soggy buns, accompanied by tubs of steaming hot French fries and teeth-rotting drinks, as 'restaurants
'. True, they are 'places where food is bought and
eaten', but it would be a sad world
if these were really considered restaurants.”
Show how the writer's word choice in this paragraph makes clear her contempt for fast food restaurants:
d) She is contemptuous of the staff ('
inanely
grinning
’ suggests they look
almost mad, and '
circus
' makes
the whole thing sound like an elaborate sideshow) and of the food (she uses 'lumps' rather than ’portions' to suggest something unappealing and inelegant, and describes the salad as 'crumpled' and 'soggy’ making
it sound lifeless and weak).Slide109
Word Choice - Test
Question 3
She says they are '
inanely grinning, appallingly-paid staff dressed like circus clowns
' and that they serve '
lumps of fatty meat and slices of crumpled salad in soggy buns
' - she thinks it is all terrible.
She says the food is unhealthy, the staff are badly paid and stupidly dressed. She calls them '
constructions
' which sounds unfriendly.
The use of '
circus' and 'clowns' makes them seem ridiculous, and 'lumps' does not sound very appealing or healthy.
She is contemptuous of the staff ('inanely grinning' suggests they look almost mad, and '
circus' makes the whole thing sound like an elaborate sideshow) and of the food (she uses 'lumps
' rather than 'portions' to suggest something unappealing and inelegant, and describes the salad as '
crumpled
' and '
soggy
' making it sound lifeless and weak).Slide110
WORD CHOICE - ANSWERS
3)a) She says they are '
inanely grinning, appallingly-paid staff dressed like circus clowns
' and that they serve '
lumps of fatty meat and slices of crumpled salad in soggy buns
' - she thinks it is all terrible.
This answer only quotes words; the question is asking for appropriate comment.
b
) She
says the food is unhealthy, the staff are badly paid and stupidly dressed. She calls
them 'constructions' which sounds unfriendly. This answer has some merit, but the first sentence does not comment on specific words. The second sentence has the beginnings of a good point but is not developed well.c) The use of 'circus' and '
clowns' makes them seem ridiculous, and 'lumps
' does not sound very appealing or healthy. There are interesting comments but only on two of the words.
d) She is contemptuous of the staff ('inanely grinning' suggests they look almost mad, and '
circus
' makes the whole thing sound like an elaborate sideshow) and of the food (she uses '
lumps
' rather than '
portions
' to suggest something unappealing and inelegant, and describes the salad as '
crumpled
' and '
soggy' making it sound lifeless and weak). Well done! This answer goes into detail and provides an excellent focus on the word choice.Slide111
Word Choice - Test
4)
“
Ever since I was a child, museums have fascinated me. I
love
them. Even the most dusty and drab have a magic
for me
. I was the despair of my mother when I was a
child
,
for I was always bringing home fossils, bits of interesting rock, and such like, to add to the overburdened windowsill
museum which I had.” Show how the word choice in this paragraph emphasises the writer's interest in museums:
a) He tells us how much he likes museums and that he
always has liked them. He likes every type of museum, no
matter
how old or drab.Slide112
Word Choice - Test
4)
“
Ever since I was a child, museums have fascinated me. I
love
them. Even the most dusty and drab have a magic
for me
. I was the despair of my mother when I was a
child
, for
I was always bringing home fossils, bits of interesting rock, and such like, to add to the overburdened windowsill museum which I had.”
Show how the word choice in this paragraph emphasises the writer's interest in museums: b) 'Magic
' suggests enchantment and pleasure; 'fascinated'
has connotations of being deeply and enjoyably absorbed.Slide113
Word Choice - Test
4)
“
Ever since I was a child, museums have fascinated me. I
love
them. Even the most dusty and drab have a magic
for me
. I was the despair of my mother when I was a
child
, for
I was always bringing home fossils, bits of interesting rock, and such like, to add to the overburdened windowsill museum which I had.”
Show how the word choice in this paragraph emphasises the writer's interest in museums: c) The writer emphasises his interest in museums by using the
word 'magic' which suggests there is something special
, almost mysteriously appealing about them.Slide114
Word Choice - Test
4)
“
Ever since I was a child, museums have fascinated me. I
love
them. Even the most dusty and drab have a magic
for me
. I was the despair of my mother when I was a
child
, for
I was always bringing home fossils, bits of interesting rock, and such like, to add to the overburdened windowsill museum which I had.”
