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Close Reading

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24 views15 pages

Close Reading

Uploaded by

adan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Close Reading

A revision guide to question types


Close Reading
To be good at Close Reading, you need
to be able to
understand and engage with the
writers' arguments
answer the questions in the way the
SQA requires.

This presentation will help you with the


latter.
To be better at the former, READ!
“In your own words” (U)
1. Locate
Find the part of the passage where the
answer is located

2. Translate
Put the words of this part into your own
words which show understanding of the
central idea; don’t just do a “Google
translate” job.
This might involve drawing out a
general point from an example or a list.
Context (U)

1. Give the meaning of the


word as it is used in the
passage

2. Explain how you could work


this out by looking at the
relationship of the word to the
words around it.
Link (U)
1a) Identify and quote a phrase in the
sentence which relates back to the
ideas which have been discussed
previously
1b) Summarise what these ideas are

2a) Identify and quote a phrase in the


sentence which introduces the new
ideas which are now going to be
discussed
2b) Summarise what these ideas are
Relevance of Anecdote (U)
An anecdote is a “wee story”, often
from the writer’s own experience or
from recent events, which illustrates the
writer’s argument.

1 Pick out the main point in the


anecdote

2 Show how this proves the writer’s


overall argument at that point in the
passage.
(Hint: it can also act as a turning point,
to begin to examine the alternative
point of view.)
Effective conclusion (U)
This question type is less formulaic:
you need to really read and think.
See also “Effective conclusion (A)”

1 Identify ideas in the paragraph (or


line) which relate back to the ideas in
the passage

2 Say what ideas they relate back to

3 Look out for what the conclusion is


doing: summarising? making a
statement about the future? something
else?
Word Choice (A)
1. Pick out a word which is chosen for its
connotations and quote it.

2. Analyse the connotations of this word.


CAUTION: give what the word suggests, not what it
means.
Suggestions are likely to be emotions or attitudes.

Repeat as many times as required by the number of


marks in the question.

Don’t try to analyse more than one word at a time.

Don’t write: “The writer uses words like…”


(It’s not words like that: it’s that word!)
Imagery (A)
You are expected to
1. recognise the ROOT of the image:
what comparison the writer is using,
and
2. why this is appropriate to develop the
writer's idea.

You will not get any marks if you only


do the second part. (A common error.)
The marks come from recognising and
analysing the metaphor or simile.

Try the formula:


Just as … so too ...
Sentence Structure (A)
Sentence structure refers to the way the words are put
together. Look for Punctuation, Pattern and Placing.

1. Identify a feature of sentence structure which is unusual.


You can’t always quote, but you need to make clear what
you are talking about with a line ref or partial quote.

2. Explain what the sentence structure helps to emphasise


or make clear: eg it might draw attention to a particular
word, idea or feature; it might create a climax or a mood.

Repeat as many times as required by the number of marks


in the question.

The answer will NOT be “a long sentence” or “It has lots of


commas”.
Language (A)
Language questions let you talk about
either word choice or sentence
structure.
The question might explicitly ask you to
refer to both; if so, you cannot gain full
marks without reference to at least one
example of each.

You must identify language features


and make a connection to the effect the
writer was trying to create. This is likely
to be an emotion or attitude.
Effective conclusion (A)
This question type is less formulaic:
you need to really read and think.
See also “Effective conclusion (U)”

1 Identify the tone of the conclusion

2 Say how the tone is created through


language

3 Explain why this language / tone is an


appropriate way to end: eg is it a
hopeful ending? an angry one?
Evaluation Question (E)
These questions are hard to predict.
They are often combined with
Understanding or Evaluation.

You are asked to identify why a


technique was effective or appropriate,
or show a personal reaction to what the
writer was trying to achieve.
You can be a bit honest and show a
reaction to the passage.
Both passages (E)
Make sure you read and answer the question.
First, check whether you are being asked about
ideas
style
both

This question is a test of how far you have


understood and engaged with the passages as a
whole. It is a fairly tough task, but it's really not
difficult to do fairly well; markers are looking to
reward genuine insight.
Write an honest answer, in essay style. You need to
refer to both passages, but not necessarily equally.
You can use material from previous questions, but
try to include some new points.
Feeling confident?
Have a look at
www.understandingstandards.org.uk

This website is aimed at teachers, but


you can use it too. It allows you to
mark actual exam answers and tells
you if your mark is correct.

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