Step Up Unit 1: AQA GCSE English Language

Section A - Lesson Four Structure

AO2: Explain, comment on and analyse how writers use language and structure to achieve
effects and influence readers, using relevant subject terminology to support their views

Question 3 of Paper 1 is dedicated to analysing the structure of the text. What does this mean?
How is it different from analysing language? The diagrams below might provide some ideas.

words words words

words words

words

words
words words

words words words

In pairs, define what you think is meant by structure, then share your definitions as a group.

structure noun
:

A Place Beyond
She ran her hand over the coarse railings, their cracked paintwork scraping abrasively against her
supple fingertips. Once majestic barriers, the sands of time had worn them down to dereliction.
Wandering aimlessly, Ayila’s hand trailed across the arcs, curves and lumpen adornments, flowing
like tributaries and leading eventually to the grandiose gate which she now stood before, her
touch lingering on the rose motif at the heart of it. Noticeably smoother than any other part of
the perimeter, this floral garland also retained some colour; where much of the oppressive black
surface had given way to a silvery grey, the rose flushed an autumnal auburn. She wondered if its
coating had been expensive gold leaf. Placing her palm upon this most ornate detail, she slowly
enfolded her fingers around it, then suddenly recoiled as she felt its sharp edges prick her flesh.
For the first time on her travels, Ayila felt vulnerable. The gothic façade of the place had not given
her pause for thought, so entranced was she with the idea of adventure and a quest that offered
much-needed respite from the dreariness of domestic life. That momentary sensation of pain,
however, served to remind this ordinary girl that she was sleepwalking into unknown territory.
What was her hitherto tedious existence being swapped for?
Fortified by the realisation that there was no returning to the remote land from which she’d come,
Ayila reached for the latch and gave it a decisive push. As the rickety gate swung open, the granite
gatepost crumbled further, hunks of formerly proud masonry sent tumbling into a shallow grave
of upturned soil. With a self-assurance that felt alien to someone who’d been raised to believe

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 Step Up Unit 1: AQA GCSE English Language Section A - Lesson Four Structure

that meekness was a virtue, the bold young woman strode across the boundary, along the gravel
pathway and up to the imposing front door. Taking its rusty brass knocker in hand, she repeated
her purposeful action with the gate latch, banging it forcefully against the solid oak admission
point. Then she waited.
Read the extract A Place Beyond. In the space provided, track the journey of the text by writing a
summary of each paragraph and signposting the differences between them. It might help you to
consider the TIPTOP rules for paragraphing: Time Place Topic Person.

Finish

Paragraph 3
Signpost shifts

To
Ti
P

Paragraph 2
P Still 3rd person but moves
deeper into Ayila’s thoughts
Ti Hints towards past life
Signpost shifts
Road Map

Paragraph 1
To
P

Start

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 Step Up Unit 1: AQA GCSE English Language Section A - Lesson Four Structure

Extension:
What might the title suggest about the journey of the text?
What is the effect of the conclusion? i.e. Where does it lead readers to think we might be headed
next?
Q3 requires you to analyse the structure. This means going beyond a description of the structure
and writing about the effect that it has on the reader.
Sample question:
3. How has the writer structured the text to interest the reader?
You may want to write about:
• what you are focused on at the beginning;
• how the writer changes focus and why;
• any other parts of the structure that you find interesting. [8 marks]
Model paragraph:

The extract begins with the pronoun ‘She’ and it is only in the third sentence that we
learn the character’s name is Ayila. This helps to create a sense of mystery as readers
wonder who this person is and how she has come to this place. This is reinforced by the
fact that we’re not told exactly where she is either; the writer focuses in on small details
to describe the location, which is also made to seem mysterious. What, for example,
caused a ‘once majestic’ setting to become derelict?

Using the observations that you have signposted, continue the journey by writing a paragraph of
your own. Remember that higher marks come from writing about the reader’s response to the
journey that the text takes them on. You will revisit this paragraph in the next session.

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Step Up Unit 1: AQA GCSE English Language
Section A - Lesson Four Structure - Answers
This is indicative content only; please encourage a personal response and credit any valid answer.

structure noun
:
The arrangement of and relations between the component parts of the text; how it is
constructed and connected.

Paragraph 1
Ayila tracks the texture and pattern of the paintwork on the railings with her hand.
Is it ‘wandering aimlessly’?
Moves from physical touch to inner thoughts, disturbed by the prick.
Signpost shifts
Ti Hints towards past life
P Remains the same throughout but thoughts return to home
To Thoughts and feelings: adventure anxiety
P Focus on Ayila
Paragraph 2
Inner feelings of vulnerability and fear.
Question: what’s she doing and where’s she going (compared to where she’s come from)?
Signpost shifts
Ti Back to present
P Moves through gate
To Change in feeling - courage
P Still on Ayila but who/what’s behind door?
Paragraph 3
Thoughts prompt her to move on.
Pushes the gate which further crumbles.
Feeling braver, she approaches the door and knocks.
Left waiting for answer.

Extension
What might the title suggest about the journey of the text?
The title suggests that the text is going to take Ayila (and, by extension, the reader)
somewhere new, perhaps even fantastical, beyond what she’s experienced before.
What is the effect of the conclusion? i.e. Where does it lead readers to think we might be
headed next?
It could be assumed that Ayila will gain entry to this place but the reader is left with
unanswered questions about who or what she might find inside. Alternatively, her new-
found self-assurance could be tested by being denied entry and having to find another way
in. Furthermore, the setting and the act of waiting are ominous so it is also implied that
she is heading into danger.