Success Criteria Close Reading
UNDERSTANDING
Success Criteria Summary Questions
1.
Underline the answer in the passage
2.
Express in own words
3.
Use bullet points
4.
Look at key words in the question (identify/ give three
reasons/describe/explain/explain in detail etc.) to see the depth of
answer required
5.
Use number of marks as a guide to number of points
6.
Be clear and concise
Success Criteria Context Questions
1.
Quote the word or expression and state its meaning.
2.
Identify/quote a contextual clue.
3.
Explain how the contextual clue helped you to arrive at the meaning.
4.
Repeat the above process if there is more than one word.
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Use the framework:
The word/phrase “X” means (PROVIDE A DEFINITION). The
word/phrase “X” in the passage, meaning to (PROVIDE AN
EXPLANATION OF THE WORK/PHRASE), helped me to arrive at
this meaning.
Success Criteria for Linking Questions
1.
Underline the link sentence: this is where you need to quote words
and phrases from!
2.
Quote a word/phrase that links back
3.
Summarise the idea(s) it links back to
4.
Quote a word/phrase that links forward
5.
Summarise the idea(s) it links forward to
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Use the Link Framework:
THE WORD/PHRASE “(quote from the link)” REFERS BACK TO
THE PREVIOUS TOPIC, NAMELY (define the writer’s first
point/argument). THE CONJUCTION “(only quote a linking word
or conjunction if it is obvious!)
SUGGESTS THAT A NEW ARGUMENT WILL FOLLOW. THE
WORD/PHRASE “(quote from the link phrase/sentence)
INTRODUCES THE NEW TOPIC, NAMELY (define what the new
argument is).
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ANALYSIS
Success Criteria Word Choice Questions
1.
Quote the word (One or two words only!)
2.
Give detailed connotations. (Choose words with strong connotations
and go beyond the obvious.)
3.
Relate to the question/context (Explain how the connotations are
relevant in this context
Success Criteria for Imagery Questions
1.
Identify the image and its type (simile, metaphor, personification),
making sure that you quote a full image and not just part of one.
2.
Write down the literal meaning of the image by stating what is being
described in comparison with what. The literal will be the thing that is
actually present.
3.
Write down the connotations you would associate with the words of
the image being careful to choose words with figurative meanings.
4.
Show the link between the connotations which you have chosen and
the literal word meanings present in the image.
Success Criteria for Sentence Structure Questions
1.
Identify a technique of sentence structure used in the passage (list,
climax, anti-climax, repetition, balance and contrast, parenthesis, short
sentence, short paragraph, rhetorical question, extremely long
sentence, exclamation, question and answer etc.)
2.
Quote an example or give a line reference.
3.
Explain the effect of the sentence structure (you should have
separate notes on common effects produced by various sentence
constructions – learn these!)
4.
Relate to the question/context.
Success Criteria for Tone Questions
1.
Identify a tone (humorous, light-hearted, ironic, dry, tongue-in-cheek,
emotive, mocking, colloquial, chatty, reflective, effusive, nostalgic,
caustic, persuasive, argumentative, serious, bathetic, critical, sneering,
flippant, cynical, sympathetic, angry, hectoring)
2.
Quote a phrase or example of sentence structure which helps create
the tone.
3.
Explain how it does so (by following technique for word choice or
sentence structure.
4.
Repeat steps two and three with another example.
Success Criteria for Language Questions
1.
Quote an example of sentence structure, imagery or word choice
2.
Follow the strategy for that type of question.
3.
Look at the key words and number of marks in the question: you may
have to look at more than one technique, and give 2-3 examples.
EVALUATION
There are fewer of these questions but they tend to be worth more marks. The
understanding and analysis questions will help you to answer the evaluation
questions. These questions are there for you to judge how well the writing has
been done.
• always be positive in your criticism.
• pick out and name techniques of style. Often there will be a list in the
question - make use of it.
• always quote to support your answer
• pick out specific techniques with comment – do not be vague.