Understanding Questions Write down an expression An expression

Understanding Questions

Write down an expression… • An expression or a phrase is one or a few words. • You must not write out an entire sentence. You will lose the marks.

In line 38, the writer tells us that she feels “free” on the open road. Write down the expression from later in the paragraph that sums up her feeling about the experience of driving. 1 U Personally, I enjoy the open road. I feel free when I’m alone in the car, driving far away with nothing for company but my CD collection and talk radio. The journey appeals more than the destination: no bickering children or phone calls, nothing that must be dealt with. And how much more glorious that detachment would feel if you were 6 ft above other road users. . .

What three points does the writer make … Give two reasons why… • Use bullet points to make your answer clear and easy to mark. • Make sure you refer to the correct line numbers

2. Look at lines 3– 6. (a) The writer tells us that the trip was “unspeakably exciting” (line 4). In your own words, give two reasons why the family found the prospect of the trip “exciting”. “You wait. You’ll like it. You’ll see, ” was all he would say, to whoever asked. The whole idea of it was unspeakably exciting—we weren’t the type of people to do something so rash, so sudden, so unseasonal—but unnerving too, for exactly the same reasons.

Write down the main difference. . Describe the contrast between… • These are usually 2 mark questions. It is important that you give both sides of the answer. • Bullet point your answer. • Scotland is a beautiful and varied country. Even the country’s biggest cities have very distinct characters. Glasgow, in the west, is well known for its garrulous inhabitants and has long been associated with shipbuilding and other heavy industry. The good people of Edinburgh are seen as a little more reserved and are proud of the historical sites that make Edinburgh a magnet for tourists. • In your own words, explain two differences between Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Word choice. • • When you are given the word. When you have to find the word. Words indicating certainty. Words indicating doubt.

When you are given the word. • In some questions you will be given a word and asked why the writer has chosen it. • It is your job to explain the connotations of the word and explain why its is effective. • You can start this answer with the following: • “The word”_____” suggests…

We sail around the M 25 with a mighty view for miles ahead. “Chelsea tractors” have nothing on us—the windscreen is almost cinematic in its scope. Radio 2 is burbling in the background as we glide along. I am just a tourist, of course— for full-time female truckers the reality of work has its downsides, too. Until recently many truck stops had only male loos, and sleeping overnight in the cab alone would deter many women. 7. Look at the lines 26– 30. (b) Explain the appropriateness of “burbling” in line 27.

• Meaning: suggests sense of rambling / vacuity / continuity / lack of attention being paid to it / being at a low volume • Sound: (idea of) onomatopoeia / alliteration

When you have to choose the word… 14. Look at lines 61– 62, and then show one example of the writer’s word choice illustrates a point about how her driving improved. • Within 30 minutes I am soaring around the training ground, doing nifty turns and even managing to reverse into a tight parking space.

When you have to choose the word… • 14. Look at lines 61 – 62, and then show one example of the writer’s word choice illustrates a point about how her driving improved. 2 A • • Within 30 minutes (1) suggests speed of learning (1) • soaring (1) suggests (e. g. ) confidence (1) • nifty (1) • even (1) indicates particular difficulty of mastered manoeuvre (1) • managing (1) suggests (new) accomplishment / ability (1) • reverse into a tight parking space (1) indicates nature of mastered manoeuvre (1) suggests (e. g. ) adroitness (1)

Words of certainty • • Obviously… Evidently… Clearly… Undoubtedly… Unarguably… Indisputably Without doubt…

Words which indicate doubt • • • Perhaps… Possibly… It might be… It is possible that… Arguably, . .

Sentence Structure • • • Short Long Repetition Lists Rhetorical questions

Comment on the sentence structure of these sentences and explain how they effectively convey the meaning of the sentence . • He was such a whiny boy: he whined in the morning; he whined in the afternoon; he whined in the evening and he whined at night. • Dreary, it was not when Patricia was around. • It ended. • Whenever relatives visited, there was such a great deal of work to do: the beds had to be changed; the windows had to be washed; the furniture had to be dusted; the carpets had to be vacuumed; the mirrors had to be cleaned and the whole house had to be tidied.

Rhetorical Question • Adds to an informal tone. • Involves the reader: can stir up emotions such as anger in the reader. • Invites the reader to agree with the writer. • If there are lots of rhetorical questions together it can suggests that the writer is not sure of themselves or what they are saying. Can it be true that S 4 don’t love close reading as much as I do? Are they really bored by sentence structure? Is it possible that word choice questions leave them cold? Would they really rather be watch in DVD? Surely not!

What is Imagery? • Remember that imagery (simile, metaphor and personification) are all techniques the writer uses to help the reader picture what they are saying • They create images in our minds • Always try to remember this when thinking about imagery questions

Formula • 1. Identify whether it is a simile or metaphor • 2. Explain what is being compared to what • 3. Explain the link between them and why this link is effective • (Identification, comparison, effectiveness) • Remember to use just as …so… for number 3

Example • Miss Murphy gazed at the empire biscuit as if it were the world’s most glittering jewel. • This is a simile comparing an empire biscuit to a glittering jewel. Just as a glittering jewel is extremely valuable and very precious to many, so an empire biscuit is very valuable and precious to Miss Murphy.

