Understanding how writers use language for effect | Year 7 English (Cambridge) PDF Download

Introduction

In this chapter, we will explore essential exam skills for analyzing a writer's language in English language or literature exams. This includes understanding how writers use language to convey meaning and create effects for the reader.

Understanding Imagery

Imagery is a key term to understand when analyzing a writer's language. It refers to literary techniques or devices that help create a visual image in the reader's mind.

Examples of Imagery Devices

• Metaphor: Describing something by comparing it to something else, e.g., "John exploded with anger."
• Simile: Comparing two things using "like" or "as," e.g., "as brave as a lion."
• Personification: Giving human qualities to non-human things, e.g., "the wind whispered through the trees."
• Alliteration: Repeating the same sound at the beginning of words, e.g., "the slippery snake slid silently."
• Hyperbole: Exaggeration for effect, e.g., "I've told you a million times."

Tip 1: Zooming In and Out

Imagine you have a camera:

• Zoom Out: Look at the overall picture (genre, audience, purpose). For example, a biography aimed at people over 40, intended to entertain and inform.
• Zoom In: Focus on the finer details (specific language and literary devices). This skill is crucial for exam success.

Tip 2: Using the Acronym DICE

DICE stands for four key skills in the assessment criteria:

• Identify: Recognize the devices used by the writer, such as metaphors or similes.
• Infer: Understand what the writer is suggesting with these devices.
• Connotations: Recognize the meanings or associations of words or images.
• Effect: Explain the impact these have on the reader.

Example Analysis

• Sentence: "John exploded with anger."
• Identify: Metaphor
• Infer: The writer suggests John's personality is volatile.
• Connotations: "Exploded" suggests sudden, unexpected violence.
• Effect: Creates anticipation and dramatic tension for the reader.

Tip 3: Using Transitional Phrases

Link your points smoothly with phrases such as:

• "The writer begins by..."
• "The writer then uses..."
• "The writer also presents..."

Tip 4: Embedding Quotations

Keep quotations short and integrate them seamlessly into your sentences. For example:

• "The word 'exploded' has connotations of sudden or unexpected violence."

Language Devices to Analyze

• Dramatic Verbs: Words like "smashed," "whispered."
• Powerful Adjectives/Nouns: Words like "blood," which can mean injury, family, passion, or violence.
• Sentence Types: Simple, compound, complex, minor.
• Sentence Functions: Declarative, imperative, exclamatory, interrogative.
• Punctuation: Exclamation marks, hyphens, ellipses, question marks.
• Tone: Sarcasm, irony, humor, emotive.

Conclusion

Analyzing a writer's language involves understanding and explaining how different literary devices create imagery and affect the reader. By using techniques such as zooming in and out, applying DICE, using transitional phrases, and embedding quotations, you can effectively analyze and interpret texts in your exams.