Show how the word choice in this paragraph emphasises the writer's interest in museums: d) Words like 'magic
' and 'fascinated' show how the writer is attracted
to museums.Slide115
Word Choice - Test
He tells us how much he likes museums and that he always has liked them. He likes every type of museum, no matter how old or drab.
'
Magic
' suggests enchantment and pleasure; '
fascinated
' has connotations of being deeply and enjoyably absorbed.
The writer emphasises his interest in museums by using the word '
magic
' which suggests there is something special, almost mysteriously appealing about them.
Words like '
magic' and 'fascinated' show how the writer is attracted to museums.Slide116
WORD CHOICE - ANSWERS
4)a) He tells us how much he likes museums and that he always
has liked
them. He likes every type of museum, no matter how old or drab.
This answer does not refer to any specific words.
b) '
Magic
' suggests enchantment and pleasure; '
fascinated
' has connotations of being deeply and enjoyably absorbed.
Well done! This answer offers interesting observations on the use of 'magic' and 'fascinated'.c) The writer emphasises his interest in museums by using the word 'magic' which suggests there is something special, almost mysteriously appealing about them. This answer has a very strong comment on 'magic' but requires more depth.
d) Words like 'magic' and 'fascinated
' show how the writer is attracted to museums. This answer merely quotes words and offers no comment.Slide117
Word Choice - Test
5)
“
Football today is being hijacked and often corrupted by
commercial
interests, the fans exploited, their loyalty taken for
granted
or abused. The men and women who have supported
the
game all their lives are treated as mere consumers of a
product
on which those who run the clubs have a monopoly of supply. The more cash they can screw out of the fans the better. And they call it sport. Welcome to the world of commercial football.”Show how the word choice in this paragraph
makes clear the writer's feelings about football today: a) The writer's anger and despair are conveyed
by words like 'hijacked' which suggests something
being illegally, almost violently, changed from its true purpose; '
corrupted
' which has
connotations of
immorality and deceit; and '
screw
' which makes the football bosses sound like cheap fraudsters.Slide118
Word Choice - Test
5)
“
Football today is being hijacked and often corrupted by
commercial
interests, the fans exploited, their loyalty taken for
granted
or abused. The men and women who have supported
the
game all their lives are treated as mere consumers of a
product
on which those who run the clubs have a monopoly of supply. The more cash they can screw out of the fans the better. And they call it sport. Welcome to the world of commercial football.”Show how the word choice in this paragraph
makes clear the writer's feelings about football today: b) He says the fans are being '
abused'. This suggests they are being
treated in a harmful way.Slide119
Word Choice - Test
5)
“
Football today is being hijacked and often corrupted by
commercial
interests, the fans exploited, their loyalty taken for
granted
or abused. The men and women who have supported
the
game all their lives are treated as mere consumers of a
product
on which those who run the clubs have a monopoly of supply. The more cash they can screw out of the fans the better. And they call it sport. Welcome to the world of commercial football.”Show how the word choice in this paragraph
makes clear the writer's feelings about football today: c) He uses words like: '
hijacked, corrupted, exploited, abused,
mere, monopoly, screw'; all these
words show he feels that the
fans
are being
treated
badly.Slide120
Word Choice - Test
5)
“
Football today is being hijacked and often corrupted by
commercial
interests, the fans exploited, their loyalty taken for
granted
or abused. The men and women who have supported
the
game all their lives are treated as mere consumers of a
product
on which those who run the clubs have a monopoly of supply. The more cash they can screw out of the fans the better. And they call it sport. Welcome to the world of commercial football.”Show how the word choice in this paragraph
makes clear the writer's feelings about football today: d)
A 'monopoly' is usually considered to be a bad thing
because it means that only one person or group
is in control, restricting the
rights
of others.Slide121
Word Choice - Test
The writer's anger and despair are conveyed by words like '
hijacked
' which suggests something being illegally, almost violently, changed from its true purpose; '
corrupted
' which has connotations of immorality and deceit; and '
screw
' which makes the football bosses sound like cheap fraudsters.
