Close Reading
It is hugely important that you are very familiar with the
passages you are analysing. To ‘close read’ means you
have to have read closely – in-depth and not just a skim
read.
The first time you read a passage should be to gain a sense
of the gist of the passage – what it’s about; the main points
the author is trying to make; what the author’s argument or
point of view is. It may be appropriate for you to highlight
any relevant features as you read. You should then read the
questions.
The second time you read the passage, will be more to
focus on answering the questions. Highlighting potential
areas for comment is definitely a good idea here.
Understanding Questions
There are four main types of understanding question.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Selecting particular pieces of information
Summarising
Context questions
Link questions
Selecting and Summarising information.
When selecting particular pieces of information, or summarising an author’s argument
(etc), you must always write in your own words. You are supposed to show
understanding of what the author is saying. Merely repeating the author’s words shows
no understanding – just an ability to copy.
Task 1 1
2
3
Task 2 -
Put the following in your own words.
The Minister turned crimson with anger at the insolence of the opposition
Leader. His knuckles were white with indignation.
The laid-back moggy lay on the hearth rug.
It had an overwhelming sense of despair, grief washing over the entire
community, tears flowing like rivers.
Revise notes and examples on pages 6- 9 of ‘Language Skills for Higher
English’ Book:
Context Questions
This type of question asks you to show that you understand the
meaning of a word based on the evidence given by the words
round about it.
In order to answer this question, follow these steps. The queried
word is the word that you have to explain. Supporting words are
any words which helped you arrive at the meaning.
1
2
3
Quote the queried word and say what you think it means.
Quote a supporting word/phrase from the immediate context that helped you
understand the word.
Explain why the supporting word/phrase helped you understand the meaning
of the queried word.
Repeat stages 2 and 3 as necessary.
4
See examples in the ‘Language Skills for Higher English’ Book on pages 9 – 11
Link Question
This type of question asks you to show that you understand how a sentence forms a link
between one paragraph and another.
In order to answer this type of question, use the following stages:
1
2
Identify any conjunctions or words that either link or change the direction of
the argument. (and, however, but, yet, on the other hand, in addition…) –
shows a similar idea to follow or a contrasting idea to follow.
Quote the part of the link sentence that refers to the writer’s argument in the
previous paragraph.
Explain what ideas the backward linking part links to.
Quote the part of the link sentence that refers to the writer’s point in the next
paragraph.
Explain what ideas the forward linking part of the sentence links to.
3
4
5
Remember example looked at in class where answer was:
See pages 11-15 in ‘Higher English Language Skills’ for additional notes and
examples.
Analysis Questions
Analysis questions ask you to employ the skills you have been learning all through
English – identify techniques or stylistic features, comment on why the author has chosen
to use them and show why they are effective.
What is it? (identify technique)
What does it do? (in general)
How does it do it? (in this case)
And Why? (explain effect/impact)
Sentence Structure
With a bit of sentence length, and a bit of sentence type, patterns and punctuation!
There are four main aspects to sentence structure. Not all of them will always be
relevant, but you should work your way through the checklist:
1
Sentence Type
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Exclamations
Questions
Rhetorical Questions
Commands
Minor sentences
What effect does the sentence type have?
2
Sentence Length
a. Is a sentence particularly long or short?
b. What effect does the length of the sentence have?
3
Patterns
a. Repetition
b. Inverted word order
c. Build up to a climax or anti-climax
d. Listing
e. Antithesis
f. What effect does the technique have?
4
Punctuation
a. The colon: introduces a list, a quotation, an explanation or an expansion.
b. The semi-colon: breaks up longer items in a list; can be used instead of a
conjunction to link two simple sentences; can show a balance or a contrast
between two linked simple sentences.
c. Parenthesis: two brackets, dashes or commas which separate off
additional information from the rest of the passage:
i. Can clarify factual information
ii. Can add the author’s point of view
iii. Can influence tone.
iv. Always look for what effect it has, not just what it does!
d. Exclamation marks: show an emotion: surprise, anger, shock, happiness.
e. Ellipsis (or suspension points)… creates a sense of suspense (drama)
suspends time (shows time passing) or shows words have been missed out.
f. Inverted commas: mark off quotes, speech or titles; also can have the
effect of saying ‘so called’ – distances the speaker from what they’re
saying.
