Question 2: Language Flashcards
All 73 cards in this deck
How many marks is Paper 1 Question 2 worth, and how long should you spend on it?
8 marks. Spend about 10 minutes on it, after Question 1 and before the 8-mark structure question.
Which assessment objective does Paper 1 Question 2 test?
AO2: explaining, commenting on and analysing how writers use language to achieve effects and influence readers, using relevant subject terminology.
What does the Paper 1 Question 2 question say?
"Look in detail at this extract … How does the writer use language here to describe …? You could include the writer's choice of: words and phrases; language features and techniques; sentence forms." The extract is printed again on the question paper.
What happens if you write about language from outside the extract you are given for Question 2?
It doesn't count. An answer that only analyses language from outside the given lines can't go above Level 2 (4 marks), however good it is.
What does a Level 4 (7–8 marks) answer to Paper 1 Question 2 do?
It analyses the effects of the writer's language choices perceptively, uses a range of well-chosen (judicious) short quotations, and uses subject terminology accurately and precisely.
What is the difference between a Level 2 and a Level 3 answer on Paper 1 Question 2?
Level 2 attempts to comment on effects, with some appropriate quotations and some terminology. Level 3 clearly explains the effects, with a range of relevant quotations and accurate terminology.
What does "say a lot about a little" mean for Question 2?
Pick short quotations, often a single word, and explore them in depth: their connotations, why the writer chose them, and the effect on the reader. That earns more than skimming many long quotations.
What is "feature spotting", and why does it score badly?
Naming a technique without explaining its effect, such as "The writer uses a simile." Terminology only earns credit when it helps you explain what the language does to the reader's impression.
Should you write about structure in Paper 1 Question 2?
No. Structure (the order of the text, shifts in focus, paragraphing) belongs in Question 3. Sentence forms do count as language in Question 2, but only when you link them to meaning.
Do you have to cover all three bullet points in Question 2?
No. The question says you could include them; it is not a checklist. Three or four well-developed points beat a thin answer that covers every bullet.
What is a good shape for each paragraph of a Question 2 answer?
Make a point about how the focus (the thing being described) is presented. Embed a short quotation. Name the method if it helps. Then explain the effect, zooming in on a key word and its connotations.
What are examiners' most common complaints about Question 2 answers?
Long quotations followed by a retelling of the content; naming techniques with no effect; reading imagery literally; and vague effects such as "it makes the reader want to read on".
What is a connotation?
The ideas and feelings a word suggests beyond its literal meaning. A lair and a home are both places to live, but lair suggests a hidden, dangerous animal.
Why is naming the word class (noun, verb, adjective…) useful in Question 2?
It is precise subject terminology, and it shows you are looking at the writer's choice of a single word. It only earns credit when you go on to explain that word's effect.
What effect can a precise verb have?
It shows how an action is done, which can reveal mood or character. 'She crept downstairs' suggests secrecy or fear in a way 'she went downstairs' does not.
What does an adjective typically do in description?
It shapes our impression of a noun and builds mood. 'A brittle laugh' suggests nervousness, as if the laugh might snap.
What does an adverb typically add?
It changes how we read a verb, often showing attitude. 'He smiled thinly' suggests the smile is forced or insincere.
What is an abstract noun, and what can it do in fiction?
A noun for an idea or feeling, such as dread, hope or silence. It can make a feeling seem to fill a whole scene: 'Dread settled over the kitchen.'
What effect can pronouns have in a narrative?
First person (I, we) creates closeness to the narrator. Holding back a name ('He was waiting again') creates mystery or menace.
What does repeating a word do?
It draws attention to the word and can suggest emphasis, obsession or a mounting feeling. 'Cold hands, cold tea, cold bed' makes the coldness feel total and inescapable.
What is an oxymoron, and what is its effect?
Two contradictory words placed together, such as 'a cheerful funeral'. It surprises the reader and suggests mixed or uneasy feelings.
How do you "zoom in" on a single word?
Ask why the writer chose this word rather than a near-synonym. Why 'crawled' rather than 'moved'? Then explore its connotations and what they suggest about the focus.
In 'The bus wheezed up the hill', which word is most powerful and why?
'Wheezed': a verb that suggests an old or ill person struggling for breath. It makes the bus seem old, tired and barely able to climb.
In 'The headteacher's voice was clipped and cold', what does 'clipped' suggest?
That she speaks in short, cut-off, controlled words. She seems unfriendly, impatient and firmly in charge.
In 'Brambles had strangled the garden', what is the effect of 'strangled'?
