1. Discuss language, explaining why they have been used and the effects.
AO2a
Discuss language, explaining why they have been used and the effects.

2. When is this skill assessed?
Paper 1
Question 2- language question- worth 8 marks- should take 10 mins
Paper 2

3. Language In the language questions, you need to:
Find and quote interesting words or phrases and examples of language devices (for example, similes, repetition, short sentences).
Explain what they make the reader think of
Explain the effect or why they have been used
You are trying to say to the examiner:
“Yes, I know the writer chose those words deliberately and I can tell you why they used them!”

4. Language mark scheme TIP:
Try to avoid just saying ‘it makes the reader feel sad’- try to explain how and why.
Marks
What you need to do
7-8
Show detailed and perceptive analysis
Analyse effect
Judicious (well-chosen) range of quotations
Sophisticated subject terminology used accurately
5-6
Clear understanding of language
- Clearly explains the effects
Selects a range of relevant quotations
Use subject terminology accurately
3-4
Shows some understanding of language
Attempts to comment on effect
Selects some relevant quotations
Uses some subject terminology, not always appropriately
1-2
Shows simple awareness of language
Offers simple comment on effect
Simple references or textual details
Simple mention of subject terminology
TIP:
It asks for a range of quotations, so make sure you include at least 4!
TIP:
Look through the list of subject terminology (fancy English words) that your teacher has given you. Try to learn these and practise finding them in texts.

5. How to approach the language questions
Read the question carefully! It will tell you where to get your answers!
Look out for language devices, particularly similes, metaphors, short sentences, repetition, or powerful words or phrases.
Write about the quotations you are most confident about first, in case you run out of time.
For each quotation, try to include some subject terminology, and to discuss the effect of the quotation.

6. Keywords
Make sure you know what the following words mean: Simile Metaphor Personification Short sentence Onomatopoeia Alliteration Rhetorical question
Challenge yourself- more sophisticated subject terminology:
Embedded clause
Ellipsis
Complex sentence
Simple sentence
Adjectives
Adverbs
Emotive language

7. How does the writer use language to show Kingshaw’s fear?
Writing your response
Use the question in your answer.
Mention any language devices you find.
Include the quotation (preferably in a sentence).
Talk about the effect of the language device.
How does the writer use language to show Kingshaw’s fear?
The writer uses a rhetorical question to show Kinghsaw’s fear. Hill uses ‘What could a bird do?’ to show Kingshaw’s thoughts at this moment. It makes it sound like he is so scared he has to reassure himself with the worse case scenario and make it sound trivial. This makes the reader feel sorry for him.

8. What if your quotation doesn’t include a language device?
Use the question in your answer.
Mention any word classes (e.g. verbs, nouns, adjectives) in your quotation.
Include the quotation (preferably in a sentence).
Talk about what the word makes you think of.
How does the writer use language to show Kingshaw’s fear?
The writer uses verbs to show Kinghsaw’s fear. Hill uses ‘flapped his arms’ to show Kingshaw’s frantic movements. The word ‘flapped’ makes it sound like Kingshaw is a bird, and therefore delicate and vulnerable, again making the reader feel sorry for him.

9. How does the writer use language to show Callum’s happiness?
Have a go….
How does the writer use language to show Callum’s happiness?
Maths! This was something I could do! Something in this world I could make sense of. Mrs Paxton had already taken me to one side and told me I would probably be moving to the top Maths stream for my own year after the Crossmas holidays. And she’d offered me extra lunchtime or early-morning tuition if I wanted it. I was on the last question of my sheet on simultaneous equations when a strange ripple swept through the classroom. I looked up. Sephy. My heart bounced about like it was pinging on elastic. Sephy was back. A whole five days without seeing her. A whole five days with no word from her.

10. Did you get any of the following?
Use of exclamation marks to show excitement/ disbelief
Use of short sentences to exclaim ideas
Starting the sentence with the connective ‘and’- makes it sound like he keeps adding new ideas in excitement- not thinking through ideas.
‘strange ripple swept through’- ‘ripple’ makes it sound like a tide, ups and downs, ‘swept through’ makes it sound like it was forceful and affected everyone
Simile- ‘bounced about like it was pinging on elastic’- ‘bounced’ positive/happy word, creates the idea of heart beating fast
Repetition of ‘A whole five days’ to emphasise how much he missed her and therefore is happy to see her. Word ‘whole’ to further emphasise that he found it a long amount of time.
Maths! This was something I could do! Something in this world I could make sense of. Mrs Paxton had already taken me to one side and told me I would probably be moving to the top Maths stream for my own year after the Crossmas holidays. And she’d offered me extra lunchtime or early-morning tuition if I wanted it. I was on the last question of my sheet on simultaneous equations when a strange ripple swept through the classroom. I looked up. Sephy. My heart bounced about like it was pinging on elastic. Sephy was back. A whole five days without seeing her. A whole five days with no word from her.

11. Ways to revise Practise key words (subject terminology).
Get extracts from newspapers or books, and identify language devices.
Time yourself 10 minutes to write SQIs about language in a paragraph of text.