Question 3: Language Flashcards
All 55 cards in this deck
How many marks is Paper 2 Question 3 worth, which AO does it test, and how long should you spend on it?
12 marks, testing AO2: how writers use language to achieve effects, using subject terminology. Spend about 12 minutes.
What is the wording of Paper 2 Question 3?
"You now need to refer only to Source [A or B] from lines X to Y. How does the writer use language to describe [the focus]?" There are no bullet points, unlike Paper 1 Question 2.
What counts as "language" in Paper 2 Question 3, even though there are no bullet points?
Words and phrases, language features and techniques (imagery, irony, listing, and so on), and sentence forms. Cover a range of these rather than just techniques.
What happens if you write about lines outside those given, or about the wrong source, in Paper 2 Question 3?
The answer is placed at the bottom of whatever level its quality deserves. Draw a box round the given lines and quote only from inside it.
What does a top-level (10–12 mark) answer to Paper 2 Question 3 do?
It analyses the effects of the writer's language choices, uses a range of judicious (precise, well-chosen) quotations and uses sophisticated, accurate subject terminology.
What must your answer to Paper 2 Question 3 keep doing to reach Level 3 or above?
Stay on the focus in the question, e.g. "to describe the volcano". Analysing interesting language that has nothing to do with the focus can't reach Level 3.
What is "feature spotting", and why does it score so little?
Naming a technique ("there is a simile") without explaining its effect. Examiners reward what the language does to the reader and what it shows about the writer's view, not the label.
What does "say a lot about a little" mean for Paper 2 Question 3?
Zoom in on single words and explore them in depth: their connotations, why that word rather than another, and how they fit the writer's attitude. Depth on a few quotations beats a list of many.
Why should you avoid long quotations in Paper 2 Question 3?
Long quotations are usually followed by comments on content, not language. Short, embedded quotations of one to four words force you to analyse specific choices.
In Paper 2 Question 3, why is it useful to link language to the writer's viewpoint?
Paper 2 is about writers' viewpoints. Saying what a choice reveals about the writer's attitude (awe, contempt, affection) makes your analysis sharper and more perceptive.
What is a good paragraph plan for Paper 2 Question 3?
Three or four paragraphs, each with: the writer's method + short quotation + effect on the reader + what it shows about the writer's view of the focus. Where you can, zoom in on one word.
In Paper 2 Question 3, should you compare the source with the other one or write about whole-text structure?
No. Q3 is one source and language only. Comparison is for Question 4, and whole-text structure earns nothing here.
What is tone in a non-fiction text?
The writer's attitude to the subject or reader, as it comes through in the language: e.g. affectionate, mocking, angry or awed. Identifying tone shows you understand the writer's viewpoint.
What is register?
How formal or informal the language is, chosen to suit the audience and purpose. A formal register sounds serious and distant; an informal one sounds personal and close.
What is the typical effect of a formal register in non-fiction?
It sounds authoritative and serious, so the reader trusts the writer as knowledgeable. It can also create distance or coldness, e.g. in an official letter.
What is the typical effect of an informal, colloquial register?
It sounds like a real person talking, which makes the writer relatable and draws the reader in. It is often used for humour, honesty or a shared point of view.
What is emotive language, and what does it do?
Words chosen to stir strong feelings, e.g. "abandoned", "heartbreaking". It pushes the reader to feel what the writer feels, which helps persuade them to share the writer's view.
Why should you describe tone with precise adjectives rather than "positive" or "negative"?
"Negative" could mean angry, bitter, sad or sarcastic. A precise word (indignant, wistful, scathing, affectionate) shows exactly how the writer feels and earns more credit. Then support it with evidence.
Why look for a shift in tone in a source?
A change (e.g. from comic to serious) usually marks a turning point in the writer's thinking. Commenting on where and why it shifts shows perceptive reading.
How can register reveal a writer's viewpoint?
