Responding to a literary text - CCEA

The material on this page is designed to help you with revision and preparation for your CCEA GCSE English Language exams and assessments. It applies to Unit 3, Task 2: The study of written language.

• Unit 3 is a controlled assessment unit, worth 20% of your final mark
• The controlled assessment is split into two tasks, each worth an equal number of marks, to be completed in class
• Task 2: The study of written language, requires the completion of a written response to a literary text or texts – your teacher will choose the material you will study and respond to
• The themes for this task change each year – ask your teacher for your theme, or check the CCEA website for controlled assessment themes
• In this task, you will be assessed on your ability to:
  • Read and understand texts, selecting material appropriate to purpose, collating from different sources and making comparisons and cross-references as appropriate
  • Develop and sustain interpretations of writers’ ideas and perspectives
  • Explain and evaluate how writers use linguistic, structural and presentational features to achieve effects and engage and influence the reader

Useful guidance for English Language controlled assessments can be found on the CCEA support page – select the Student Guidance tab. For further advice on controlled assessments, please consult your teacher.

• Focus on how writers use language and structure to create meaning, not just what the story is about
• Before you begin writing your answer in an exam, spend five minutes highlighting or underlining important details and planning what to write
• Use short quotations from the text and explain how they support your ideas
• Structure your paragraphs clearly with a main point, evidence and explanation or analysis
• Compare characters by looking at how they’re described, the literary techniques used and the effect on the reader

In an analytical response, you should show how language and structure create meaning. You could also explore the effect on the reader. An analytical response uses evidence from the text to make clear points.

Whatever the focus of the task, aim to focus on HOW the writer has used specific techniques or choices to create meaning, rather than WHAT the text is saying or WHO it is about.

The key to giving a relevant response is to focus on the question. What are you being asked to do? Circle the key words in the question and remember your focus as you start reading the extract.

An exam question might focus on:

• characters
• narrative voice
• themes and ideas
• language
• structure
• the effect on the reader

The next stage is to annotate your extract and find evidence to support your answer. Highlight, circle or underline key parts of the text that you will be able to use as evidence for your response.

When looking at an extract, try and read it more than once. First read the entire extract from beginning to end and annotate any language or structural details that interest you. If you have time, do another read-through annotating other important words and phrases.

Use each paragraph to make at least one main point. A paragraph could contain:

• a link to the focus of the question – try and use the key word or phrase from the question
• some evidence from the text to support what you think – this will probably include something on language or structure
• a discussion of the evidence, and links to any other possible evidence

Using a few connectives could help link your ideas:

• Firstly…
• On the one hand…
• On the other hand…
• Similarly…
• In contrast…
• However…
• Alternatively…
• Finally…

There are lots of different ways to structure a paragraph when analysing fiction, but don’t be too tied down to one formula. It’s important to vary your structure depending on your ideas and how you choose to link evidence together.

Here are just a few common formulas to be aware of:

PEE point/evidence/explain

PEEL point/evidence/explain/link to point

PEA point/evidence/analysis

SEAL state your point/evidence/analyse/link

WET words/effect/techniques

RATS reader’s response/author’s intention/theme/structure

Think about which ones you find useful. What are the limitations of each approach?

To support your points, you need to use quotations and examples. Quotations should be kept short and to the point. Using just a few words is more powerful than copying out chunks of text: it shows you are being selective. You should also be careful to copy accurately.

Put the quotation inside your own sentence, rather than putting it in the middle of a page and then commenting on it. This is called embedding a quotation.

So rather than:

"He flew like a butterfly". This is an example of a simile, which shows that he was light and graceful.

Or:

The author uses similes, eg "he flew like a butterfly".

You would write:

The author uses the simile of the boy flying "like a butterfly" to convey the impression that he is light and graceful.

The words from the text are embedded as part of your sentence – they make sense as a whole.

Making the most of quotations

A close analysis of the language in the quotation can be used to support your point.

There are several ways you can do this:

• Focus on a word from the quotation and write about why it was chosen by the writer.
• Write about the connotationsof the word, eg the word ‘snake’ could have connotations of evil and might be used to create an ominous atmosphere.
• The context of a word will also be important when you are analysing its effect. How the word is used in the sentence and paragraph may affect the connotations of that word.
• The quotation may contain a metaphor, simile, or other language technique – what is the effect of the technique?
• Make sure you name the literary technique as part of your analysis.
• Remember that you don’t need to give a definition of the technique (just focus on the effect).
• Do the language choices in the quotation link to other parts of the extract? Can you see a pattern in the way the writer is using language?
• What is the reader’s response to the language in the quotation?

Below are some exemplar sentences to help you answer questions about prose and poetry texts. These examples are designed to help you see what strong analytical writing looks like in your controlled assessment. They show you how to combine quotations, subject terminology and your own ideas to write clear and focused sentences.

Practising these types of sentences will help you become more confident and organised in your writing. You can adapt the same sentence patterns for other types of texts, including drama and non-fiction.