He says the fans are being '
abused
'. This suggests they are being treated in a harmful way.
He uses words like: 'hijacked, corrupted, exploited, abused, mere, monopoly, screw'; all these words show he feels that the fans are being treated badly.A 'monopoly' is usually considered to be a bad thing because it means that only one person or group is in control, restricting the rights of others.Slide122
WORD CHOICE - ANSWERS
5)a) The writer's anger and despair are conveyed by words like '
hijacked
' which suggests something being illegally, almost violently, changed from its true purpose; '
corrupted
' which has connotations of immorality and deceit; and '
screw
' which makes the football bosses sound like cheap fraudsters.
Well done! The answer goes into considerable detail about several of the words used.
b) He says the fans are being '
abused'. This suggests they are being treated in a harmful way. This answer makes only a weak comment about the word 'abused'.c) He uses words like: 'hijacked, corrupted, exploited, abused, mere, monopoly, screw'; all these words show he feels that the fans are being treated badly. All this answer does is list a number of words and then offer the comment about being 'treated badly'.d) A '
monopoly' is usually considered to be a bad thing because it means that only one person or group is in control, restricting the rights of others. The comment on 'monopoly' is useful but offers no observations on other words.Slide123
Word Choice Example
Question
What is surprising about the author’s word choice in this line?
2
Answer
“
hellish yet beautiful”
These
words are contradictory, which makes the
expression
surprising
At the beginning of this month I was in a hellish yet beautiful place. Slide124
Now answer the word choice questions in the booklet.Slide125
By now most of us know that the version of reality on offer is one shaped by a multimillion-pound business with slick production values, and yet we willingly suspend our disbelief week after week, month after month, in the name of entertainment. Is there something lacking in our daily lives that draws us so inexorably into
Cowell’s
web?
Question
Comment on the writer’s use of word choice in the final sentence of this paragraph.
2
Question 8
“web”
This suggests that
Cowell
sees us as his prey OR that we are manipulated the way a spider manipulates a fly in its web OR that once drawn into reality TV it is nearly impossible to escape Slide126
I only began to grasp this a few months ago when I travelled to Xi’an to visit the First Emperor’s mind-boggling mausoleum, home to his Terracotta Army. “This is one of the people who changed the world,” said Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum. “There are terribly few historical figures whose achievements lasted like that. This is really one of the great, great figures in human history.”
Question
Show how any one feature of Neil
MacGregor’s
word choice makes it clear that he thinks of Qin as someone
special.
2
Question
9
“changed the world”
Suggests that he had a huge influenceSlide127
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.
Question
Explain how the writer’s word choice in lines 19–22 helps to show the negative effects of fame
.
4
Question 10
“begging letters” – implies unpleasant/unwanted attention
Journalists “rifling” through her bins – suggests invasion of privacy/indiscriminate searching and/or unpleasant/unwanted attentionSlide128
Tone
Tone
questions are often seen as the most difficult to answer. A first step to being able to answer them is knowing what some of the common examples of tone in close reading papers are, such as
humourous
, ironic (sarcastic), disapproving, emotive, aggressive, compassionate,
sympathetic etc.
In
(very) general terms, look for
word choice
and think of the
connotations
- this should help you to get an idea of how a tone is being created.Slide129
Tone
Understand different types of tone
(look at the list of tones and their meanings that you have been given)
Think of how the words used – and the way in which the sentences are written – might create a specific mood (similar to word choice questions)Slide130
So why, after a decade of phone-in rows, vote-rigging accusations and celebrity-hungry wannabes with bloated egos, does the British public remain so in love with reality
television?
Question
Explain fully why any two components of the expression
“celebrity-hungry wannabes with bloated egos”
(lines 17–18) convey a tone of disapproval.
2
Example
‘
celebrity-hungry’ suggests that the people are superficial
‘wannabes’ is clearly derogatory and dismissiveSlide131
Now do the questions on tone
in the booklet.Slide132
Sad / gloomy / pessimistic / concerned
I would also accept dismissive
Question 11
Those who call themselves environmentalists celebrate this. “Leave nothing and take nothing away,” read the signs at the gates of nature reserves. Practical advice, perhaps, but is there not something melancholy in what that says about modern man’s desired relationship with nature? Will we one day confine ourselves to watching large parts of our planet only from observation towers
?
