Question 4 – comparing language

Question 4 – comparing language
Connector:
Section A (reading) is worth 40 marks. You have 1 hour
and 15 minutes on this.
1. Do you know how many marks
question 4 is worth?
2. How long should you spend on it?
Big picture
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Time management
Decoding the question - key terminology
Model answers
Practise
Homelearning
Question 4 of the higher paper –
comparing language
So a around
good idea may
to start withreading...
the
You will spend
15beminutes
question that takes the longest to
This gives you
one rather
hourthan
to with
answer
four
complete,
question
1! questions
for section A.
Question 4
half!
If you choose to do this make sure you
make it very clear by putting the question
isnumber
worth
16margin.
marks out of 40...
in the
so nearly
Therefore, you should spend roughly half of your
time answering question 4...about 5 minutes to
plan and 20 minutes to write.
What is the examiner looking for?
Question 4
Highlight/ underline the key words in the question first.
Compare the different ways language is used
for effect in the two texts. Give some
examples and analyse what the effects are.
(16 marks)
Now brainstorm your key words....
Feedback and add your ideas to the diagram below...
Use comparison
connectives to link
ideas
In comparison
Discuss similarities
and differences
Both
Similarly
Likewise
Compare
However
On the other hand
Unlike
Source
1....whereas
source 2...
Refer to both item 1
and 2
Feedback and add your ideas to the diagram below...
Direct ... E.g use of
second person to draw
you in
Evidence based – facts/
statistics e.g. 89% of
elderly people surveyed
found that...
Informal/ casual or
conversational
Emotive (powerful)...e.g
Help the helpless.
humourous
Contrasting (juxtaposition )
Formal e.g. When
reporting the facts e.g. a
new study suggests...
The words used in the
texts
Hyperbolic - exaggerated
Language
Commands and
imperative verbs ... E.g.
Ironic – when something Join today!
has the oppose meaning
of what is expected/
Active: use of many
intended e.g. The
powerful verbs
fearless mouse...
Alliteration /
assonance
Figurative/ metaphoric
language e.g. He simply
oozed confidence and
charisma.
Use of direct questions
or rhetorical questions
Feedback and add your ideas to the diagram below...
How the reader reacts to
the language or what the
author intends
What is implied as we
read between the lines
Effect
How we read it
What we understand
from the words used
What we infer
Feedback and add your ideas to the
diagram below...
Evidence – quotations
from the two texts
Examples
This should be short and
if possible embedded
(part of your sentence)
E.g. The writer uses
figurative language when
comparing the white
water rafting experience
to a “Disney-like
experience”
Feedback and add your ideas to the diagram below...
Ideas are developed and
have a good flow
(fluency)
Consider all possible
angles
Go into detail about...
analyse
Offer more than one
point of view.
Highlight the important
words or phrases used
and their effect on the
reader
Compare these two short quotations from
source 1 and 2
Source 1
Riding the rapids ....a whiteknuckle, roller-coaster ride that
has people screaming with the
thrill of it.
Source 2
Sue, the world’s largest
Tyrannosauraus rex, may have
been bought down by a humble
parasite
Is this answer developed enough for an
A-A* grade?
Model
WWW?
Key language feature
EBI?
identified
Source 1 aims to excite the reader
by using active verbs such as
Use of embedded
“riding the rapids” and quotations
“screaming with the thrill of it”.
The writer is comparing hisUses comparison
experience of water raftingconnective
to a
roller-coaster ride. Whereas
in tone
Compares
and purpose
source 2 the writer’s language
is a
little more formal informing the
reader about the cause for
extinction of the Tyrannosauraus
rex. This is clear from the fact
stated: “the world’s largest T-rex”.
Provides clear example
Model A* analysis
Can you say why? Let’s annotate together...
Source 1 aims to excite the reader by using active verbs such as
“riding the rapids” and “screaming with the thrill of it”. These make
the reader feel part of the action as if we are experiencing the thrill
for ourselves. The writer is appealing to or sense of adventure when
comparing his experience of water rafting to a “roller-coaster ride”. It
is an apt metaphor since being of a roller coaster makes you feel
nervous but excited at the same time, much like being on a white
water rafting experience. By contrast, in source 2, the writer’s
language is more formal, informing the reader about the cause for
extinction of the Tyrannosauraus rex. This is clear from the fact
stated: “the world’s largest T-rex”. In addition, as well as informing
the reader, he surprises us by using juxtaposition; the mighty T-Rex is
brought down “by a humble parasite”, something so small and
insignificant, which the reader finds hard to believe and would
certainly not expect, therefore engaging our interest.
TOP TIP
Write a lot about a little!
Detailed analysis and exploration of four to five
short quotations will get you the top marks
rather brief comments on longer quotations.
In fact the weakest answers often use very long
quotations with little comment on the effect.
Remember PEAS
Analysis and
speculation carry
the most marks!
Practise
Compare the effect of the language below.
Source 1
For the next 45 seconds, I got sucked down and
spun around and finally spat up into sunlight,
gasping for air. Was I scared? A little.
Exhilarated? More than I have ever been.
Source 2
The 65-million year old beast is known to have
survived violent skirmishes that left her with three
broken ribs, torn tendons and a damaged shoulder.
But according to a study of Due’s remains, her death
was far more ordinary than her combat-scarred
remains suggest.
Homelearning
• Read and complete question 4 in timed
conditions 20 minutes –
• Plan your answer using a spider diagram first!
(3-5 minutes)
Unit 1 – January 2011 paper – find it on weebly
website www.fshenglishrevise.weebly.com
Go to ‘higher tab’
Feedback available via teacher email or booster on Friday morning!