Mismatches are telling: grand, formal language about something trivial mocks it (mock-serious), while a casual tone about something serious can show bravery, shock or bitterness.
In "Frankly, the new car park is a concrete insult to everyone who lives here", what is the tone and how is it created?
Scathing and indignant. The blunt opener "Frankly" and the metaphor "concrete insult" make the car park sound like a deliberate offence against residents, so the reader shares the writer's anger.
In "We would like to thank residents for their patience during the works", what is the register and its effect?
Formal and impersonal. The polite, official phrasing ("residents", "the works") sounds courteous but distant, as if from an organisation rather than a person, and avoids admitting any fault.
In "Honestly? Best tenner I've ever spent.", what is the register and its effect?
Informal and enthusiastic. The one-word question, slang ("tenner") and the minor sentence sound like a friend's recommendation, which makes the praise feel genuine.
What is irony in non-fiction, and what does it typically do?
Saying the opposite of (or something different from) what is meant. It invites the reader to see through the words and share the writer's critical view, often making criticism sharper by being understated.
What is sarcasm, and how is it different from irony?
Sarcasm is irony used to mock or wound a particular person or thing. It is harsher and more personal, and it shows contempt rather than gentle amusement.
What is satire?
Humour, often with irony and exaggeration, used to criticise people, institutions or society. The laughter has a serious point: it exposes foolishness or injustice.
What is understatement, and what effect can it have?
Describing something as less serious than it is, e.g. calling a flooded house "a little damp". It creates dry humour and can suggest the writer's bravery or self-control.
What is self-deprecating humour, and why do non-fiction writers use it?
The writer makes fun of themselves. It makes them likeable and honest, which builds trust with the reader, and it can soften a serious or frightening experience.
What is bathos (or mock-heroic language)?
Grand, serious language used about something trivial, or a sudden drop from the grand to the ordinary. It creates comedy and can mock things that take themselves too seriously.
How can you spot irony in a source?
Look for a mismatch: praise that the facts contradict, polite words for something absurd, scare quotes (the "luxury" hotel), or a calm tone about a disaster.
In "Brilliant. Another Monday, another cancelled train.", which technique is used and what is its effect?
Sarcasm. "Brilliant" means the opposite, and the repetition of "another" shows this happens all the time. It conveys weary frustration and mocks the rail company.
In The "luxury" hotel offered a stunning view of the bins, how is humour created?
Irony through scare quotes and contrast: the inverted commas question "luxury", and the grand phrase "stunning view" collapses into "the bins", mocking the hotel's claims.
In "The flood was a slight inconvenience; we only had to swim to the kettle", what is the technique and effect?
Understatement and exaggeration together. Calling a flood "a slight inconvenience" makes the reader laugh, while the absurd image shows the writer coping with disaster through humour.
How should you write about humour in Paper 2 Question 3?
Don't just say it is "funny". Explain how the humour works (irony, understatement, bathos) and why the writer uses it: to criticise, to make a point memorable, or to reveal their own attitude.
How can you make sense of a very long 19th-century sentence?
Find the main clause (who did what), then treat each part separated by semicolons or dashes as its own idea. Read it in chunks rather than all at once.
Why do 19th-century writers use so many semicolons and dashes?
They build up long chains of related ideas, observations or lists in one sentence. Often the effect is of piling up detail, or of a thought unfolding as the writer goes.
What should you do with an unfamiliar older word in the 19th-century source?
Check the glossary first. Otherwise use the context and the word's parts: male- means bad, so a "maledictory" exit involves cursing. You don't need every word to understand the passage.
Why should you watch out for words that have changed meaning since the 19th century?
Some familiar words meant something else then: gay meant lively or fashionable, pathetic meant moving or pitiful (not useless), and awful could mean awe-inspiring. Reading them in their modern sense can lead to a misreading.
What conventions do 19th-century letters usually have?
They are addressed to a named person ("My dear sister"), dated, personal and chatty, with a sign-off such as "Your affectionate…". Many were later published, so the writer may write vividly with readers in mind.