Question
What is the tone of the
last two
sentences
above?
1Slide133
The word “may” is used twiceThis makes clear that they are unsure of the chances of being able to fully explore the tomb
Question 12
The tomb itself may never be opened because of the sensitivities of disturbing the Emperor, although some archaeologists hope that improved technology may one day allow some form of exploration
.
Question
Show fully how the writer introduces a doubtful tone when he writes about the prospects for opening the tomb.
2Slide134
Attitude is positive / admiringThe word “reassure” confirms that the writer believes her story to be positive
Question 13
In an age of appearances, her story should reassure us. JK Rowling found success and made millions through trusting her own invention. We will never know her, but we know Harry, and his magic is likely to last
.
Question
Identify the writer’s attitude to JK Rowling in this paragraph and give evidence to support your answer.
2Slide135
Imagery
Images and imagery have a purpose.
Writers want you to
share their thinking
as fully as possible. In order to
interpret images
and explain how things work, and how well they do so, we have to be
methodical
.
It can help to consider
three
things:
What is the image?
How does it work?
Why
is it
effective
?Slide136
Imagery - Summary
Identify or quote the
image
___
______
is being compared to
_________
Show
how the literal and figurative come together to
create
an effect This is effective because just as
‘__________’ suggests _____________...
3. Say
what the effect is
…
so too _____________________________Slide137
It is only when a superstition begins to compromise our deeper goals and aspirations that we have moved along the spectrum of irrationality far enough to risk a diagnosis of obsessive compulsive disorder. Take
Kolo
Touré
, the former Arsenal defender, who insists on being the last player to leave the dressing room after the half-time break. No real problem, you might think, except that when William
Gallas
, his team-mate, was injured and needed treatment at half-time during a match,
Touré
stayed in the dressing room until
Gallas
had been treated, forcing Arsenal to start the second half with only nine players.
QuestionExplain how effective you find the word “spectrum” (line 71) as an image or metaphor to illustrate people’s “irrationality”.
Example
Answer:
The
variety of superstitions that exist is being compared to a spectrum
This
is effective because just as a ‘spectrum’ suggests a wide range of
colours…
…so too
there are a wide range of different severities of superstitious beliefsSlide138
Now do the practise imagery questions in the booklet.Slide139
Afrikaans is being compared to a drugIt is effective because just as ‘drugs’ suggests something damaging and destructive…
…so too ‘Afrikaans’ could potentially do terrible damage to the educational chances of Africans
Question
14
“Africans are not dustbins,” declared some of the June 16 placards; and “Beware of Afrikaans, the most dangerous drug for our future.”
Question
Look at the placard text “Beware of Afrikaans, the most dangerous drug for our future”. Explain the metaphor and analyse its effectiveness.
3Slide140
AnswerIt
is effective because just as ‘hysteria’ suggests
panic…
…so
too the response to texting was irrational and over-the-top
Question
15
Research has made it clear that the early media hysteria about the novelty (and thus the dangers) of text messaging was misplaced.
Question
How effective do you find the writer’s use of “hysteria” as an image or metaphor?
2Slide141
Linking Questions
Linking questions are very common in Close Reading papers and are, in almost every case, an easy way to gain two marks.
Linking
questions
always
work in the same way, and you can therefore use the
following formula to
ensure that you always get the marks available.
Remember
that you
must quote when answering these questions; also, try to be specific when stating what each quote is linking to in either the previous or the upcoming paragraph.Slide142
Linking Questions
Use the following formula
:
The word(s)
‘____
QUOTE
______’
link back to what was discussed in the previous
paragraph
, which was
REFER BACK___________________________.The word(s) ‘_____
QUOTE__________’ link to what is coming up in the next paragraph, which is REFER FORWARD__________________________________.Slide143
Linking Questions
1 Quote which part refers back
2 Say what it refers back to
3 Quote which part refers forward
4 Say what it refers forward to
The process of answering linking questions is like completing a four part jigsaw puzzleSlide144
The 7.15 dance class is full, as was the six o’clock, as is the 8.30. In the reception area of Edinburgh Dancebase
, learners, ranging from the middle-aged, fresh from work, to students, mill around waiting to dance.
