When answering an extract/reading question you should:
1. Read the question through once and then pause, before underlining the key elements of the question. Then read it through again.
2. Now read the extract/article/poems you have been given with a pen in your hand and holding the question in your head.
3. Every time you react to (or feel like you should be reacting to) something - underline it and note the reaction - even if it's just a smiley face or a sad face.
4. Hopefully by the end of this you have noticed about six-seven things - each of these things are a paragraph you can write about and you now have a plan.
5. For each thing you noticed - start each paragraph by saying what it is or what the writer does:
- Ballard uses graphic description ...
- Miller has Willy speak about ...
- The author of the article then uses ...
- Herbertson appears to say ...
- Owen uses the flowers to ...
- Jim also starts to ...
(if you notice - some of these points don't actually mention a specific technique - you can use the topic instead)
6. The give evidence of that technique
7. You then comment on it (where you explain it's relation to the question
Useful Comment and Analysis Phrases
• This is effective because …
• The use of the word …
• This shows [theme] because …
• The use of [technique] is effective …
• However, unlike in the [story] this is used because …
• The author has used this to …
• Describing [thing] in this way make …
• This makes [thing] sound …
• We sympathise with [character] because …
• The reason for this is …
• From this, we can note that …
• The reader can see from this that …
• The author writes … because …
• Therefore …
• Significantly …
• We can see from this that …
• The writer then moves on to …
• This shows that …
• Following this …
• Then …
• This then means that …
Showing posts with label General. Show all posts
Showing posts with label General. Show all posts
Sunday, 22 November 2009
Punctuation: Websites that Can Show you How
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english/writingtoimagine/puttingitallrev5.shtml
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/cgi-shl/quiz.pl/punct_quiz.htm
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/cgi-shl/quiz.pl/punct_quiz.htm
Wednesday, 11 November 2009
CRISIS LiD
Analysing extracts using the CRISIS LiD method - remember it's not just enough to identify the techniques - you must explain the effect of using them too.
Character - particular things revealed about certain characters (not just the main one)
Rhetorical - Rhetorical questions, repetition, sarcasm, quotation.
Imagery - This includes simple descriptive imagery, metaphor,simile, personification, symbolism (imagery that has particular significance or meaning in the text), motif (recurrent symbols or images that build up a meaning - Willy and the flute, Jim and the American Aircraft)
Speaker - Who is narrating the story, whose perspective are we seeing on the topic?
Irony - The use of words to express something different from and often opposite to their literal meaning
Sounds - rhyme, rhythm, onomatopoeia
Dialogue - what characters says and what they do
i - remember that you are reading this - how are you expected to react?
Language - Literally word choice
Character - particular things revealed about certain characters (not just the main one)
Rhetorical - Rhetorical questions, repetition, sarcasm, quotation.
Imagery - This includes simple descriptive imagery, metaphor,simile, personification, symbolism (imagery that has particular significance or meaning in the text), motif (recurrent symbols or images that build up a meaning - Willy and the flute, Jim and the American Aircraft)
Speaker - Who is narrating the story, whose perspective are we seeing on the topic?
Irony - The use of words to express something different from and often opposite to their literal meaning
Sounds - rhyme, rhythm, onomatopoeia
Dialogue - what characters says and what they do
i - remember that you are reading this - how are you expected to react?
Language - Literally word choice
Tuesday, 10 November 2009
Studying and Revising a Text
Research the Author
• Biography
• Significant Influences
• Other Writing
Research the Context
• Historical Context: what historical events might be reflected in it?
• Social Context: what factors like race, class, religion and gender might it be exploring?
• Literary Context: what other writing might have influenced it, or what writing might it have influenced?
• Cultural Context: how might it relate to other arts, like music, painting and design
Read Actively
Always read with a pencil in your hand, underlining key points, and noting significant moments at the top of the page this will make you pay more attention to details and patterns as you read.
Summarise the Plot and Map the Structure
Using the notes you have collected during your reading, write down a point-form summary of the plot. Check through the text to ensure that you have everything in order and have not missed anything.
