Commenting on the effects of language

    AQA
    GCSE

    Candidates must demonstrate the ability to deconstruct a writer's linguistic choices, moving beyond feature identification to precise analysis of semantic impact and reader response. This requires the selection of judicious textual evidence and the application of sophisticated subject terminology to explore connotations, imagery, and tonal shifts. Assessment focuses on the perceptiveness of the link between the method employed and the specific effect achieved within the given context, distinguishing between simple description and critical evaluation.

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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 selection of a judicious range of textual detail (quotations) that support the points made.
    • Credit responses that accurately identify specific language techniques (e.g., metaphor, sibilance) and sentence forms.
    • Candidates must explain the specific effect of the writer's choices on the reader, avoiding generic assertions like 'creates an image'.
    • Reward 'perceptive' analysis that explores connotations, symbolism, or the cumulative effect of language clusters.

    Marking Points

    Key points examiners look for in your answers

    • Award marks for the selection of a judicious range of textual detail (quotations) that support the points made.
    • Credit responses that accurately identify specific language techniques (e.g., metaphor, sibilance) and sentence forms.
    • Candidates must explain the specific effect of the writer's choices on the reader, avoiding generic assertions like 'creates an image'.
    • Reward 'perceptive' analysis that explores connotations, symbolism, or the cumulative effect of language clusters.

    Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for maximising your marks

    • 💡Allocate approximately 10-12 minutes for Paper 1 Question 2 to ensure sufficient time for the higher-tariff evaluation question.
    • 💡Focus on the 'What, How, Why' structure: What is the writer doing? How (technique/word)? Why (effect)?
    • 💡Select three distinct, rich quotations that allow for analysis of different methods (e.g., one word class, one imagery, one sentence form).
    • 💡Zoom in on individual words within a quotation to demonstrate the depth of analysis required for Level 3 and above.

    Common Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

    • Feature-spotting (e.g., identifying a simile) without explaining its specific function or effect in context.
    • Offering generic effects such as 'this makes the reader want to read on' or 'this creates a picture in the reader's head'.
    • Analysing the content of the text (what is happening) rather than the writer's methods (how it is described).
    • Selecting long, unwieldy quotations that obscure the specific language choice being analysed.

    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    Likely Command Words

    How questions on this topic are typically asked

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

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