What features are typical of 19th-century journalism?
Long descriptive "sketches", a formal register, the editorial "we", and frequent moral or social comment. Writers often use irony to criticise the society they describe.
Why shouldn't you always say a 19th-century writer uses a formal register "to sound authoritative"?
Formal language was normal then, so it isn't always a deliberate choice. Look instead at where the writer shifts register, or uses formal words ironically, which is a choice.
How should you use 19th-century context in Paper 2 Question 3?
Only to explain the language, e.g. why a writer quotes the Bible or comments on class. Don't drift into history lessons: the marks are for analysing language.
Why do many 19th-century writers use biblical references, and what is their effect?
The Bible was the shared text most readers knew well. A biblical phrase brings enormous weight, e.g. comparing a volcano to the "bottomless pit" calls up the reader's deepest fears of hell.
What is a good way to read the 19th-century source in the exam?
Read the italic introduction and the glossary first. Read once quickly for the gist (who, where, what happens), then reread the lines for the question slowly, chunking the long sentences.
In "I was not a little alarmed", what does the writer mean, and what is the effect?
They were very alarmed. This is litotes: denying the opposite ("not a little") to mean "very". The understatement is a polite, controlled way of admitting fear, typical of the period, and it can sound wry.
In "Our watering-place was once a gay place", what does gay mean?
Lively, cheerful and fashionable. It is a word whose meaning has shifted, so the writer is saying the seaside resort used to be full of fun and visitors.
How can you comment on views in a 19th-century source that now seem old-fashioned or prejudiced?
Recognise them as the writer's perspective, shaped by their time, and comment on how the language reveals it. Don't ignore them or simply condemn the writer.
How can the writer's purpose and audience help you explain language in Paper 2 Question 3?
Link a language choice to who it's for and what it's for. Vivid, comic description in a travel book entertains readers at home who will never see the place; precise, formal detail in a report informs. That explains why the choice works, which lifts an answer above naming features.
What should you know about social class in the 19th century?
Society was sharply divided: a wealthy upper class, a growing middle class, and a working class that was often poor, especially in the cities. Many writers are middle-class observers describing the poor, so watch for sympathy, curiosity or condescension in how they describe people "below" them.
What was the position of women in the 19th century?
Women couldn't vote in national elections, had few routes into university or the professions, and until the Married Women's Property Acts (1870 and 1882) a wife's property largely passed to her husband. Middle-class women were expected to stay at home. So a woman travelling alone, like Isabella Bird or Mary Kingsley, was unusual, and might celebrate that freedom or play it down.
What were education and child labour like in the 19th century?
School wasn't compulsory for all young children in England until 1880, and many poor children worked in factories, in mines or on the streets. Wealthy families often employed a governess: an educated woman teaching their children at home, awkwardly placed between servant and family.
How did railways and steamships change 19th-century life?
From the 1840s railways spread fast, and steamships made sea crossings quicker and more regular. Seaside holidays, day trips and travel writing boomed. Writers are often thrilled, unsettled or sarcastic about the speed, noise and crowds.
Why do 19th-century writers often write about religion and science?
Christianity shaped daily life and morality, but new science, such as geology and Darwin's On the Origin of Species (1859), challenged traditional beliefs. Writers often describe nature or danger in religious terms (Providence, the Creator), which can show awe, duty or certainty.
How can the British Empire shape a 19th-century source?
Britain ruled large parts of the world, and many travel writers write as confident British visitors, judging other places and people by British standards. Spotting that assumption helps you explain the writer's perspective. Comment on it; don't repeat it.
Which detail suggests a writer's class in "We breakfasted at nine, and the maid brought up the letters with the tea"?
The servant and the unhurried breakfast show a comfortable middle- or upper-class household. Noticing this helps you explain the writer's perspective, for example why they find a poor street "shocking" or "picturesque".