Close Reading 1

Every time you see “the writer’s word choice” you are being asked to focus on the connotations of specific words. You must quote the words in your answer. Otherwise you will be given no marks.

Look at this example: How does the writer’s word choice evoke sympathy for the boy? A street urchin gnawed on the remains of a hamburger he had retrieved from a bin.

Ask yourself - What does this word tell me that another word would not? A street urchin ate the remains of a hamburger he had retrieved from a bin. It gives us no idea of how hungry he is. So you are being asked to show that you understand that the word “gnawed” tells us that he is starving and you have to show how this evokes sympathy for the boy.

How you phrase your answer will make the difference between gaining full marks and throwing away marks needlessly. The writer use the word “gnawed” to evoke sympathy for the boy as he suggests that the boy is starving with hunger. “Gnawed” reminds us of a dog eating a bone ravenously and shows that the boy is so hungry that he is eating every last bit in a hurry. Remember this structure for your answer: The writer uses the word “…” which suggests ….

Your turn: 1.I gazed upon the schoolroom into which he took me, as the most forlorn and desolate place I had ever seen. Comment on the writer’s word choice in these sentences. First decide which words are most significant, quote them and then decide what the connotations are. 2. Then, the heavens simply open, the wind ferociously hurls drenching curtains of water at everything around.

1.You should have focused on “forlorn” and/or “desolate”. The writer uses the word “forlorn” to suggest that the room is very unwelcoming. The word suggests bleakness and that the children would be very miserable there. 2. You have a huge choice: “ferociously”, “hurls”, “drenching” and “curtains”. The writer uses the word “ferociously to suggest that the wind is powerful and could cause harm to the people. The word reminds us of a wild animal who is likely to hurt or eat people.

Focus on Words Context Questions: These check your ability to work out what a word means. The word is likely to be unfamiliar to you.

You must:  Use your own words  Give a meaning for the underlined word  Show which clues helped you to find the meaning of the unknown word The word “…” means … The writer refers to … which suggests ….

Show how the context helps you understand the meanings of the word underlined in the following passage. There are many ordinary happenings which have frightened or startled people into believing they were caused by ghostly means. Subterranean movements of earth and rock in old mine- workings, for instance, can cause very odd noises, and miners hearing tappings and rumblings in the underground darkness used to be sure they were made by earth spirits.

Sample answer: ‘Subterranean’ means underground. The writer refers to ‘mines’ which are underground, and to the ‘underground darkness’.

1. Show how the context helped you understand the meaning of “institution”. “Almost every institution has seen a significant drop in public confidence in the last decade. The police, the church and the legal system have all taken serious knocks.” 2. Show how the context helped you understand the meaning of “celebrated”. “From the late seventies, Mr Johnston was the head of a celebrated firm of decorative plasters when their client base had included minor royalty. Their reputation had spread so far as to make that firm the obvious choice for the Andover Castle restoration project.” Your turn:

2. “Celebrated means famous. The writer refers to famous clients such as "royalty“ and tells us that their "reputation spread so far“. This idea of being widely known suggests that they are famous. 1. “Institution” means a public service organisation. The writer refers to ‘the police’, ‘the church”, and to the ‘legal system ’. These are all organisations which work for the public.

To Recap Word choice asks you what a particular word adds to your understanding or appreciation of a piece of literature. Word choice asks you what a particular word adds to your understanding or appreciation of a piece of literature. Context questions ask you to work out the meaning of a word and show how you did it. Context questions ask you to work out the meaning of a word and show how you did it.