ENGLISH LANGUAGE- PAPER ONE

All non-fiction texts involve language and structure and the writers will present their idea. Think about
how best to compare these things in the given texts in exam conditions.
All non-fiction writing describes real events but, depending on the genre, the authors gives their own
account. The ‘truth’ of their account can be questioned

Non-Fiction texts include:

- Autobiography - News reports - Letters

- Biography - Feature magazine - Reviews
- Diary - Obituaries - Reference books
- Journal - Speeches
- Blog - Travel writing

You will need to analyse the techniques used by the writer in order to meet Assessment Objective 2.
Think about:

- the story or narrative and what actually happened

- use of precise detail
- frequent use of personal pronouns
- first person perspective maintained throughout
- use of emotive language
- use of descriptive language.

Although you will be given credit for knowing and identifying techniques, many more marks go to good
explanations of their effects, of why they are used, than to mere technique-spotting.

Look at the way an author has used the technical devices of language to persuade the reader of a
certain viewpoint.

Some people find acronyms helpful in remembering lists of terms. We’ve suggested ‘HER CRASH
FACTOR’S L’ for the following rhetorical techniques, but try to think of your own if you can.
H Hyperbole or exaggeration A Antithesis
E Emotive language C Contrast
R Register T Tripling
C Contrast O Onomatopoeia
R Repetition R Rhetorical questions (and other
A Alliteration and assonance rhetorical devices)
S Structure S Short sentences or paragraphs
H Humour L Lists
F Figurative language (similes, etc.)

Analyse the structure of a passage and see how it helps the purpose of the writing. Ask how the
different parts fit together and relate to each other.
Attitude affects language. When you reread the extracts, think about how the writer uses language to
communicate certain things to us and what this reveals about the writer’s purpose and personality.
Writers do not only write from a particular perspective. They also write with a particular ‘view’ in front of
them, which includes their purpose and audience, meaning that these three aspects are closely
connected.
Audience is always relevant to a text. The language is affected by the audience and vice versa.To
ensure the most efficient use of time, a direct approach to answering the question is usually best,
rather than spending a long time getting to your main points
STRUCTURE
Structure is a key rhetorical method used to build up a feeling or an argument.
Include details of the circumstances and events. You should not try to summarise the whole extract,
but focus on key moments and explain why you think the writer included these details

What particular effects do different writers use to interest the reader?

When you read the following extracts, or any or magazine articles, think about:
- what the writer is saying
- the aims of the writer
- how the writer achieves these aims
- how successful the writer has been.

write about:
- the writer’s intention in the text
- the structure that the writer has used to achieve that intention
- the effects of each part of the structure.
Techniques:
- Think in terms of the beginning, middle and end of the text or extract. How
- are they different from each other.
- Look at the paragraphs and identify the content of each one. Then consider what the writer is
doing with that content and why he or she chose to put the content in that order.
- Look at the way in which the writer uses the basic types of writing you find in non-fiction:
- description (of the setting or the appearance of people and objects)
- narrative (what happened or is happening)
- dialogue or speech (including talking to one self)
- thoughts and feelings (when not in direct speech)
- background information, facts, or explanation.
Look also at the relative sizes of the paragraphs. If they vary quite noticeably then there is probably a
good reason for it (a short paragraph might be an effective opening or conclusion, or used for
emphasis elsewhere)
Try to bring together analytical and writing skills – think about how and why you would structure a
piece of your own writing.
It can also be useful to consider the types of writing that the writer is using, such as description,
narrative and so on.
When people talk about the structure of a piece, they are not normally referring to sentence structure,
which is usually regarded as a linguistic feature. However, there are two points worth bearing in mind.
1. You might notice that a piece ends or begins with a very short sentence, in which case the
writer is using sentence structure as a deliberate part of the larger structure.
2. Sentence structure is still an important point to consider. If you can make a good point about
sentence structure, then you should include it in your answer.
UNSEEN TEXT
When you have read the text, use these questions to help you think about what you have read:
- What sort of text is it?
- What is the text about?
- Who is the intended audience for the text?
- Is the writer trying to make a particular point?
- What literary techniques does the writer use?
- What effects do these techniques have?
- How does the text make you feel personally?
Your aim is not simply to identify techniques, but to explain the effects of the author’s craft.
- Before you read the unseen passage, read the title carefully. What does it suggest the passage
may be about? What might you infer, predict or expect from the passage after reading the title?
- Consider the beginning and ending of the passage carefully.
- Read the text in full to get a sense of the passage’s tone and content. Underline: > words you
don’t understand > words or phrases that you feel are important – you may choose to come
back and comment on these.
- What type of text is it? A first-person autobiographical narrative, for example? What about the
tense – is it written in the present tense or is it retrospective?
- Who is the intended audience? How do you know this?
- What is the purpose of the passage? Is it informing you, explaining to you or persuading you?
- How has the writer used language and sentence structure to create effect?
- Also consider what effect is created by the narrative perspective and the tone?
A useful way to identify and understand writers’ techniques is to consider the different levels at which
devices are used:
- word level
- sentence level
- text level.
QUESTIONS IN UNSEEN
Question 1 is a comprehension question to check your understanding of the unseen text. It will ask you
to find information from the text and to give two examples of this
Question 1 is a comprehension question to check your understanding of the unseen text. It will ask you
to find information from the text and to give two examples of this
Question 3 asks you to describe something that is happening in the text. You need to have an
understanding of what the text is about and what the writer is saying. You should look to support your
answer with short quotations from the text as evidence to back up your point. P–E–E is a good model
to use when answering this question. For Question 3, rather than simply repeating the question, it
might be better to find a way straight into the answer, such as ‘At first the writer is not at all impressed
with what he finds…’
The grammatical construction of a sentence is called its syntax. This includes both punctuation and
sentence type.
ANTHOLOGY TEXT
Make sure that you know all of the Anthology texts well as only one will appear in this exam. When
answering, it is always better to explain a few techniques in detail rather than to list points without
explaining them properly.

