Changing the way you learn

Question 1
1. Don't just list facts, interpret + explain - to show that you understand the issue in the article
2. Focus on both aspects of the question + argument
3. Refer to the text - brief quotations
4. Don't...
  1. comment on presentational features
  2. analyse language
Question 2
1. Make links between presentational features + main part of article
2. QUOTE + site specific details from picture. Short, embedded quotations are best
3. Be specific about the effect
  1. DON'T write- 'The headline makes the reader want to read on'
  2. DO write - 'The sense of danger in the word '______' suggests '______' + makes the reader afraid, creating a mini-cliffhanger effect, which links to....'
4. Effect on reader + purpose
Question 3
1. Thoughts and feelings
2. Changes in thoughts + feelings
3. Quote examples + explain in detail
4. In depth analysis rather than covering lots of points in little detail
Question 4
1. Make sure you write about the text you've been asked to write about + compare to another
2. Don't talk about audience and purpose
3. Language effects
  1. Sensory language - touch, taste, smell, sight, sound
    1. Used to create vivid picture of scene + increase whatever effect/theme the writer is trying to get across. Link to sounds. Comment on if it's a positive or negative mood.
      1. ‘The writer paints a negative picture of the scene with dull, depressing sensory language: ‘brown’ and thick, heavy words like ‘sludge’, ‘slop’ and ‘shriek’ which uses a sharp onomatopoeic sound to break, unpleasantly, into the mood.’
  2. Figurative language: Mood
    1. Semantic field - a group of words referring to same topic, normally highlighting a particular mood.
      1. ‘Flames suggest it is burning, unstoppable, and links to the idea of ‘hell’. The semantic field of 'hell' suggests that this is moral evil, not just a bad situation.’
  3. Sounds
    1. Sibilance
      1. Creates soft, gentle mood / sinister mood depending on context
        'The sibilant sounds in ‘softly, sweetly, sickly’ creates a soft, gentle mood, which turns sinister on ‘sickly’ as the sounds flow across the line. The unusual shift in mood within the same, sibilant sound, creates a disturbing effect'
    2. Plosive
      1. B/p/t/d sounds create abrupt, sharp, shocking effect.
    3. Liquid
      1. L sounds can flow, creating sense of quick, light movement - or of water, or sound thick + heavy
    4. Alliteration - emphasises words + connects them
      1. 'Alliteration links the contrasting ideas of 'death' and 'delicious' to suggest a cake so good even death becomes delicious - that it's deadly, perhaps an intense experience.'
  4. Contrasts
    1. Juxtaposition
      1. Creates dramatic effect, emphasising qualities of each, or how something is out of place
        ‘The writer juxtaposes the old man with the freshness of his surroundings and the beauty of the spring. This emphasises his frailty, and the transient (fragile> quickly passing) nature of life.’
    2. Antithesis - two words.ideas that are exact opposite
      1. ‘The imagery (or semantic field) of despair is set in antithesis to the theme of hope that runs through the piece. The writer suggests that even in such a ‘desolate’, ‘twisted’, ‘bleak’ landscape, we can still find ‘light.’ Th
    3. Oxymoron
      1. ‘The oxymoron ‘despairing hope’ shows the extent to which these conflicting emotions are intertwined - and perhaps in such a bad situation, hope becomes even more important.’
    4. Superlative
      1. ‘The writer uses the superlative to show that the blue whale is the largest on earth, and yet terribly endangered. The juxtaposition of huge size and extreme vulnerability creates a shocking effect.’
  5. Statistics - shows the sale of the thing, to fix a precise image in reader's mind about size of issue + importance
  6. Facts
    1. 'The facts 'from Manchester to Mumbai' shows the scale of the problem' OR 'The specific facts about the balloon flight seem matter of fact, contrasting with the silliness of what the man did. Also, '45 helium balloons' seems not enough to cross something as big as 'the English channel'.'
4. DON'T write - 'The writer seems happy. I can tell this because he used happy words.'
5. DO write - 'The word 'glitters' and 'gold' suggest that the light is precious, but the natural beauty of the sunset is priceless, as if this is an experience he could have nowhere else.'
6. Be specific, give specific examples
7. Connotations of language and phrases in their CONTEXT
8. Examples
  1. Band 1
    1. The writer uses descriptive language such as ‘paradise’
  2. Band 2
    1. The writer uses descriptive language such as ‘paradise’ to show how beautiful the valley is.
  3. Band 3
    1. The writer uses descriptive language such as ‘paradise’ to show how beautiful the valley is. The words suggests that after walking for so long in the frozen snow, the characters have stumbled on a place that makes them feel confident they’ll be rescued.
  4. Band 4
    1. The writer uses descriptive language such as ‘paradise’ to show how beautiful the valley is. The words suggests that after walking for so long in the frozen snow, the characters have stumbled on a place that feels like heaven which makes them feel confident they’ll be rescued. The religious metaphor is continued with the words ‘blessed valley’ and ‘garden of eden’ the writer’s choice of language is almost suggesting a miracle has happened: the hand of god or some form of higher being has led them to this divine place and salvation.

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AQA - English Language Unit 1

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	Created by Alice Love about 10 years ago