For your prose assessment, good sentences do more than just describe what happens. For example, you might link what a character says or does to what it reveals about their personality, or explain how the writer’s use of description shapes the reader’s view. This helps you avoid retelling the story and instead focus on analysis.

Below are some examples of how you might reflect the author’s use of…

Person

• The use of the first person narrative is very much representative of the literature of modern times where the overriding concern with self and a sense of identity prevails.
• Post two World Wars this is very much a society in flux where the resonance of shock echoes, and both individuals and society scramble to regain a sense of identity and self.
• Although this text is written in the third person narrative, the sense of self is a key focus throughout.

Tense

• As this is written in the present tense, we experience events as they unfold. This has the effect of creating tension and a heightened sense of excitement. However, the immediacy of the narrative has the disadvantage of a lack of respective analysis or reflection, meaning that the reader, like the protagonist, reacts instinctively rather than with hindsight.

• This extract is written in the past tense which lends a story-telling quality to the delivery. More often than not, the use of the past tense allows a considered and reflective view of events.

Fiction/Non-Fiction

• As a fictional narrative the author has license to write as creatively as he/she wishes. Therefore, dramatic irony, coincidence and fate all must be read, not incredulously but with suspension of disbelief.

• As a non-fiction text the writer is somewhat limited by the need to address/acknowledge the truth of events.

• Although this letter/diary entry/article is a non-fiction text and embedded in truth, the delivery is reliant on linguistic features.

• The extract is taken from a novel wherein the primary purpose is not to chronicle the modern times, but to entertain.

Place

• As this extract comes from the beginning of the novel, there is a focus on setting and introduction to the characters.

• As this extract comes from the middle of the novel, the characters and plot are well developed as is the theme of…

• As this extract comes from the end of the novel, the theme of … has been fully explored and considered from a range of perspectives.

• The extract opens with an engaging opening sentence which…

Setting

• The setting of this extract is notable as it affects the social influences and interpretation of…

• The implications of the setting of this extract/novel show us that…

Structure

• At the beginning of the extract, [theme] is shown through… However, towards the latter half of the extract the portrayal of [theme] changes somewhat as…

• The increased use of short sentences speeds up the narrative.

• By utilising flashback, the author allows us insight to the background of the protagonist.

• By structuring the events of the extract chronologically, the writer allows the reader to experience the events as they unfold.

Language

• The author has utilised a variety of language types in this extract, such as [give example from extract] which creates variety for the reader, thus engaging and maintaining the reader’s interest.

• The initial descriptive /narrative language is broken up by dialogue/internal monologue. These shifts in narrative style make for an absorbing reading.

• The writer utilises a variety of sentence types to captivate the reader’s interest/create tension/alter the pace of the narrative.

• The clever mixture of dialogue, narrative and descriptive writing create an engaging and interesting piece of writing.

Paragraphs

• The use of paragraphs is very deliberate. The lengthier paragraphs [at the start] contrast with the shorter ones.

• The multiple, consecutive shorter paragraphs have the effects of increasing the pace of the narrative.

• The short paragraphs are very effective; their brevity draws the reader’s eye but more importantly it allows the reader to process the information.

Syntax

• The extract is articulated in very straightforward language; the syntax is typical of a late 20th Century vernacular.

• The inverted/unusual syntax.

Punctuation

• The narrative is punctuated with questions illustrating an uncertainty.

When analysing poetry, your sentences should focus on how language and structure create meaning. This means identifying techniques such as imagery, metaphor, simile or sound patterns, then explaining how they affect the reader. Strong responses do not just name a technique but explore why the poet has used it and what it suggests.

• The subject matter of the poem is clear from the outset
• The detailed imagery allows the reader to easily visualise the scene
• The sound devices such as …add to the lyrical quality of the poem
• The sound devices such as… evoke the auditory senses
• The descriptions of…are visually stimulating and conjure up images of…
• The…tone of the poem is set by the use of the word…however as the poem progresses, the tone changes to…
• …vividly described
• The poet’s attitude and perspective are somewhat cryptic to begin with, but as we progress through the poem we begin to understand that…
• The positive/negative/intriguing/enigmatic tone of the title is misleading/appropriate to the overall message…
• The form of the poem is rigid and consistent. This, along with the full rhyme, aptly reflect the content of…
• Structurally the poem takes us through a day in the life of…
• The structure utilises flashback thus allowing us insight into the background
• The use of dialogue/real names/places give the poem an air of authenticity
• The use of enjambment and the informal language used such as…create a conversational tone, which is appropriate to the style of the poem
• The inconsistent rhythm interrupts an easy reading of the poem, thus creating an uneasy tone which is in keeping with the words…
• The full rhyme gives a sense of completion and lends a storytelling quality to the poem
• The abundance of adjectives and the extended metaphor create a visually appealing scene
• Similes and metaphors are used effectively through the poem, and they force the reader to reconsider commonplace objects/events
• …evokes the senses
• The free verse structure and the lack of restricted rhythm allow freedom of expression within the poem which is suitable to the content