1. Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation National 5
Sentence Structure
Reading for Understanding, Analysis and Evaluation
National 5

2. R
epetition I
nversion P
unctuation L
ength

3. Activity For each of the following examples:
Which one of “RIPL” do the following examples use? The number in brackets relates to the number of features you could discuss.
What effect is created?

4. I called her friends. I called her school. I called her sisters
I called her friends. I called her school. I called her sisters. No-one had seen her. (2)
My friend – best friend – was meeting me that night. (1)
Where was I going to get that kind of money? (1)
No. No way. (2)
I studied the TV guide: reality television, a film, a documentary, reality television, a game show, the news, reality television… (4)
To the cinema, we will go! (1)
Seventeen, he was. (1)

5. Example 1
In 45 minutes, I will lead a walking safari through the African bush – with only five days training under my belt. That’s right, dear reader: six days ago I knew about as much about the fauna and flora of South Africa as I did about the contents of your fridge. Explain how the writer uses sentence structure to convey how worried and unprepared the writer feels. (2 marks)

6. Example 2
He watched her counting her coins from a small black purse. The transaction seemed to fluster her, as if she might not have enough money to pay for the few things she’d bought. A tin of lentil soup. An individual chicken pie. One solitary tomato. Explain how the writer uses sentence structure to emphasise that the woman had bought “few things”. (2 marks)

7. From whence comes this compulsion to climb mountains
From whence comes this compulsion to climb mountains? My neighbours seem to be able to enjoy lives of quiet contentment without ever having to leave the horizontal plane. Why do I have this compulsion to get to the top of every insignificant bump on the landscape? Why, no matter how breathless, bruised, battered and bedraggled I become while hillwalking, do I return with a grin on my face and a desire to go out and do it again?
Explain how the writer uses sentence structure to demonstrate his need to climb mountains. (2 marks)
Example 3