Unlikely
as it may at first seem, this is occurring across the country. Against similar winter backdrops people are queuing up to learn to dance. National inhibition is being shed as salsa, meringue, and
cumbia
beats force hips
to
sway rhythmically and partners to twist complicatedly. French
ceroc
classes are filling up, street dancing to hip hop is being used as an exercise class. Even ballroom dancing is enjoying something of a renaissance
.
ExampleQuestionBy referring to specific words or phrases, show how the first sentence in the second paragraph performs a linking function in the line of thought. 2Slide145
The 7.15 dance class is full, as was the six o’clock, as is the 8.30. In the reception area of Edinburgh Dancebase
, learners, ranging from the middle-aged, fresh from work, to students, mill around waiting to dance.
Unlikely
as it may at first seem, this is occurring across the country. Against similar winter backdrops people are queuing up to learn to dance. National inhibition is being shed as salsa, meringue, and
cumbia
beats force hips t sway rhythmically and partners to twist complicatedly. French
ceroc
classes are filling up, street dancing to hip hop is being used as an exercise class. Even ballroom dancing is enjoying something of a renaissance
.
Example
Answer
The word ‘this’ links back to what was discussed in the previous paragraph, which was the idea of the dance classes in Edinburgh being full.
The words ‘is occurring across the country’ link to what is coming up in the next paragraph, which is the idea of different styles of dance becoming more popular throughout the nation.Slide146
Now complete the practice ‘linking’ questions in your booklet.Slide147
Q16
The
words ‘his work’ link back to what
was discussed
in the previous paragraph, which was his plays, characters and poetry
.
William
Shakespeare is easily the best-known of our English writers. Virtually every man in the street can name some of his plays and his characters, and many people can also recite lines of his poetry by heart. However, despite our familiarity with his work, we know relatively little of the man himself. We do not know when or why he became an actor, we know nothing of his life in London, and almost nothing of his personal concerns.
Question
By referring to specific words or phrases, show how the third sentence acts as a link in the argument.
2
The words ‘the man himself’ link to what is coming up in the next paragraph, which is information about his life and personality.Slide148
Q17
Mary
Stuart was certainly rated a beauty by the standards of her own time: even John Knox described her as ‘pleasing’. In her height, her small neat head, and her grace she resembled the contemporary ideal. It was the type of beauty which her contemporaries were already learning to admire in art, and could now appreciate in life, all the more satisfyingly because it was in the person of a princess.
Not
only the appearance, but also the character of Mary Stuart made her admirably suited to be a princess of France in the age in which she lived. Mary was exactly the sort of beautiful woman, not precisely brilliant, but well-educated and charming, who inspired and stimulated poets by her presence to feats of homage.
Question
Show how the first sentence of the second paragraph acts as a link in the argument.
2
The word ‘appearance’ links back to what was discussed in the previous paragraph, which was her ‘beauty’.
The words ‘the character’ link to what is coming up in the next paragraph, which is that she was an inspiring person.Slide149
Q18
The problem here is political rather than financial capacity. The pinch will come in other resource areas, such as health spending. People over 65 consume three times as many prescription items as other age groups. Nearly half of those with some measure of disability are over 70.
But the resource question, meeting the material needs of the old and elderly, is only half the story. The real problem lies elsewhere – in the imagination. What are the old for? Who are they, and do traditional divisions of human life into childhood, youth, middle-age and old-age still fit our experience
?
Question
What is the function of the first sentence in the second paragraph in this passage? By referring closely to specific words and phrases, show how it fulfils this function.
3Slide150
8Nearly
half of those with some measure of disability are over 70.
But
the resource question, meeting the material needs of the old and elderly, is only half the story. The real problem lies elsewhere – in the imagination. What are the old for? Who are they, and do traditional divisions of human life into childhood, youth, middle-age and old-age still fit our experience
?
Question
What is the function of the first sentence in the second paragraph in this passage? By referring closely to specific words and phrases, show how it fulfils this function.
3
The words ‘the resource question’ link back to what was discussed in the previous paragraph, which was about paying for healthcare for the elderly.
The words ‘only half the story’ link to what is coming up in the next paragraph, which focuses on bigger questions about what it means to be “old”
.
The other mark is for actually recognising that this is a linking question!!!