2008 Past Paper • This is a difficult past paper • But it is good to let you see what you could be faced with in a few weeks time! • It’s important to take your time and think about what each question is asking you • And always follow the formula! • Before we begin, lets remind ourselves of the passage

8 i) • What does the writer mean by “sense of solitude”? (1 U) • Although this is not a question on imagery, you need to understand this to help you with the next one! • Feeling of loneliness/being alone/seclusion

8 ii) “the sense of solitude was as penetrating as the mist” • Why is this an effective comparison or simile? (2 E) • Notice that step one is already done for you, so there is no need to say it is a simile. • The feeling of being alone is compared to the mist • Just as the mist was unignorable/intrusive (1) • So the feeling (of loneliness) was strong/unsettling/inescapable (1) – taken directly from the marking scheme

12 • Look at the sentence “A man of the modern age, an engineer, Muirhead was plunged into a world of ancient superstitions” how does one feature of the imagery help to suggest something about Muirhead’s task? (2 A)

• A slightly different question but the same principles apply • It’s asking for one feature of the imagery, but what does that mean? • “A man of the modern age, an engineer, Muirhead was plunged into a world of ancient superstitions”

Muirhead was plunged into a world of ancient superstitions” • “Plunged” • Muirhead doing the job is being compared to jumping into water • Just as you would plunge into water so we get the impression that he was thrown into this job unprepared and it overtook him • “world (of ancient superstitions)” • The amount of superstitions around is being compared to the world • Just as the world is big so we get the impression that there were a large amount of superstitions for him to deal with.

Linking Sentence • What is the purpose of this sentence? • Why is this sentence effective at this point in the passage? • Explain how this sentence provides an effective link at this point in the passage.

The jam making process can be lengthy and timeconsuming. It can take a great deal of patience to enter the jam making world. Several ingredients are needed: sugar; vast quantities of fruit (preferably picked by tiny children at summer fruit farms) and other things Miss Murphy has no idea about. The fruit and sugar have to be boiled in a big pot for hours and hours, until there is a really revolting smell in the house and a risk to health and safety. You are then ready to put your burnt jam in pretty little pots. It will prove inedible but not to worry ; you can always pop down to the supermarket. Although the jam making process can be complicated, it is well worth the effort as jam can be used for a wide variety of purposes. . For example, Jam is delicious on toast and some people even put it in porridge or rice pudding. Jam is a crucial element in a Victoria sponge and, of course, the magnificent Empire Biscuit, Queen of Cakes (no pun intended). Jam can also be used to stick down the back of envelopes, destroy homework and attract wasps to a sticky death. Hurrah for jam!

Identifying linking words Tucked away close to London Bridge, the Mudlark Pub might normally take a while to find. Tonight, however, you could locate it blindfold. Why is it appropriate for the writer to use “however” in line 2? 2 A

• Why is it appropriate for the writer to use “however” in line 2? 2 A • There is a contrast (1) • between what is usual and what is happening on this occasion (1) • OR • Something different (1) • is happening on this occasion (1) • Accept lifts, eg • “Because you could find it blindfold/easily on this occasion/tonight (1) • but/though it’s usually hard to find” (1) • Watch for condensed answer, eg “Tonight is an exception” = 2

11. Explain why the sentence “But nothing about the bagpipe is easy” (line 26) works well at this point in the passage. 2 A provides a link (1) to the idea of difficulty / between the ideas of ease and difficulty (1) OR It is an effective topic sentence (1) idea of lack of ease (1) OR “But” (1) introduces a contrast (1) introducing the

Explain why the sentence in lines 17– 18 works well as a link between paragraphs. Kaz Horrocks is a long-distance lorry driver. “I was bored in my old job, ” she says, “and I enjoy the solitude of driving. Every day is different—sometimes I see amazing sunsets and lambs playing in the fields. I love it when you see the year’s first hawthorn blossom and know that spring is near. ” Neither hawthorn nor lambs are in evidence when I meet Kaz at six o’clock one dismal June morning in a lorry park. About 100 lorries have overnighted here. They are in lines, slumbering giants on the asphalt, their cab curtains drawn tightly as the drivers sleep inside.

• The expression “neither lambs or hawthorns” refers back to the previous paragraph where the writer talks about seeing these things as part of the scenery. The word “lorry park” refers to the next topic which is a description of lorry parks at night.

Punctuation • • Capitals Exclamation marks. Question marks Inverted commas (speech marks) Parenthesis. Colon Semi colon.

Explain the use of punctuation in the sentences below. 1. It was hardly a wonder Margaret didn’t like her cousin – she had always been nasty to Margaret when no-one else was there. 2. His “friend” made no attempt to help Peter or fetch help when the two boys attacked him. 3. She was disappointed there was no mail for her since she was waiting to hear the result of a job interview. Her spirits rose, however, when she saw the answering machine held a message. She walked over to it and timidly pressed the button…the person had hung up without leaving a message. 4. She was so EXCITED when she heard the news - she had a place at university – she could not contain herself. “YES!!!!” she shouted and awoke the whole household.

Tone Informal/colloquial: Slang words/expressions Chatty Rhetorical questions Talks directly to the reader. Often used to invite reader to agree with the writer. Makes the writer sound friendly and reasonable. Gains the reader’s trust.

Formal • Emphasises a serious point. • The writer is trying to sound intelligent/impressive. • Gives the argument more weight. • Maybe more appropriate to the subject matter.

Identify the tone of the following sentences. • Well, you never know the minute do you? One minute you feel on top of the world, as if you’re floating through the air and the next you’ve hit the ground with a crashbang- wallop. Let me tell you what happened to me the other day! • The present state of affairs is truly appalling. I am disgusted by this suggestion; I cannot comprehend how such a course of action could improve this disastrous situation in any way.

Evaluation • You will often be asked your opinion about what is written in the article. It is important that you quote if you are asked to “refer to the text” in any way.