Question 3: Analysing Language and Structure Flashcards
All 73 cards in this deck
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 text?
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 text?
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 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 counts as a method in a Paper 2 non-fiction text?
Any choice the writer makes to convey their view: language (word choice, imagery), structure (order, shifts, endings), tone, form (letter, diary, article) and techniques such as anecdote or direct address.
What is an anecdote, and what does it do in non-fiction?
A short personal story used to make a point. It makes the writer's view vivid and believable, and invites the reader to share their experience.
What effect do facts and statistics have in non-fiction?
They give the writer authority and make the view seem objective and reasonable. Remember they are still selected to support the writer's perspective.
What does direct address ("you") do in non-fiction?
It speaks to the reader personally, creating closeness or challenge. In a letter it reaches one specific person, which can make the feelings seem unguarded.
What does a rhetorical question do in a writer's argument or account?
It invites the reader to agree by implying the answer is obvious, and can reveal the writer's frustration or disbelief.
What does hyperbole typically do in non-fiction?
Deliberate exaggeration conveys the strength of the writer's feeling, and often adds humour that brings the reader on side.
What do irony and sarcasm do in non-fiction?
By saying the opposite of what they mean, writers show contempt or amusement, and invite the reader to share the joke against the target.
What effect can a list have in non-fiction?
Piling up details creates a sense of excess: the writer can seem overwhelmed, exasperated or delighted. Its rhythm can imitate monotony or excitement.
What does imagery (simile, metaphor, personification) do in non-fiction?
It turns the writer's experience into a picture the reader can feel, making an abstract feeling concrete, e.g. a train described as a bully suggests the writer feels trapped.
How can a text's form be a method?
A private letter or diary can show raw, unguarded feelings to one reader; a published article shapes the view for the public. Commenting on this explains how the perspective reaches us.
Name two structural methods you could comment on in a non-fiction text.
Any two of: a shift from description to reflection; a turning point where the attitude changes; an ending that leaves a final judgement; chronological narration building to a climax. Say what each does to the reader.
In "Forty minutes. Forty minutes for a bus the timetable promised every ten," which methods are used and what is their effect?
Repetition and a minor sentence. The repeated "Forty minutes" lets the reader hear the writer fuming, and the contrast with "every ten" exposes the broken promise.
In "You would think, wouldn't you, that a hotel charging these prices could afford a kettle," which methods are used and what is their effect?
Direct address, a rhetorical aside ("wouldn't you") and sarcasm. Together they pull the reader into sharing the writer's indignation at poor value.
How do you write about a method without "feature spotting"?
Name it, quote a few words, then explain what it makes the reader think or feel about the writer's perspective: "The simile 'like a lively dolphin' makes the chaos almost playful, showing he finds the danger more absurd than frightening."
What is a writer's purpose, and why does it matter when you read non-fiction?
The main job the text is doing: to inform, explain, describe, entertain, argue, persuade or advise. Most texts do more than one. Naming the purpose lets you explain why a method is there: a joke in a travel article entertains, but the same joke in a speech wins the audience round.
In "Bring a waterproof, and leave the hairdryer at home: the bothy has no electricity", what is the purpose, and how can you tell?
To advise. The imperatives ("Bring", "leave") give direct instructions, and the practical reason after the colon shows the writer is helping the reader prepare.
How can you work out who a non-fiction text is written for?
Look at what the writer assumes you know (unexplained technical terms suggest experts), the register (chatty or formal), who is addressed ("you", "parents", "readers of this paper") and the examples chosen. Then explain how the writer adapts to that audience.
A letter begins "Dear Jane, you will laugh when I tell you…". Who is the audience, and how does it shape the writing?
One reader the writer knows well. So the writer can be personal, confide feelings, joke, and skip explaining shared references. A newspaper report, by contrast, addresses many strangers and has to explain more.
Why does the audience matter when you analyse non-fiction?
Texts written for different audiences, such as a private letter and a magazine article for the public, use different methods. Explaining how a writer adapts to their audience, and what kind of text they are writing, lifts an analysis above feature spotting.
What is bias in a non-fiction text?
Presenting one side favourably while ignoring or belittling the other. Signs include one-sided evidence, loaded words ("scheme", "so-called") and opponents' views being left out or mocked. Say what the bias reveals about the writer's viewpoint, not just that it's there.
What is a generalisation, and what does it do?
A claim about a whole group based on limited evidence: "Teenagers never read any more." It makes a point feel obviously true and can unite writer and reader against "them", but it oversimplifies. Spotting one helps you show when a writer is being unfair, or deliberately comic.
What is the difference between a fact and an opinion presented as fact?
A fact can be checked: "The pier is 300 metres long." An opinion presented as fact states a view with certainty and no "I think": "The pier is the town's only attraction." It makes the writer sound authoritative and leaves the reader little room to disagree.
What is an analogy, and what does it do in non-fiction?
An extended comparison that explains something unfamiliar or complicated through something familiar: "Cutting the library budget to save money is like selling your shoes to pay the bus fare." It makes an argument easy to grasp, and can make the other side look foolish.
In "Everyone who has ever sat on a delayed train knows the operators simply do not care", which methods are used, and what is their effect?
