Close Reading Revision Close reading guidelines 1 Read

Close Reading Revision

Close reading guidelines 1. Read the passage 2. Read the question 3. What type of question is it? (Understanding, analysis or evaluation) – remember that with understanding you need to show WHAT the writer is saying and analysis wants you to show HOW the writer is saying it.

Close reading guidelines 4. How many marks is the question worth? 5. Look for key words in the question. • IN YOUR OWN WORDS: You need to prove that you understand what the passage has said. Do not copy from the passage. Change the words.

Close reading guidelines • CONTEXT: You will need to look at the paragraphs before and after the lines you are looking at. Give the meaning of the word you have been asked about and then quote the word or phrase that showed you that this was the answer.

Close reading guidelines • SENTENCE STRUCTURE: First you should look to see if it is a long or a short sentence. Does it contain a list, questions, commands, exclamations etc. Why might this be important? What is the writer trying to emphasise and make stand out to us?

Close reading guidelines • FIGURE OF SPEECH: You should be looking for similes, metaphors, personification etc. What is the figure of speech? What is it describing? Why would the writer choose to use this instead of something else?

Close reading guidelines • LINK: You should first look for the word that might tell us that two paragraphs are linked (But, So, However etc. ) Which part of this sentence links to the earlier paragraph (Quote and Explain) and which part links to the following paragraph (Quote and explain)

Close reading guidelines 6. Be specific in your answers. 7. If you are directed to specific lines be sure that your answer is based on what is said in these lines. 8. Try your hardest 9. Take your time, but if you are unsure leave it and go back. But remember to try to answer all the questions.

Close Reading question types • Understanding Questions – test how well you understand what the writer has written • Analysis Questions – test how well you can identify how the writer has written it. • Evaluation Questions – test you on how well the writer has written.

Quote an Expression • Copy a phrase directly from the passage. • Make sure that it is from the paragraph you are told to look at. • Check it answers the question.

Linking Questions Understanding

What the examiner is looking for • You have to show one sentence provides a link in the passage. • The link will join one idea to the next. • The link sentence will often stand at the beginning of a paragraph. • Usually the first part of the sentence refers back to the previous topic and another part of the sentence will introduce the new topic. • Usually worth 2 marks - 1 for each identification of the part of the sentence and comment on the topic it links to.

Method - 4 parts • 1 - Quote the part of the link sentence which links back to the earlier topic. • 2 - State what the topic is that it links back to. • 3 - Quote the part that links forward to the next topic. • 4 - State what that next topic is. If the sentence begins with a word like ‘but’ or ‘however’ which points to a change in topic, you should highlight this too.

Link Questions • Show one part of the sentence links back and show one part looks forward. • The words “. . . . ” link back to. . . . . which was discussed in the previous paragraph. • The words “. . . ” introduce the idea of. . . . which is going to be discussed in the new paragraph.

Example “Around the world William Shakespeare is one of the best loved of all playwrights. Most people can name at least one of his plays, and lines from his work are ingrained into our psyche and language. However, despite our familiarity with his work, we know relatively little of the man himself. We do not know when or why he became an actor, we know nothing of his life in London, and almost nothing of his personal concerns. ” Q. Show the third sentence acts as a link in the paragraph. (2 marks)

Answer The phrase “our familiarity with his work” looks back at the topic of how widely known Shakespeare’s work is. (1 mark) The conjunction “however” which begins the sentence suggests a contrasting idea to follow. The second part of the sentence, “we know relatively little of the man himself”, introduces the new topic, namely the things that are not known about Shakespeare (1 mark), and a list of these follows this “link” sentence.

Evaluation Question • You have to say how good, effective or successful the writer has been. • Use quotations and explanations. • Pick a technique that is appropriate. • This is effective because. . . • This is a good technique here because. . • Give reasons for your answer.

What’s the tone of this sentence: ‘Every little bit really does help’ • Humorous • Polite • Emotive

What is the tone of this sentence: ‘I feel utterly devastated’ • Sad • Serious • Joking

What is the aim of the writing in this sentence: ‘Relations between the two teams were tense’ • To be humorous • To inform • To persuade

What is the aim of this sentence: ‘The empty street felt like an abandoned film set’ • To describe • To explain • To inform

What is the tone of this sentence: ‘The arctic has experienced dramatic warming over the last 50 years. • Serious • Angry • Joking

Which of these sentences uses the best linking word? 1. I was trying to see the stage but I was too far back to do so. 2. I was trying to see the stage and I was too far back to do so. 3. I was trying to see the stage; moreover, I was too far back to do so.

Which of these sentences uses the best linking word? 1. You have to revise carefully although this will help you get a good grade. 2. You have to revise carefully therefore this will help you get a good grade. 3. You have to revise carefully because this will help you get a good grade.