Then see if you can divide the plot into obvious sections. This will allow you to see the structure or how the text is constructed.
• Are some parts more important than others? Which are they? And why?
• Do patterns emerge? Do some themes or characters reappear at particular times or places?
• Do some characters change at particular stages?
• Is there a climax?
• Does your emotional response vary at different stages?
Study the Characters
Identify the main characters. Give each one an A4 page, and collect notes as many notes and quotations about them as you can. Then re-arrange your notes and quotations in logical order.
Remember, however, that you are not dealing with real people. They are all literary inventions, so ask yourself how the author has defined and presented them. Usually, we understand and form views on them through:
• What the author has them say
• What the author has them do
• What the author has them think
• What the author has others say about them
Consider these factors and explore what they reveal about each character.
Identify and Explore the Themes
Identify the main themes. Give each one an A4 page, and collect notes as many notes and quotations about them as you can.
One useful way to identify themes is to try setting exam questions. Look at exams questions and list the main themes they focus on. Then try setting your own questions in the same style but for different themes.
Now try planning and writing responses to your questions to force yourself into saying something about the themes. It is important that you do this, so that they don’t remain vague. You need to be able to write about them in considerable detail.
Analyse the Techniques
In English, whenever you write about a text, you are required to write about the author’s technique. In other words, you must not only consider WHAT the author is saying, but also HOW the author says it. You cannot gain high marks without it.
As always, ask yourself questions:
• Does the author have particularly characteristic techniques?
• Does the author use a particular type of language?
• Do particular words and phrases stand out?
• Are there particularly striking images or symbols, especially ones that recur throughout the text?
• From whose perspective do you see what happens in the text?
• Why has the author chosen this particular form over all the other possible forms for expressing the same ideas?
Collect Quotes
Just as you cannot gain high marks in English without analyzing techniques, you cannot do well without supporting everything with quotations.
Go through the text and write down as many of the most important quotations as you can. Rearrange them into groups, by theme and by character. Link them on diagrams.
Analyse, Plan and Write Exam-style Essays
Use the practice questions given in the lessons or on the blog. If you run out; then set your own.
• Biography
• Significant Influences
• Other Writing
Research the Context
• Historical Context: what historical events might be reflected in it?
• Social Context: what factors like race, class, religion and gender might it be exploring?
• Literary Context: what other writing might have influenced it, or what writing might it have influenced?
• Cultural Context: how might it relate to other arts, like music, painting and design
Read Actively
Always read with a pencil in your hand, underlining key points, and noting significant moments at the top of the page this will make you pay more attention to details and patterns as you read.
Summarise the Plot and Map the Structure
Using the notes you have collected during your reading, write down a point-form summary of the plot. Check through the text to ensure that you have everything in order and have not missed anything.
Then see if you can divide the plot into obvious sections. This will allow you to see the structure or how the text is constructed.
• Are some parts more important than others? Which are they? And why?
• Do patterns emerge? Do some themes or characters reappear at particular times or places?
• Do some characters change at particular stages?
• Is there a climax?
• Does your emotional response vary at different stages?
Study the Characters
Identify the main characters. Give each one an A4 page, and collect notes as many notes and quotations about them as you can. Then re-arrange your notes and quotations in logical order.
Remember, however, that you are not dealing with real people. They are all literary inventions, so ask yourself how the author has defined and presented them. Usually, we understand and form views on them through:
• What the author has them say
• What the author has them do
• What the author has them think
• What the author has others say about them
Consider these factors and explore what they reveal about each character.
Identify and Explore the Themes
Identify the main themes. Give each one an A4 page, and collect notes as many notes and quotations about them as you can.
One useful way to identify themes is to try setting exam questions. Look at exams questions and list the main themes they focus on. Then try setting your own questions in the same style but for different themes.
Now try planning and writing responses to your questions to force yourself into saying something about the themes. It is important that you do this, so that they don’t remain vague. You need to be able to write about them in considerable detail.
Analyse the Techniques
In English, whenever you write about a text, you are required to write about the author’s technique. In other words, you must not only consider WHAT the author is saying, but also HOW the author says it. You cannot gain high marks without it.