It is a violent verb suggesting a deliberate killing, so the garden seems a victim. Neglect becomes aggressive and deadly, not just untidy.
What is a simile, and what does it typically do?
A comparison using like or as. It makes something vivid by linking it to something familiar, and the comparison chosen carries feeling. In 'Fog lay on the town like a wet blanket' the fog seems heavy and smothering.
What is a metaphor, and how does its effect differ from a simile's?
It says one thing is another, with no like or as. Its effect is often more direct and forceful. 'The exam hall was a pressure cooker' suggests tension building towards an explosion.
What is an extended metaphor?
A metaphor developed over several phrases or sentences. Because it is sustained, the reader keeps seeing the subject through that comparison, which strengthens the impression.
What is personification, and what is its typical effect?
Giving human qualities to something non-human. It can make a setting seem alive, threatening or sympathetic. 'The house watched them leave' makes the house seem aware and unsettling.
What is pathetic fallacy?
When weather or setting reflects a character's mood or the atmosphere of a scene. It can also foreshadow events. In 'A thin, grudging drizzle fell as she read the letter', the drizzle mirrors a low, joyless mood.
What is a semantic field, and what does it do?
A group of words from the same area of meaning. It builds an idea across a passage. Words like 'ambush', 'retreat' and 'ceasefire' used about a family dinner present the meal as a battle.
What is symbolism in a fiction extract?
When an object, colour or setting stands for a bigger idea. A stopped clock in a dusty room might symbolise a life frozen in the past. It gives the description a deeper layer of meaning.
Examiners warn against reading imagery "literally". What does that mean?
Explaining only what the image looks like, rather than what it suggests. 'Like a wet blanket' isn't just about how fog looks; it suggests weight, discomfort and being smothered.
How do you analyse a simile or metaphor well?
Look at both halves: what is being compared, which qualities carry across from one to the other, and how that shapes the reader's feelings about the thing described.
In 'Her laugh was a door slammed shut', which technique is used and what is its effect?
A metaphor. The laugh seems sudden, loud and final, as if it ends the conversation and shuts the other person out.
In 'The wind worried at the loose window all night', which technique is used and what is its effect?
Personification: 'worried' suggests the wind is restless and persistent, like an anxious person or a dog with a bone. It creates an uneasy, sleepless atmosphere.
In 'Frost glittered on the railings like broken glass', which technique is used and what is its effect?
A simile. The frost is beautiful, but the comparison to broken glass makes it seem sharp and dangerous, adding a hint of violence to a pretty scene.
What is alliteration, and what can it do?
Repeating the same consonant sound at the start of nearby words. It draws attention to a phrase and can create rhythm. Hard sounds feel harsh, as in 'the bitter, biting breeze'.
What is sibilance, and what effects can it create?
Repeated s and sh sounds. They can sound soft and hushed ('the sea sighed in its sleep') or sinister and hissing, depending on the words around them.
What is onomatopoeia, and what does it do?
A word that sounds like the noise it describes, such as crackle, thud or hiss. It makes a scene audible and immediate for the reader.
What is assonance, and what effect can it have?
Repeated vowel sounds in nearby words. Long vowels can slow the pace and create a mournful or calm mood, as in 'the low moan of the old road'.
What are plosive sounds, and what effect do they have?
The sounds p, b, t, d, k and g, made with a burst of air. Clustered together they can feel abrupt, aggressive or explosive.
What is sensory language, and why do writers use it?
Description that appeals to sight, sound, smell, taste or touch. It immerses the reader in the scene, and the sense chosen matters: smell often triggers memory, while touch often conveys discomfort or comfort.
What is synaesthesia in description?
Describing one sense in terms of another, such as 'a loud yellow coat' or 'a sharp smell'. It makes an impression feel intense and unusual.
How should you write about a sound effect such as alliteration?
Link the sound to meaning: say what noise it imitates or what mood it creates, and connect that to the focus of the question. Just spotting alliteration is feature spotting and earns little.
A passage uses sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. Should you comment on all five?
No. Choose the sensory detail that does the most work and explain why that sense was chosen. Working through all five like a checklist leads to thin comments.
In 'The gravel crunched under the tyres', which technique is used and what is its effect?
Onomatopoeia. 'Crunched' makes the arrival loud and noticeable, as if it breaks a silence and announces that someone has come.
In 'Soft snow settled silently on the sleeping street', which technique is used and what is its effect?
Sibilance. The repeated s sounds are hushed, like a whisper, creating a calm, muffled, peaceful atmosphere.
In 'The air tasted of salt and diesel', what is the effect of the sensory language?
