IGCSE English Language B (9-1)
SECTION A: The HOW Questions
Structural Devices for Section A
1
2
Device
Change in
Tone
Definition
When the writer changes
his tone in his writing.
Chronological
Order
Is the writer’s writing in
the correct order or all
over the place?
3
Climax
The most important part
of the extract.
4
Cyclical
Structure
When the opening and the
ending of a writing is
similar.
5
Dialogue/
Monologue
When characters are
talking to someone else
(dialogue) or to
themselves (monologue).
6
Extended
Metaphor
7
8
Flashback
When you go back in time.
Foreshadowing When the writer gives
clues to the reader about
something that is going to
come later in the writing.
Juxtaposition
Contrast at essay level.
9
10 List
11 Long/Short
Paragraph
A metaphor with an
explanation afterwards.
More than 3 items.
Example
From happy to sad;
from angry to calm;
from optimistic to
pessimistic; etc.
In the morning… In
the afternoon… At
night…
The moment Mario
finds out that the
bridge is broken.
The story started with
the protagonist being
sad, and it ends with
him being sad again.
“He needs to shut
up!” retorted Harry.
“I wish I had never
gone there.” I said to
myself.
She is an angel.
Reason why she is an
angel.
Three months ago.
Giving clues that
something bad is
about to happen.
The character is very
shy in paragraph 1
and confident in
paragraph 5.
Bring chocolates,
cookies, cream and
milk.
All the pargaraphs are
short but one is
particularly long, or
vice versa.
General Effect
To make the writing
more interesting and
avoid monotony.
To make it easy to
remember.
To write in an
organized manner.
Think about what is
written there and
why?
To make it more
memorable.
It breaks up the
narrative and gives us
more detail about
which characters are
talking.
To emphasise.
To add detail.
To build up tension
towards the big
reveal.
Think about how the
change took place
over those
paragraphs.
To make it easy to
remember.
To write in an
organized manner.
To show importance.
Long: To add more
detail/information.
Short: To quickly talk
about something.
1
©Muhammad Naimur Rahman
Barrister-at-Law, Lincoln’s Inn
IGCSE English Language B (9-1)
SECTION A: The HOW Questions
12 Long/Short
Sentence
Long:
To add detail.
To slow down the
narrative.
Short:
“What’s that noise? I
turned left.”
13 New
Character/
Setting
14 Pace
15 Pathetic
Fallacy
How fast or slow the
narrative is.
When the weather and
the atmosphere reflects
the mood.
16 Point of View
Perspective
17 Repetition
To repeat the same word
or phrase multiple times.
18 Shift in focus
When the writer shifts
from one topic to another.
19 Tone
What a writer feels about
the topic.
One moment you’re
at home and the
other moment you’re
in Australia.
The fog gets worse…
worse and worse
throughout the text,
and that reflects how
the character’s
troubles gets worse
and worse and worse.
Paragraph 1 maybe
from the POV of the
Father; Paragraph 3
maybe from the POV
of the son.
“Stop, Stop, Stop!” –
Panic
The writer describes
the trees, then he
describes the
streams, and then he
talks about the birds.
Adam Forrest’s
optimistic tone in the
article, “Living in a
Steel Box”.
Short:
To build tension. To
make the action
seem live.
The writer is
introducing
something new.
Why at that
particular place has
he introduced the
new
character/setting?
Fast:
action packed
Slow:
lot of description,
writer is taking his
time.
To make it more
interesting.
To make it more
memorable.
Who’s point of view?
What’s the difference
between the two?
What is being
repeated? Why is it
being repeated?
Where is it being
repeated?
To quickly cover a
number of topics.
What is the overall
tone?
2
©Muhammad Naimur Rahman
Barrister-at-Law, Lincoln’s Inn
IGCSE English Language B (9-1)
20 Zoom In/
Zoom Out
SECTION A: The HOW Questions
Zoom In: When the writer
focuses on a particular
detail.
Zoom In: To show
importance.
Zoom Out: When the
writer looks at the bigger
picture without focusing
one anything in particular.
Zoom Out: To talk
about the setting.
3
©Muhammad Naimur Rahman
Barrister-at-Law, Lincoln’s Inn