Imagery
(Similes, metaphors and personification). In order to answer these types of question, it is
important that you explain the ‘root’ image and how it transfers.
The boy was as fast as a cheetah.
Literal image
Metaphorical image – (Root/figurative image)
What is the literal image
– the boy
Explain the ‘metaphorical’ image - a cheetah is known to be
very fast
Show how it transfers
– the boy is also very fast.
An easy way to remember how to do this….
Just as (explain the root), so (show the transfer). This is
effective because….
Just as [a cheetah is fast], so [was the boy]. This is effective because [it
shows the immense speed of the boy.]
Example from 2004 Higher Paper
Overprotected children are compared to ‘battery hens’. Why is this an effective
image?
Just as [battery hens are kept in confined spaces and not allowed any freedom],
so, [in the author’s opinion, are overprotected children.] This is effective because
[it shows the author thinks both situations are unhealthy.]
Tone
Tone questions require you to identify the tone and to prove what you say by using
quotes. You must then show how the quotes prove your point.
Type of Tone
Author’s Purpose
Humorous/ light
To entertain/ amuse
hearted
Ironic/ tongue in cheek To criticise or
mock, sometimes in
a humorous way.
Emotive
To stir up emotions
- anger, pity etc.
Colloquial/ chatty
To engage the
reader
Persuasive /
argumentative
To persuade
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E.g.:
Defining Features
Jokes, hyperbole, comical anecdotes and
many other techniques.
The author states the opposite of what
(s)he actually means.
Uses strong emotional words, expresses
extremes of emotion, uses hyperbole,
personal statements, anecdotes,
questions.
Uses slang, abbreviations, short/
incomplete sentences, first or second
person, personal comments.
Uses very positive or negative
statements, emotive language, first and
second person, rhetorical questions.
Word Choice Questions.
Pick one word then ‘connotation’!
You are being asked to select a key word and show how the connotation of this
word are being exploited by the writer.
You should use the word ‘connotation’ in your answer.
You must focus clearly on one word at a time.
There are no marks for simply picking out the word.
There are no marks for repeating the question.
A useful strategy is to compare the word you’ve chosen with a more ‘neutral’
word, e.g., ‘she strode into the room’. A more neutral word would be ‘walked’.
Difference: the choice of ‘strode’ implies a purposeful action by a confident
person.
A teacher is said to have ‘hissed’ a statement. This is a ‘loaded’ word with
negative connotations. The reference to a snake has the connotations of
untrustworthiness and evil and suggests that the teacher also, is evil or
untrustworthy.
Evaluation Questions
There are 3 types of question you’re likely to get:
1. Questions throughout the question paper which ask you to evaluate
an individual technique
o E.g., How effective do you find the sentence structure in lines 3-6 in
creating a tense atmosphere.
o You may also be required to analyse a technique in these questions
o How to answer – do any analysis required but make sure you show why
you think the technique is/ is not effective.
2. Questions at the end of the questions on either one of the passages.
o These are often about the effectiveness of the introduction, the conclusion
or sometimes the title.
o How to answer – titles – look at how the title introduces the subject
effectively, how is it linked to the ideas and the tone of the passage, how is
it linked to the introduction/conclusion. What is the tone? How is it
effective?
o How to answer – introduction – how effective is the introduction in
making the reader want to read on? How is it made interesting? How
does it effectively introduce the subject matter? What is the tone? How is
it effective?
o How to answer – conclusions – how are the main points summed up
effectively? How is the tone effective? How is the conclusion linked to
the introduction/title/main points? Is there a final ‘punchline’?
3. Questions at the end of the paper on both passages.
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These ask you to compare the opinions presented in the
two passages and may ask you to say how and where the
writers agree and/or disagree. (Be careful to do what the
question asks for here!)
You must comment on both passages to gain the most
marks.
More and more, these are focusing mainly on ideas and not on elements of style
as they have been analysed fully in the other questions.
Do not write about style – do not discuss techniques, structure, tone, register, the
use of anecdotes. You will gain no marks for these comments.
You should look at what points the author makes and what you think of them.
Think of your answer as a mini-essay, likely to take up at least half a page, but
possibly up to a full page.