Describing air by its taste makes the harbour physically immediate. Pairing natural salt with industrial diesel suggests a working place, not a picture-postcard one.
What is a simple sentence, and what effect can it have?
One main clause with one main verb: 'The door opened.' It can create clarity, emphasis or shock, especially after longer sentences.
What is a compound sentence, and what can it do?
Two main clauses joined by and, but, or or so. It can show a sequence of events, balance two ideas, or set up a contrast with but.
What is a complex sentence, and what can it do?
A main clause with at least one subordinate clause. It adds detail, reasons or conditions, and can delay the key information to build suspense: 'Although the lights were off, someone was in the kitchen.'
What is a minor sentence, and what effect does it have?
A sentence without a main verb, such as 'Silence.' or 'Not again.' It isolates a moment or feeling, gives emphasis, or imitates a character's thoughts.
What do exclamatory sentences do in a narrative?
They end in an exclamation mark and show strong emotion, such as excitement, panic or delight. They often let us hear a character's own voice.
What does a question (interrogative) do in a fiction extract?
It shows a character's doubt, confusion or worry, and it pulls the reader into puzzling over the same thing: 'Who had left the gate open?'
What is the effect of a long sentence built from a list?
It can suggest accumulation, chaos or overwhelming detail. Joined with many ands (polysyndeton) it can feel breathless or endless; with commas only (asyndeton) it can feel rushed.
What is the effect of a short sentence straight after a long one?
The contrast stops the rhythm suddenly, so the short sentence lands with force. It often marks a shock, a realisation or a turning point.
What is a fronted adverbial, and what can it do?
A word or phrase at the start of a sentence that says how, when or where: 'Slowly, the door opened.' Putting it first stresses the manner or time and can delay the action for suspense.
Why do examiners dislike "short sentences create tension" as a comment?
It is a stock phrase that could fit any extract. Explain what this sentence does in this place, for example: "the simple sentence isolates the moment he sees the letter, so the reader stops with him."
In 'She waited. And waited. Nothing.', which sentence forms are used and what is their effect?
Short fragments and a minor sentence, with repetition. They stretch out time and end in emptiness, making the wait feel long and disappointing.
In 'He ran past the bins, through the gate, across the wet grass and down to the water's edge', what is the effect of the sentence form?
One long sentence built from a list of phrases. It carries the reader along in a single breath, creating speed and unstoppable movement.
What is tone in a piece of writing?
The attitude the writer or narrator shows towards the subject, for example affectionate, bitter, mocking or wistful. It is created through word choice.
What is atmosphere (or mood)?
The feeling a scene creates for the reader, such as tense, eerie, peaceful or oppressive. It is usually built by many choices working together.
How do writers build an atmosphere?
With clusters of word choices, imagery, sounds and sentence rhythms that all point the same way. The best answers show how several choices work together, not just one.
What does an ominous atmosphere feel like, and how is it usually created?
It feels as if something bad is about to happen. It is often built from unexplained details, silence, darkness and pathetic fallacy.
What is a wistful or nostalgic tone?
A gentle sadness or longing for the past. Look for memories, the past tense, soft words and details that are fondly remembered.
What makes an atmosphere claustrophobic?
Language of confinement and pressure: small spaces, heat, crowding, and verbs such as pressed and trapped. The reader feels hemmed in alongside the character.
What is irony in a narrative, and what effect can it have?
A gap between what is said and what is meant, or between what a character believes and what the reader can see. It can create humour or sadness, and it makes the reader feel they understand more than the character does.
Why use a precise tone word rather than "sad" or "scary"?
Precise words such as menacing, desolate or bittersweet show exactly what effect you have noticed. That precision is what the top levels reward.
How should you handle a change of tone within a Question 2 extract?
Find the turning point, often a word like but, until or suddenly, and explain how the language before and after it differs, and why that contrast matters.
How can a narrator's voice shape tone?
A young or naive narrator may describe things innocently while the reader understands more, which creates pathos or humour. A wry adult narrator may create comedy through understatement.
In 'The swimming pool had been empty for three summers; leaves gathered in the deep end and a rusted ladder led down to nothing', what atmosphere is created?
A desolate atmosphere of neglect. 'Led down to nothing' suggests emptiness and loss where there should be fun and noise.
In 'Every Sunday the kitchen smelled of cinnamon, and every Sunday Gran sang off-key', what is the tone?
Affectionate and nostalgic. The repeated 'every Sunday' suggests a comforting routine, and 'off-key' is a fondly remembered flaw.