A generalisation ("Everyone… knows") and an opinion presented as fact ("simply do not care"). Together they make the writer's anger seem shared and obvious, so the claim feels beyond argument even though no evidence is given.
How should you write about bias in Paper 2?
Don't just call the text "biased". Show how the bias is created (which details are chosen, which words are loaded, what is left out) and what it tells you about the writer's attitude. Bias is a clue to perspective, not a fault to criticise.
What does Paper 2 Question 3 ask, and how many marks is it worth?
15 marks, AO2. 'Analyse how the writer uses language and structure to interest and engage the reader', about the whole of Text 1. Bullets remind you to write about language features and techniques, structural techniques and the effect on the reader.
What happens if your Paper 2 Question 3 answer covers only language, or only structure?
It can't go above the top of Level 2, which is 6 marks. Analysis of both is needed for Level 3 and above.
What are the five levels for Paper 2 Question 3?
Identification (1–3), comment (4–6), explanation (7–9), exploration (10–12) and analysis (13–15) of how both language and structure work, with references that grow from limited to discriminating.
How long should you spend on Paper 2 Question 3?
About 15–20 minutes: it's worth 15 of Section A's 56 marks, and you'll need time for Questions 6 and 7 too.
What does "interest and engage the reader" mean for your answer?
Every point should explain how a choice affects the reader: what it makes them feel, think, picture or want to read on to find out. That's the focus of the question, so a technique with no effect on the reader earns little.
What do examiners say separates the best Paper 2 Question 3 answers?
They think about what kind of text it is and who it was written for, a newspaper report, a memoir, a magazine piece, and explain the writer's choices in that light.
What is feature spotting, and why does it hold Question 3 answers back?
Listing techniques ('alliteration, personification, a simile') without explaining their effect. It stays at Level 1 or 2 however many features you find.
What structural features can you write about in non-fiction?
The headline or opening, the order of paragraphs, shifts between anecdote, fact and reflection, quotations from other people, changes of time or focus, sentence lengths, and how the text ends. Explain why each comes where it does.
What is a sensible plan for Paper 2 Question 3?
Work through Text 1 from beginning to end, picking four or five points that mix language and structure. Each one: method, short quotation, effect on the reader, linked to the kind of text and its purpose.
A student writes: 'The writer uses lots of facts.' How could it be improved for Paper 2 Question 3?
Name the facts and explain their effect: 'Opening with stark figures ("forty homes flooded overnight") shocks the reader at once and gives the report authority, so we trust the account that follows.'
Do you need to compare Text 1 with Text 2 in Question 3?
No. Question 3 is about Text 1 only. Comparison is for Question 7.
What is a headline or title for, structurally?
It's the first thing the reader meets, so it sets the angle, the tone and often a question. Comment on what it makes the reader expect and whether the text then delivers or surprises.
What is the "inverted pyramid" in a news report?
The most important facts come first, then details, then background and quotations. It lets readers grasp the event at once, so the opening paragraph carries the most weight.
Why might a non-fiction writer open with an anecdote?
A short personal story draws the reader in through a person and a moment before any facts or argument, making the topic feel human and immediate.
What is the effect of a shift from anecdote to fact or reflection?
It widens the focus from one person's experience to the bigger picture, or pauses the story so the writer can tell us what it meant. Say where the shift happens and why.
How can paragraph order shape the reader's response in non-fiction?
Writers place what they want to stress first or last, build from calm to crisis, or hold back a key detail. Ask why one paragraph comes before another, not just what each says.
What is the effect of quotations from witnesses or officials in a report?
They add authority and human feeling, and they break up the writer's account with other voices. Where they're placed matters: a quotation at the end often leaves the reader with an emotional or official last word.
What can a one-sentence paragraph do in non-fiction?
Isolate a key fact, a turning point or a punchline, so the reader stops on it. It stands out against longer paragraphs around it.
How can a non-fiction text use time structurally?
By moving between past and present, telling events in order to build tension, or jumping back to a memory. A memoir that shifts into the present tense can make an old memory feel immediate.
What does a cyclical ending do in non-fiction?
Returning to an image or idea from the opening rounds the piece off and shows how the writer's view has developed or been confirmed.
What should a structure point in Paper 2 Question 3 include?
What the structural feature is, where it comes in the text, and why it's there: its effect on the reader's interest, linked to the kind of text and its purpose.
A memoir about a flood opens with the writer's dog barking at 3 a.m., then gives the facts about the river rising, then ends back with the dog asleep on the stairs. What structural choices can you comment on?
An anecdotal opening that hooks with a small, puzzling moment; a shift to fact that explains the danger; and a cyclical ending that returns to the dog, showing calm restored and the family's relief.
A report opens: 'Thirty seconds. That is how long the bridge took to fall.' What is the structural effect of starting this way?
Opening on a short, stark detail makes the reader stop and wonder; the one-word sentence then explained by the next creates impact and makes the reader want the full story.
How can a writer show bias through what they leave out?
By omitting the other side's case, awkward facts or opposing voices. Ask what a fair account would include that this one doesn't, and what that reveals about the writer's view.
A report on a new road quotes three angry residents and no one from the council. What does this suggest?
Bias through selection: only one side is heard, so the reader is steered to share the residents' anger. It suggests the writer, or the paper, opposes the road.