IGCSE – Question 2 Exam Prep

Question 2 – What is required? Notes from the examiner... (you might like to consider these)  ‘The majority of candidates found this question to be the most demanding of the three’ – Give yourself enough time! (10 minutes per paragraph is recommended)  ‘Most responses were able to identify 4 appropriate choices.’ – It asks for four, so find them!  ‘Scripts awarded higher bands for Question 2 showed precise focus at word level and were engaged and assured in their handling of their appropriate selections.’ Make good choices!  Marks are given for the quality of the words and phrases chosen to answer the question, and for the quality of their explanations. Make sure you are comfortable with explaining your chosen points! What to do: - This question concentrates on exploring language 1. Select appropriate examples of IMAGERY 2. Quote them accurately and explain in detail what effect the word choice and language device has on the meaning of the passage.

What is IMAGERY… Definitions - Imagery describes the mental pictures created by a piece of writing. - Figurative or descriptive language in literary work What are the different language features? Simile – Comparing two things that ordinarily are not linked using ‘like’ or ‘as’ Metaphor – a language technique that is used to display a resemblance in two things that are not ordinarily linked Personification – A figure of speech where a composer has given human qualities to an object or animal Extended Metaphors – when a metaphor is used and then further developed throughout the piece

He was on the way home when it happened. The night was darker than the feeling crawling up his spine. The street lights blinked at him, flickering intermittently as if somebody was using them to communicate in Morse code. The lights ceased to shine and shadows consumed everything. The wind blew heavily before it stopped. The small, intertwining roads of this busy London suburb were suddenly black. Life inside the houses which lined the streets was hidden behind tightly drawn curtains and locked doors. The drains hissed, the ground cracked and the distant murmur of civilisation lingered. The sounds climaxed, forcing him to turn suddenly and violently. Something was wrong. He staggered forward and gasped as he looked upon the trees. Whirring and howling, the branches looked desperate to escape their roots. The breeze surrounded him constantly, imploring him to move. It was a warning. The leaves were illuminated with glimpses of moonlight and he felt drawn to them. He tried to escape but his body was now frozen. The first thing he felt was the breath on his neck, then the hands around his face. The cold, sweaty hands were covered in soft leather. The grip tightened. Silence fell. The Passage...

Example Answer… ‘He staggered forward and gasped as he looked upon the trees. Whirring then howling, the branches looked desperate to escape their roots. The breeze surrounded him constantly, imploring him to move. It was a warning. The leaves were illuminated by shards of moonlight and he felt drawn to them.’ Throughout this piece, the writer uses various literary techniques in order to explore tension. The writers use of personification the serves to present nature as a protective force that is aware of the danger, which adds to the tense feeling. We associate the word ‘surrounded’ with a conscious force, so the writer uses this association to create the feeling that the ‘breeze’, or nature, is protecting the main character from imminent danger. In the same way the writer has used the word ‘whirring’ to describe the movement of the branches. Whirring describes a low, continuous sound and when this becomes ‘howling’, which is more dramatic and carries connotations of urgency, the reader feels as though the trees are trying to communicate a warning.

Re-read the description of : (a) the street in Paragraph 1 of ‘the passage’ Select FOUR powerful words of phrases from the paragraph. Your choices should include imagery. Explain how each word or phrase selected is used effectively in the context. (10 Marks) TIPS: 1.Read the passage and make a mental note of how it made you feel as the reader. 2.Have a think about which particular parts of the text made you feel this way and highlight them. 3.When you have four strong examples, try to identify their function (remember similes, metaphors, personification etc) and for words try to consider the connotations of the word (does the word remind you of anything?) 4.Begin to describe how those words or phrases contribute the overall theme. 5.Remember that you should include IMAGERY. How does the writers choice of language create the desired themes and emotions? Practice Question...

Timed Exercise _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ - This should take around 10 minutes