Close Reading A step by step guide

Close Reading A step by step guide…

Question Types ► There are nine key question types at Intermediate Two level. ► There are step by step instructions for how to answer each of these question types ► You must be able to recognise these questions ► You must use the steps to answer them

Basic Meaning Questions ► These questions test your basic understanding of the text. § Always answer in your own words as far as possible. Remember you do this by: ►Changing the words ►Changing the order of the words ►Simplifying § Pay attention to the number of marks awarded for these questions and give an answer of appropriate length.

Example ► “For anyone looking back from our vantage point 5000 years later, and watching our world struggle with overpopulation, it is tempting to think of the Iceman’s Europe as some sort of paradise, free from machines, roads, noise, pollution, taxes, bureaucrats, and politicians. ” ► Question: The writer suggests that a modern person might think the Iceman’s way of life as “tempting”. Explain why a modern person might come to this conclusion. Refer to the text in your answer.

Possible answer ►A modern person might find it “tempting” because it was a life without the unpleasant things of modern life such as too many people “noise, pollution, taxes, bureaucrats, and politicians”. Such a world could be viewed as a perfect place or “some sort of paradise” according to the writer and many modern people would agree with him.

Context Questions ► These questions ask you to show that you understand the meaning of a word by looking at the words around them – their context. § Step 1: Explain the meaning of the word § Step 2: quote words from the context that suggest this meaning § Step 3: Explain what is suggested by the words that you quoted and how this helps to suggest the original meaning.

Example ► “I’m nocturnal. I love the moonlight, the shadows, the dark places, the dappled murk. I’m not being poetic. I’m simply being true to my nature, my nocturnal nature. Like all tarantulas. ” ► Question: Show the context helps you to understand the meaning of “nocturnal”.

Possible answer ► “Nocturnal” means being active by night. The writer refers to his preference for “moonlight” and “dark” which both suggest night-time.

Word Choice Question ► Word choice questions ask you to consider why a writer has used a word or group of words, and what effect they are trying to create. § Step 1: Quote the words that you are being asked to consider § Step 2: Explain the connotations or associated meanings of these words § Step 3: Highlight the use of any figures of speech – metaphor, euphemism, hyperbole etc

Example ► “I saunter in under the Ladies’ Room door. . . ” ► Question 1: Quote the word or expression which suggests that the speaker does not feel threatened. (1) ► Question 2: What does the word “saunter” suggest about how the speaker feels? (2)

Answers ► 1) “saunter” ► 2) “Saunter”, meaning to walk in a carefree way, shows the speaker was relaxed and did not feel threatened.

Structure Questions ► These questions ask you to show that you understand can recognise the writer’s use of punctuation, sentence length, and patterns § Step 1: Identify the punctuation or structural technique § Step 2: Explain the effect created by this technique and link it to the passage.

Example ► “It would take me years to live down the disgrace. In the meantime I must hurry home as fast as my dismounted legs could carry me. If only I could catch sight of that wretched Rob Roy eating some more grass by the roadside! If only I hadn’t let him go! If only I could begin my ride all over again! How careful I would be!” ► Show the writer uses sentence structure to emphasise the narrator’s sense of shame and panic at losing his horse. (2 marks)

Possible answers ► Use of exclamations to show his emotion emphasises his shame and panic. ► Repetition of “if only” shows his regret and emphasises his shame.

Link Questions ► These questions ask you to consider the way that paragraphs or sections of paragraphs are linked together § Step 1: Quote the section of the link sentence that refers back to the previous paragraph or section § Step 2: Explain the idea that it links back to § Step 3: Quote the section of the link sentence that refers forward to the next paragraph or section § Step 4: Explain the idea that it links forward to § Step 5: Highlight key connective words

Example ► “When the sun sank down it was luxury to sit in the perfumed air and forget that there was any world but these enchanted islands. It was such ecstasy to dream, and dream – till you got a bite. A scorpion bite. Then the first duty was to get up out of the grass and kill the scorpion. ► Question: How does the underlined sentence act as a link?

Possible answer ► “ecstasy to dream” links back to the idea of the island as being “enchanted”. ► “till you got a bite” refers forward to the dangers of being bitten by a scorpion as described in the following section.

► These Tone Questions questions ask you to identify the attitude of the writer towards their chosen topic. You have to show that you understand how the author feels about the subject they are discussing. § Step 1: Identify the tone (start by working out whether it is positive or negative, formal or informal and ask yourself - what has given you this impression? ) § Step 2: Quote words or phrases that suggest this tone § Step 3: Explain why the quotations suggest the tone you have identified

Example ► “In the morning I went to Elvis Pressley’s birthplace. A path behind the house led to a gift shop where you could buy Elvis memorabilia – albums, badges, plates, posters. There was a visitors’ book by the door. The book had a column for remarks. Reading down the list they said, ‘Nice’, Real nice’, Very nice’, ‘Nice’. Such eloquence. ” ► Question: Comment on the writer’s tone in this passage.

Possible answer ► The writer’s tone here is sarcastic or ironic. ► We can see this when he uses the phrase “Such eloquence” to describe the boring comments made in the guest book. He actually means the comments are dull and uninteresting. ► The effect of this is humorous.

Imagery Questions ► These questions require you to identify an image, the technique used to create it and comment on the effectiveness of it § Step 1: State what technique is being used (simile, metaphor or personification) § Step 2: Identify the literal and figurative objects in the comparison § Step 3: Identify the qualities that the two things have in common (size, texture, appearance, temperature, smell etc) § Step 4: Explain why the comparison is effective in the context of the passage

Example ► “To her horror and amazement, round the bend of the river she saw a shaggy, tawny wave-front of water advancing like a wall of lions. ” ► Question: The writer is describing the tidal wave of muddy water following a dam bursting. To what extent is the image of the “wall of lions” effective?

Possible answer ► The “wall of lions” is a simile which compares the rushing water to lions. Lions are strong, powerful and ferocious and a “wall of lions” even more so. This effectively shows how powerful and dangerous the water was.

Contrast Questions ► These questions require you to understand comparisons and the reasons that the two things are contrasted or compared. § Step 1: Explain what two things are being contrasted or compared – you may wish to quote here § Step 2: Identify what is similar about the contrasted items § Step 3: Identify what is different about the contrasted items § Step 4: Comment on the effect created by the contrast in terms of the passage as a whole

Evaluation Questions ► This requires you to give your opinion on the effectiveness of a technique, or conclusion of an article. § Step 1: Give your opinion – effective or not? § Step 2: Explain what is effective about it ►Look for links to other sections in the passage ►Look for links in terms of the meaning the writer is trying to convey.

Example ► “His mind was besieged by terror of the unknown”. How appropriate do you find this image as a conclusion to the article?

Possible answer ► This is an appropriate conclusion to the article as “terror” continues the idea of fear and horror that surrounds the man’s death: “overcome by exhaustion, he froze to death”.

Tag – Answer Analysis ► When you get a CR paper back. Tally up the number of marks lost against the reasons why you have lost them in order to give yourself clear targets § § § § QU = question not attempted RPC = Read the passage more carefully RQ = Read the question more carefully OW = use your own words ^ = More detail and information is required NA = not accurate E = expressed or explained badly QC = Quotation and comment required