Type: What type of text is it?

- Subject: What is the subject of the text? Is the subject matter aimed at a particular age group?
Where does the text come from?
- Narrative perspective: If it is a first-person autobiographical narrative, for example, it is likely to
be a personal account. Does it seem to be an autobiography?
- Tense: Is it written in the present tense or is it retrospective?

Audience: Who is the intended audience? How do you know this?

- Age: Is the subject matter aimed at a particular age group? Does the difficulty of the language
suggest a certain readership?
- Knowledge: What do you need to know to make sense of the passage?
- Tone: What kind of tone is the piece written in? Is the language used formal or informal?

Purpose: What is the purpose of this passage? Is it informing you, explaining to you or persuading
you?
- Inform, explain, describe: Is the writer writing to make something clear or to give information?
- Argue, persuade, advise: Is the writer writing to discuss an issue or persuade someone to share
their views?
- Explore, imagine, entertain: Is the writer writing with no other purpose than to entertain the
reader?
COMPARISON
The individuality of your answer will lie in your choices of which details to highlight and the effect you
think they have on the reader. Focus your energy on these aspects rather than making very general
comments.
Use connectives that help you make comparisons
firstly, secondly, moreover, however, thus, in conclusion, moreover, furthermore, additionally, in
addition
Step one: refer to the passages as text one and text two. The question is likely to focus on:
 What the texts are about, key themes and the authors’ conclusions
 how the authors use of language, character and other effects.
Step two: Make sure that you focus on the question. Begin by comparing the genre, audience and
purpose of both texts [implicit suggested or understood without being stated directly/ explicit expressed
in a way that is very clear and direct]
Step three: Make sure you refer to interesting or relevant points of detail. Avoid retelling the story and
make sure you explain how the devices and features work, what their effect is on the reader, and so
on. Ask yourself why the author might have used that kind of language, imagery and so on.
Remember: Point – Evidence – Explain. Remember to compare the openings and conclusions of the
passages
Step four: Draw clear similarities, links and contrasts between the texts. Make sure that you compare
and contrast the texts by using words and phrases such as ‘similarly’, ‘in comparison’, ‘on the other
hand’, ‘in contrast’, ‘however’ and ‘nevertheless’
Step five: Quote briefly, using a single word or phrase, to support your comments You should
integrate them into your sentences and introduce them with a comma or colon. Whenever you quote,
always explain in your own words what the quotation means and comment on its effect, with particular
focus on language and structure

In the introductory paragraph remember to compare the following points

 Genre  Purpose
 Audience  Tone

Example for tone include the following:

 Intimate  Anxious  Direct  Angry
 Personal  Determined  Conversational  Tender
 Reflective  Disbelieving  Poetic  Thoughtful
 Observational  Elegiac  Sharp
 Gently comic  Ironic  Playful
 Nostalgic  Loving  Impatient
Remember to incorporate the following in your comparison:

 Vocabulary  Paragraph length

 Imagery  Structuring of ideas
 Sentence length and complexity  Rhetorical devices

A comparison response still follows the basic essay structure:

 An introduction SIMILARITIES DIFFERENCES

 Four or five main points supported by Similarly… In contrast
details Equally… However…
 A conclusion – this must link back to the In the same way On the other hand…
question and mention both texts Just as… so does… Alternatively…
Both…and In a different way…