Post by thethoughtpolice on Feb 26, 2011 12:27:40 GMT
Right,
Main things covered in class:
1)Word Choice
2)IMAGERY
3)Sentence Structure
1) Word Choice
Word choice questions test your ability to describe the ideas behind a particular word.
Always start by quoting the word and then going on to describe it's connotations (the ideas the word suggests to you). PLEASE now use the word 'connotations' in your answer!!!
Example
'Mr Thomson's class is pure magic'
How effective is the writer's word choice to describe Mr Thomson's class?
The writer uses the word 'pure', which has the connotations of something being the best that it can be or being particularly powerful. 'Magic' has the connotations of something otherworldly or fantastic or a powerful force. Therefore, Mr Thomson's class is a wonderful place to be.
(NOTE: I am taking one word at a time here. I'm not hitting the examiner with 2 or more quotations and then the analysis after them - that would lead them to wonder which piece of analysis goes with which quotation. One quote + One Analysis then Next Quote + Next Analysis.
2) IMAGERY
You were great at identifying the image - Simile, Metaphor, Personification
We covered a step by step guide on how to explain why an image is used.
Step 1) Quote and identify the image
Step 2) Say what picture the image give you (Explain the qualities of that picture)
Step 3) Relate it back to the real thing and say what it is like in reality
Example
'Mr Thomson's last class thought him to be a monster and a tyrant.'
Q - How does the writer's use of imagery provide an impression of Mr Thomson's character?
A - The writer uses the metaphor to compare Mr Thomson to a 'monster'. Just as a monster is a cruel and aggressive creature, perhaps also ugly to look at, so too Mr Thomson is deeply unpleasant and hideous person. The writer also compares Mr Thomson to a 'Tyrant' in another metaphor. Just as a Tyrant was a dictator who ruled harshly and abused his power, so too Mr Thomson is a teacher who is very strict and ruthless in his classroom.
(Note: Again, see the different steps here. The formula 'Just as..., so too...) will help you explain your ideas and cover both what the picture is AND very importantly, relate it back to the thing being described).
3) Sentence Structure
We covered a number of sentence types
List
Repetition
Parenthesis
Linking words
Rhetorical questions
It is never enough just to identify sentence structure, you must also explain the effect of using it.
Lists - can build up to a climax, emphasising something (Your job is always to be saying what that 'something' is). They can emhasise the variety of something. The can emphasise the sheer amount of something. They can build up to an anticlimax
repetition - is usually for emphasis. It can also be to build up a point and create a climax.
Parenthesis - This can be achieved by Double Dashes, Double Commas, Double Brackets. Often the parenthesis is the writer inserting an important detail - your job is to say why that detail is included. They can also conatain the writer's own opinion or comment - this is known as an 'aside'.
Linking words - 'But, Yet, Therefore, And...' Watch for how these develop or create contrasts in the writer's line of argument. We saw that 'And yet,' created a turning point in the writer's line of thought and showed that the reality was an anti-climax compared to the expectations people had for the moon landing.
Rhetorical Questions - these often make the reader consider the writer's point of view and therefore begin to side with the writer. They can often be used to make the reader see there is no alternative but to agree... Consider this - 'Only stupid people wear clothes like that. 'Are you stupid?' - unless you want admit you are, then you would be agreeing with the writer's point of view and say those clothes are sure stupid!
Main things covered in class:
1)Word Choice
2)IMAGERY
3)Sentence Structure
1) Word Choice
Word choice questions test your ability to describe the ideas behind a particular word.
Always start by quoting the word and then going on to describe it's connotations (the ideas the word suggests to you). PLEASE now use the word 'connotations' in your answer!!!
Example
'Mr Thomson's class is pure magic'
How effective is the writer's word choice to describe Mr Thomson's class?
The writer uses the word 'pure', which has the connotations of something being the best that it can be or being particularly powerful. 'Magic' has the connotations of something otherworldly or fantastic or a powerful force. Therefore, Mr Thomson's class is a wonderful place to be.
(NOTE: I am taking one word at a time here. I'm not hitting the examiner with 2 or more quotations and then the analysis after them - that would lead them to wonder which piece of analysis goes with which quotation. One quote + One Analysis then Next Quote + Next Analysis.
2) IMAGERY
You were great at identifying the image - Simile, Metaphor, Personification
We covered a step by step guide on how to explain why an image is used.
Step 1) Quote and identify the image
Step 2) Say what picture the image give you (Explain the qualities of that picture)
Step 3) Relate it back to the real thing and say what it is like in reality
Example
'Mr Thomson's last class thought him to be a monster and a tyrant.'
Q - How does the writer's use of imagery provide an impression of Mr Thomson's character?
A - The writer uses the metaphor to compare Mr Thomson to a 'monster'. Just as a monster is a cruel and aggressive creature, perhaps also ugly to look at, so too Mr Thomson is deeply unpleasant and hideous person. The writer also compares Mr Thomson to a 'Tyrant' in another metaphor. Just as a Tyrant was a dictator who ruled harshly and abused his power, so too Mr Thomson is a teacher who is very strict and ruthless in his classroom.
(Note: Again, see the different steps here. The formula 'Just as..., so too...) will help you explain your ideas and cover both what the picture is AND very importantly, relate it back to the thing being described).
3) Sentence Structure
We covered a number of sentence types
List
Repetition
Parenthesis
Linking words
Rhetorical questions
It is never enough just to identify sentence structure, you must also explain the effect of using it.
Lists - can build up to a climax, emphasising something (Your job is always to be saying what that 'something' is). They can emhasise the variety of something. The can emphasise the sheer amount of something. They can build up to an anticlimax
repetition - is usually for emphasis. It can also be to build up a point and create a climax.
Parenthesis - This can be achieved by Double Dashes, Double Commas, Double Brackets. Often the parenthesis is the writer inserting an important detail - your job is to say why that detail is included. They can also conatain the writer's own opinion or comment - this is known as an 'aside'.
Linking words - 'But, Yet, Therefore, And...' Watch for how these develop or create contrasts in the writer's line of argument. We saw that 'And yet,' created a turning point in the writer's line of thought and showed that the reality was an anti-climax compared to the expectations people had for the moon landing.
Rhetorical Questions - these often make the reader consider the writer's point of view and therefore begin to side with the writer. They can often be used to make the reader see there is no alternative but to agree... Consider this - 'Only stupid people wear clothes like that. 'Are you stupid?' - unless you want admit you are, then you would be agreeing with the writer's point of view and say those clothes are sure stupid!