IGCSE English Language B (9-1)
Structural Devices for Section A
Device Definition
1 Change in When the writer changes
Tone his tone in his writing.
2 Chronological Is the writer’s writing in
Order the correct order or all
over the place?
3 Climax The most important part
of the extract.
4 Cyclical When the opening and the
Structure ending of a writing is
similar.
5 Dialogue/ When characters are
Monologue talking to someone else
(dialogue) or to
themselves (monologue).
6 Extended A metaphor with an
Metaphor explanation afterwards.
7 Flashback When you go back in time.
8 Foreshadowing When the writer gives
clues to the reader about
something that is going to
come later in the writing.
9 Juxtaposition Contrast at essay level.
10 List More than 3 items.
11 Long/Short
Paragraph
©Muhammad Naimur Rahman
Barrister-at-Law, Lincoln’s Inn
SECTION A: The HOW Questions
Example General Effect
From happy to sad; To make the writing
from angry to calm; more interesting and
from optimistic to avoid monotony.
pessimistic; etc.
In the morning… In To make it easy to
the afternoon… At remember.
night…
To write in an
organized manner.
The moment Mario Think about what is
finds out that the written there and
bridge is broken. why?
The story started with To make it more
the protagonist being memorable.
sad, and it ends with
him being sad again.
“He needs to shut It breaks up the
up!” retorted Harry. narrative and gives us
more detail about
“I wish I had never which characters are
gone there.” I said to talking.
myself.
She is an angel. To emphasise.
Reason why she is an
angel.
Three months ago. To add detail.
Giving clues that To build up tension
something bad is towards the big
about to happen. reveal.
The character is very Think about how the
shy in paragraph 1 change took place
and confident in over those
paragraph 5. paragraphs.
Bring chocolates, To make it easy to
cookies, cream and remember.
milk.
To write in an
organized manner.
All the pargaraphs are To show importance.
short but one is
particularly long, or Long: To add more
vice versa. detail/information.
Short: To quickly talk
about something.
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IGCSE English Language B (9-1) SECTION A: The HOW Questions

12 Long/Short Long:
Sentence To add detail.
To slow down the
narrative.

Short: Short:
“What’s that noise? I To build tension. To
turned left.” make the action
seem live.
13 New The writer is
Character/ introducing
Setting something new.

Why at that
particular place has
he introduced the
new
character/setting?
14 Pace How fast or slow the One moment you’re Fast:
narrative is. at home and the action packed
other moment you’re
in Australia. Slow:
lot of description,
writer is taking his
time.
15 Pathetic When the weather and The fog gets worse… To make it more
Fallacy the atmosphere reflects worse and worse interesting.
the mood. throughout the text,
and that reflects how To make it more
the character’s memorable.
troubles gets worse
and worse and worse.
16 Point of View Perspective Paragraph 1 maybe Who’s point of view?
from the POV of the What’s the difference
Father; Paragraph 3 between the two?
maybe from the POV
of the son.
17 Repetition To repeat the same word “Stop, Stop, Stop!” – What is being
or phrase multiple times. Panic repeated? Why is it
being repeated?
Where is it being
repeated?
18 Shift in focus When the writer shifts The writer describes To quickly cover a
from one topic to another. the trees, then he number of topics.
describes the
streams, and then he
talks about the birds.
19 Tone What a writer feels about Adam Forrest’s What is the overall
the topic. optimistic tone in the tone?
article, “Living in a
Steel Box”.
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©Muhammad Naimur Rahman
Barrister-at-Law, Lincoln’s Inn
IGCSE English Language B (9-1) SECTION A: The HOW Questions

20 Zoom In/ Zoom In: When the writer Zoom In: To show
Zoom Out focuses on a particular importance.
detail.

Zoom Out: When the Zoom Out: To talk

writer looks at the bigger about the setting.
picture without focusing
one anything in particular.

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©Muhammad Naimur Rahman
Barrister-at-Law, Lincoln’s Inn