Analysing the effects of language

    AQA
    GCSE

    Candidates must select judicious textual detail to deconstruct the writer’s specific lexical and grammatical choices. Responses must transcend simple feature identification, exploring the nuances of connotation and the cumulative impact of imagery on the reader. High-level attainment requires linking specific linguistic devices—such as semantic fields, zoomorphism, or sentence forms—to the writer's overarching purpose and tonal shifts.

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    Objectives
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    Exam Tips
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    Pitfalls
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    Key Terms
    4
    Mark Points

    What You Need to Demonstrate

    Key skills and knowledge for this topic

    • Award marks for the precise selection of a range of judicious textual detail (short, embedded quotations)
    • Credit responses that accurately identify specific language features (e.g., metaphor, sibilance, hyperbole) and link them to meaning
    • Look for analysis of the writer's specific word choices (connotations) and their intended effect on the reader
    • Reward 'perceptive' responses that explore alternative interpretations or the cumulative effect of language choices

    Marking Points

    Key points examiners look for in your answers

    • Award marks for the precise selection of a range of judicious textual detail (short, embedded quotations)
    • Credit responses that accurately identify specific language features (e.g., metaphor, sibilance, hyperbole) and link them to meaning
    • Look for analysis of the writer's specific word choices (connotations) and their intended effect on the reader
    • Reward 'perceptive' responses that explore alternative interpretations or the cumulative effect of language choices

    Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for maximising your marks

    • 💡Strictly adhere to the line references provided in the question box; analysis outside these lines receives zero marks
    • 💡Adopt the 'Zoom' technique: quote a phrase, then isolate a single word to analyse its specific connotations
    • 💡Group your analysis by effect or semantic field rather than working through the text chronologically
    • 💡Ensure subject terminology is used as a tool for analysis, not just a label; explain *how* the technique creates the effect

    Common Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

    • Feature-spotting (e.g., 'this is a simile') without explaining the specific effect on the reader
    • Using generic, banned phrases such as 'makes the reader want to read on' or 'puts a picture in the reader's head'
    • Analysing sentence structure in isolation without linking it to the semantic impact of the language
    • Quoting excessive chunks of text rather than zooming in on individual words or short phrases

    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    Likely Command Words

    How questions on this topic are typically asked

    How does the writer use language...
    Evaluate
    Compare
    Summarise
    Write a...

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