Paper 1 Question 2 Skills: Language Analysis

• Paper 1 Question 2 Skills: Language Analysis

  Paper 1 Question 2 tests you on your ability to comment on and analyse the language choices a writer has made. This includes words, phrases, language features, language techniques and sentence forms. The Assessment Objective for this question is AO2:

  
• Overview of language analysis

  Paper 1 Question 2 tests you on your ability to comment on and analyse the language choices a writer has made. This includes words, phrases, language features, language techniques and sentence forms. To explain, comment on and analyse the effects of language you must understand:

  • What is being described/narrated
  • The overall effect the writer is trying to convey
  • Particular choices the writer has made
  • The effect on the reader

  Here is an example of the type of question you will be asked:

  
• The bullet points in the question suggest that you could include an analysis of the writer’s choice of:

  • words and phrases
  • language features and techniques
  • sentence forms

  The bullet points are given only as a guide for you and they do not have specific marks allocated to them. Therefore, you do not need to address each one in your answer. Marks are given for the quality and level of your response rather than the number of points you make. The next section will explore each of these bullet points in detail.
• Words and phrases

  Analysing language means that you consider the deliberate choices a writer has made to include specific words or phrases in their writing, and why. In order to do this, you should consider both the denotation and the connotations of particular words:

  • Denotation = the literal meaning of a word or phrase
  • Connotation = the associations or implied meanings of the word or phrase
• When commenting on words and phrases from the text, you should always try to consider why you think the writer has chosen that particular word to use in their sentences. Below are some questions which you might ask yourself when analysing the words and phrases in a text:

  
• The following table provides you with a list of some terms and definitions to use when analysing individual words and phrases:

  
• The following table provides you with a list of some terms and definitions to use when analysing individual words and phrases:

  
• Once you are able to identify particular words and phrases within a text, you need to develop this skill further by considering why the writer has chosen to include these within their writing.

  As an example, we will explore some of the words and phrases from the table above and consider the writer’s intentions.
• Remember the goal of analysing words and phrases is to uncover layers of meaning,  understand the writer’s intent and explore how language contributes to the overall impact of the text. 

  
• Language features

  It is important that you are familiar with key literary terms so that it can help to support your analysis of the text. Whilst the examiner will expect you to use relevant subject terminology to support your views, this does not mean that you will secure more marks for demonstrating a wide understanding of literary terms. It is much more important that you clearly articulate the intended effects of any terms that you use.
• The table below provides some definitions of key literary terms. This list is not exhaustive, but it is simply a guide to some of the techniques that might be most useful when analysing a text.

  
• Knowing the names of sophisticated language techniques will not gain you any more marks in the exam, especially if these techniques are only “spotted” and the writer’s intentions are not explained. Once you are able to identify and understand different literary techniques, you need to develop this skill further by considering why the writer has chosen to include these techniques in their writing. 
• The table below provides some definitions of key literary terms. This list is not exhaustive, but it is simply a guide to some of the techniques that might be most useful when analysing a text.

  
• As an example, we will explore one of the language techniques from the table above and consider the writer’s intentions.

  
• In this example, the writer’s use of a metaphor to describe the stormy sea is clearly interpreted and analysed. The response has considered why the writer may have chosen to use a metaphor and explored its intended effect on the reader.
• Sentence forms

  It is important that you are familiar with different sentence forms so that it can help to support your analysis of the text. By recognising and analysing different sentence patterns, you can gain insight into the syntactical structure of a text. Understanding the arrangement of sentence forms will help you to interpret the relationships between ideas and the information within the text. Students tend to find less success writing about sentence length or punctuation. Therefore, if you do not have anything to say about these, then selecting individual words, short phrases and/or language techniques is fine.
• The table below provides some definitions of different sentence types. This list is not exhaustive, but it is simply a guide to some sentence types that might be most useful when analysing the text.

  
• The table below provides some definitions of different sentence types. This list is not exhaustive, but it is simply a guide to some sentence types that might be most useful when analysing the text.

  
• The table below provides some definitions of different sentence types. This list is not exhaustive, but it is simply a guide to some sentence types that might be most useful when analysing the text.

  
• Similarly, we will now explore one of the sentence forms from the table above and consider the writer’s intentions.

  
• When commenting on sentence structures, you should always try to consider why you think the writer has chosen this particular sentence type. Below are some questions which you might ask yourself when analysing sentence structures in a text.

  
• Sentence modifiers

  Sentence modifiers are words, phrases or clauses that provide additional information, description or context within a sentence. They can include adjectives, adverbs, prepositional phrases or subordinate clauses. Analysing sentence modifiers helps to understand how they enhance the meaning, add detail or create specific effects in a sentence. Below is an example of how modifiers can change meaning within a text.

  
• The use of the adverb “cautiously” modifies the verb “walked” and indicates that she entered the room with care and a sense of caution. The adjective phrase “dimly lit” modifies the noun “room” indicating that it was not well-lit.

  By analysing sentence modifiers, you can determine the writer’s choices in providing specific details, creating imagery, or establishing a particular tone or mood. Pay attention to how modifiers contribute to the overall meaning and impact of a sentence. You should practice identifying and analysing sentence modifiers in various texts to improve your skills in understanding their role within sentences. 
• Addressing each of the bullet points in the language question

  Question 2 will always have three separate bullet points for you to address in your answer.  The bullet points provide a helpful guide; however, you do not need to address all of them in your answer.

  We will now explore different examples of language techniques and their possible intended effects based on two prose texts. Below are some examples of how you might begin to plan and write your ideas into a response. They focus separately on each bullet point from Question 2.

  
• The first bullet point in Question 2 will suggest that you may wish to explore words and phrases in your response. 

  Below is the beginning of Chapter 1 in Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. It is about a well-respected and intelligent scientist who meddles with the darker side of science and the extract below is about his friend, Mr Utterson. 

  This text is from the 19th century, and it is worth remembering that you will only have to analyse texts from the 20th and 21st century in Paper 1. However, in preparation for the exam, it is useful to practice your skills at analysing language techniques with a wide range of prose texts.

  Read through the passage and think about how the writer has used words and phrases in this passage:
• Read through the passage and think about how the writer has used words and phrases in this passage:

  
• We will now explore some words and phrases that you might choose to comment on:

  
• Here is another passage from a different prose text from the 20th century. For this text, we will now explore the second bullet from the question. The second bullet point will suggest that you may wish to explore language features and techniques in your response.

  The passage below is from Chapter VIII from George Orwell’s Animal Farm. It is about a group of farm animals who rebel against their human farmer and this extract concerns the building of a windmill.

  
• Read through the passage and think about how the writer has used language features and techniques in this extract:

  
• We will now explore some language techniques that you might choose to comment on:

  
• We will now explore some language techniques that you might choose to comment on:

  
• The third bullet point will suggest that you may wish to explore sentence forms in your response:

  
• Intended effect on the reader

  As demonstrated above, whenever you comment on a language feature, you must always explain the intended effect on the reader. It is not enough to simply list examples of different word types in your answer, so exploring the intended effect is crucial.

  Below are some further examples of language features and techniques and their possible intended effects. This time the extract has been taken directly from a previous past paper. It is from the 2019 November AQA GCSE English Language Paper 1.
• This time the extract has been taken directly from a previous past paper.

  
• We will now explore what you might choose to comment on using this extract.

  
• We will now consider a different part of the same text.

  
• Similarly, we will explore what you might choose to comment on using this extract.