As always, ask yourself questions:
• Does the author have particularly characteristic techniques?
• Does the author use a particular type of language?
• Do particular words and phrases stand out?
• Are there particularly striking images or symbols, especially ones that recur throughout the text?
• From whose perspective do you see what happens in the text?
• Why has the author chosen this particular form over all the other possible forms for expressing the same ideas?
Collect Quotes
Just as you cannot gain high marks in English without analyzing techniques, you cannot do well without supporting everything with quotations.
Go through the text and write down as many of the most important quotations as you can. Rearrange them into groups, by theme and by character. Link them on diagrams.
Analyse, Plan and Write Exam-style Essays
Use the practice questions given in the lessons or on the blog. If you run out; then set your own.
Rules of Essay Writing
The standard structure of an essay (in this case with three major points) should look like this:
• Be direct: get straight to the point and cut out unnecessary waffle and background material.
• Be precise: think carefully about exactly what you mean and how best to say it. Don’t hope that a vague thought will work itself out as you write it.
• Be economical: Think of words as money: you need to spend enough to get the point across, but you want to spend no more than you absolutely have to.
• Be formal: this is an essay and all essays are formal. Being colloquial or casual in your writing gets you no marks and makes you look like you don’t know your stuff.
• Don’t re-narrate the story: the examiners will already know what happens and don’t need you to tell them. It simply shows you cannot analyse.
• Be objective, or impersonal: say “Willy’s speeches suggest that he lacks self-confidence”, rather than “I think Willy lacks self-confidence”. The first is a strong statement presented as fact; the second is mere opinion. Examiners are not friends; they need to be told properly!
• Write about literature in the present tense: say “Willy lacks [present] confidence throughout the play and his confidence is [present] in dependant on other characters such as Ben.”, rather than “Willy lacked [past] confidence in the. We do this because the text exists now and we are reading it text now so the characters exist now.
• Remember names and titles: The amount of students that get the title of the play wrong, the author wrong or names of characters wrong is quite shocking. Make sure you know who wrote the text, who the characters are and most importantly what the title is.
• Be direct: get straight to the point and cut out unnecessary waffle and background material.
• Be precise: think carefully about exactly what you mean and how best to say it. Don’t hope that a vague thought will work itself out as you write it.
• Be economical: Think of words as money: you need to spend enough to get the point across, but you want to spend no more than you absolutely have to.
• Be formal: this is an essay and all essays are formal. Being colloquial or casual in your writing gets you no marks and makes you look like you don’t know your stuff.
• Don’t re-narrate the story: the examiners will already know what happens and don’t need you to tell them. It simply shows you cannot analyse.
• Be objective, or impersonal: say “Willy’s speeches suggest that he lacks self-confidence”, rather than “I think Willy lacks self-confidence”. The first is a strong statement presented as fact; the second is mere opinion. Examiners are not friends; they need to be told properly!
• Write about literature in the present tense: say “Willy lacks [present] confidence throughout the play and his confidence is [present] in dependant on other characters such as Ben.”, rather than “Willy lacked [past] confidence in the. We do this because the text exists now and we are reading it text now so the characters exist now.
• Remember names and titles: The amount of students that get the title of the play wrong, the author wrong or names of characters wrong is quite shocking. Make sure you know who wrote the text, who the characters are and most importantly what the title is.
Map of an Essay
The Map of an Essay
An Introduction
• This is essentially your essay plan in sentence form.
• Begin with a clear, direct line of response to the question.
• Then briefly state the main points that will become your paragraphs.
• Your introduction should be short and should get straight to the point.
• Unless the question asks for it, do not waste time outlining the plot of the text, explaining the relationship between characters, or providing pointless details about the author’s biography – it wastes time and that’s what Wikipedia is for!
A Body of Logical Paragraphs
• In every paragraph, begin with a statement that identifies the point of the paragraph
• Then provide evidence (quotes) or examples to support your statement
• Then explain (comment) how your evidence supports your statement, and analyse the language and details of your example by focusing on:
• specific words, images, techniques, etc.