What type of language is used in the sentence: ‘ Ancient forests contain as much as 90% of the world’s species’ • Emotive language • Informative language • Descriptive language.

Which sentence below is a simile? 1. Lisa was as busy as a bee yesterday. 2. Lisa was a busy bee yesterday. 3. Lisa turned into a bee yesterday.

Which sentence is a metaphor? • The goalkeeper was as solid as a rock. • The goalkeeper liked eating rock. • The goalkeeper was a rock.

Which sentence is the odd one out? Why? • • This assignment is a breeze. She was as pretty as a picture. The test went down like a lead balloon. He did not realize that his last chance was walking out the door.

Which is the correct description of personification • You give the qualities of a person to something that isn't human. • You compare two things using ‘like’ or ‘as’. • You repeat a words or phrases quite close to each other in a sentence.

List all the words below that are examples of onomatopoeia • • splash pray sprinkle drip dry cry gurgle mumble • Pop • Drag • Whoosh • Chair • Shoo • Shove • glove • Click • Clock • Bang • Pan • Screech • Book • Read • slap • Thud • Paper • thump

Why might a writer use repetition? • To make it stand out • To make it serious • To persuade

To gain overall impression • There will be some questions which check you can spot the general point of the passage. • What it is about? • What type of passage it is?

To obtain particular information • This means there will be some questions that will check you can pick out particular facts, information. • You should use quotations. • Answer the question directly.

To grasp ideas and feelings in the text • This is sometimes called reading between the lines. • These questions want you to think about a deeper level of the text, to feel the mood or emotion of what is in the passage or to find information which is only suggested.

3 Types of 'Understanding' Question • Summary -will ask you to 'explain briefly…' something. • Context - will ask how the language surrounding a word helps you understand the meaning. Explaining the expression in your own words. Then give quotations from the text and explain how they help you understand. • Remember, you need a quotation and explanation. • Link - will ask you to show a sentence links two ideas. You must give a quotation from the sentence which shows the first idea; a summary of what this means; another quotation which shows the next idea; and a summary.

Word Choice • Always think of another word the writer could have used. • Are the words informal or formal. • A writer can achieve impact by using a colloquial or dialect word. • In word choice questions you may also comment on alliteration and onomatopoeia. • Be precise! • Give quotations!

Sentence structure • Never give an answer “the writer uses sentence structure. . . ” • Explain how the writer structures the sentence. • Think about length and punctuation used.

• Always begin by looking at the punctuation. • Colons and dashes introduce ideas and lists; semi colons may break up a list or join two sentences. Question marks worth a comment.

Sentence Structure • Dash – Introduces a longer explanation on something or a list • Commas – separates a list and makes it clearer to see how many things are mentioned. • Colon – Introduces a quotation, list or explanation. • Semi-Colon – separates two parts of a sentence. Replaces the word ‘and‘ etc. • Speech Marks – highlight quotations, direct speech or words used in a strange way

Sentence Type • Statements - Tell you something. Calm tone. • Questions – Ask something. • Rhetorical Questions – Don’t expect an answer. Get the reader involved more. They make the reader feel strong emotions. • Commands – Tell you to do something. They are used to talk directly to the reader. • Exclamations – express surprise and excitement. They are used to make the reader feel a certain emotion.

Structure Guidelines • Is the sentence short? Is the sentence long? What effect does this length have? • Is the sentence a question or exclamation etc. ? What effect does this have? • Is the sentence in the form of a list? What effect does this have? • Have the words been placed in an unusual order? What effect does this have? • Is there anything else unusual about the sentence?

Tone • Humorous or Light-hearted - The writer will make jokes and use exaggeration to amuse the reader. The writer might make fun of himself, the reader or the subject. • Ironic – The writer might criticise or mock something in a humorous way. This can be done when the author says the opposite of what they mean.

Tone • Emotive or Emotional – This is aimed at making the reader feel a certain way. It uses strong words to make the reader feel angry, upset etc. • Conversational or chatty – The writer uses slang, abbreviations and short sentences to make the work sound like a conversation. • Persuasive or argumentative – a combination of emotional language and rhetorical questions might be used to make the reader feel or think a certain thing.

Figures of speech • • • Simile Metaphor Personification Alliteration Onomatopoeia

Evaluation points to remember: Focus on the question that is in front of you. Write in clear and accurate sentences. You must refer to the whole passage. Quotation is not essential, but it is recommended to give detailed answers. • Try to write at length in this question • •

To evaluate the writer's attitudes • Why did he write the passage? • What message does he give? • Always give evidence to justify your answer. • You may also be asked to comment on the writer's views and how it links to your own experience or feelings.