Highlight the most
important words in
the question
The most important
words tell you what
to write about.
GAP
Genre- what is
it? An article? A
book extract?
Audience- Who is the
audience? Age? Gender?
Class? Interests?
Purpose- What is the
purpose of the text? To
inform? To entertain?
For Q1 the likley purposes
will be; to inform, to explain,
to describe or argue.
Address the question
DON'T copy chunks of text
Pepper your points
with 2-3 word quotes
Write a clear simple
opening sentence
2-3 sentences per point
Q2
Things to
remember
8 Marks
15 mins
Including active
reading time - 3 mins
Briskly analyse the
language of
presentational features
Headlines
1. Headlines are BIG,
BOLD and PROMINENT;
they attract the reader
TYPOGRAPHICALLY
2. The LANGUAGE of
headlines tries to
amuse/attract/shock
/fascinate/interst/intrige
the reader
3. Headlines SUMMARISE
the article; they LINK to it
Headlines with puns
e.g - Science friction
Often contain an idiom
(well known phrase/saying)
or a cultural reference.
Headlines with other devices
Alliteration
Rule of three
Repetition
Personification
Cliche
Exaggeration
Hyperbole
Rhetorical
Question
Figurative
Language
Sub-headlines
Captions
Analyse the image
Explain how
presentational
features are effective
How they link
to the text
Highlight the key
words in the question.
The Picture
They are usually given
prominent positions
They support the headline, they try
to amuse / attract / shock/ fascinate
/ interest / intrigue the reader.
They illustrate the article.
They depict the story being
told.
Colour should
be considered
It will ALWAYS
Ask you to link the
presentational features
to the content of the text.
Ask you to analyse
the presentational
features, noticing how
they are effective.
REMEMBER
Explain how the headline
and picture are effective,
and how they link to the
text.
Explain how the headline,
sub-headline and picture are
effective, and how they link to the
text.
Explain how the headline,
picture and caption are effective,
and how they link to the text.
Q3
Things to
remember
Inference and
Deduction
8 marks
15 minutes
including active
reading time
Briskly analyse the
language of the text to
answer the question
Discuss four or five points
where the reader is able to
‘read between the lines’
for
example
“I was already unhappy with
what I was seeing. I'm causing
this to happen, I kept thinking.
This pig has been hand-fed for
six months, fattened up - for me.”
The inference or
deduction from this is...
Guilt
The Question
Highlight the key words in the
question. Usually, the question asks
you to explain some thoughts and
feelings of a first-person narrator.
PAY CAREFUL
ATTENTION TO THE
QUESTION
Actively read the text
You are looking for
particular parts of the
text which you have
been asked to write
about in the question.
Highlight sections that will
help you answer the question.
Annotate the article very
briefly with ideas that will help
you answer the question.
Q4
Remember
16 marks
30 minutes
including active
reading time
You need to identify 4
devices (techniques, or
features) used in two texts
Analyse the effect of
some of these devices.
Comment on similarities and
differences of the two texts
Language is always used for
some kind of effect or other.
You can talk about the kind of
language a writer uses, noticing
what kind of words are used, or
what kind of tone or style is
created by language and structure.
Linguistic devices
1st, 2nd or 3rd person,
(narrative viewpoint)
Directly
addressing
the reader
Imperatives
Rhetorical
Questions
Register -
Formal/Informal
language
Diction -
Simple/Complex
vocabulary
Figurative Language &
Imagery: Similes/Metaphor/
Personification etc.
Word play &
puns
Alliteration
Rhyme &
Rhythm
Slogan &
Catchphrase
Anecdote &
Allusion
Statistics &
Facts
Exaggeration
& Hyperbole
Repetition
Humour
Lists
Emotive
Language
Punctuation
Type
Expert
advice
Short
sentences
Superlatives
The Question
The language question is always the
same: It will ask you to compare Text 3 (or
‘Source 3’) with either Text 1 or Text 2.
You need to be writing about
how language is used in the
two texts, identifying and
analysing language devices.
Highlight the key
words in the question.
Highlight words, phrases,
passages, statistics etc. that
will help you answer the
question.