• what effects they have
• how they support your point
Optional Extra you can also follow this with a related subpoint (which might be another example, a closely related argument or a counter-argument) or simply move onto your next paragraph. (you will not lose marks if you don’t do this!)
A Conclusion
• Briefly re-state how your main points support your overall line of response to the question.
• Do not introduce any new points.
An Introduction
• This is essentially your essay plan in sentence form.
• Begin with a clear, direct line of response to the question.
• Then briefly state the main points that will become your paragraphs.
• Your introduction should be short and should get straight to the point.
• Unless the question asks for it, do not waste time outlining the plot of the text, explaining the relationship between characters, or providing pointless details about the author’s biography – it wastes time and that’s what Wikipedia is for!
A Body of Logical Paragraphs
• In every paragraph, begin with a statement that identifies the point of the paragraph
• Then provide evidence (quotes) or examples to support your statement
• Then explain (comment) how your evidence supports your statement, and analyse the language and details of your example by focusing on:
• specific words, images, techniques, etc.
• what effects they have
• how they support your point
Optional Extra you can also follow this with a related subpoint (which might be another example, a closely related argument or a counter-argument) or simply move onto your next paragraph. (you will not lose marks if you don’t do this!)
A Conclusion
• Briefly re-state how your main points support your overall line of response to the question.
• Do not introduce any new points.
Essay Writing
All I wanted to know about writing an essay but were afraid to ask
Being able to write a good essay is vital to the exam because you will be assessed not only on what you write, but also on how you write it.
Therefore, you should:
1. analyse, think, plan and draft
2. write with a clear structure: introduction, body, conclusion
3. use evidence and quotations (you will get a very low mark if you do not quote!)
4. leave a minute or two at the end to check your work (an examiner will ignore crossing out and will read any additions you make as long as you make your corrections clear!)
The first step is to analyse the question in order to determine exactly what you are being asked:
• Underline the key words in the question: e.g. Willy’s relationship with Biff is the most flawed one in the play. How far is this true?
• Think about what each word means and what it is looking for. The example question is obviously asking you to argue for a point and consider any other points of view.
Then think about your response the question:
• Brainstorm between three and six points you could analyse: e.g. Willy’s expectations of Biff, Willy’s morality issues, influence of Ben on Willy, Willy’s arguing with Biff, Biff’s lying and responses.
• Put these points into a logical order by numbering them.
• Consider alternative interpretations: e.g that Willy’s relationship with Biff is NOT the most flawed one in the play.
• Consider what sections you could relate to this to: e.g. restaurant scene, flashback to the ball game.
• Decide on a clear line of response that actually answers the question. This will become the first sentence of your essay: e.g. In Death of a Salesman Willy’s relationship with Biff is the most flawed one in the play.
Being able to write a good essay is vital to the exam because you will be assessed not only on what you write, but also on how you write it.
Therefore, you should:
1. analyse, think, plan and draft
2. write with a clear structure: introduction, body, conclusion
3. use evidence and quotations (you will get a very low mark if you do not quote!)
4. leave a minute or two at the end to check your work (an examiner will ignore crossing out and will read any additions you make as long as you make your corrections clear!)
The first step is to analyse the question in order to determine exactly what you are being asked:
• Underline the key words in the question: e.g. Willy’s relationship with Biff is the most flawed one in the play. How far is this true?
• Think about what each word means and what it is looking for. The example question is obviously asking you to argue for a point and consider any other points of view.
Then think about your response the question:
• Brainstorm between three and six points you could analyse: e.g. Willy’s expectations of Biff, Willy’s morality issues, influence of Ben on Willy, Willy’s arguing with Biff, Biff’s lying and responses.
• Put these points into a logical order by numbering them.
• Consider alternative interpretations: e.g that Willy’s relationship with Biff is NOT the most flawed one in the play.
• Consider what sections you could relate to this to: e.g. restaurant scene, flashback to the ball game.
• Decide on a clear line of response that actually answers the question. This will become the first sentence of your essay: e.g. In Death of a Salesman Willy’s relationship with Biff is the most flawed one in the play.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
