Introduction to Close Reading Level 3 -4 Assessment

Introduction to Close Reading Level 3 -4 Assessment

We are learning to… Be able to show our understanding of things we read. To do this I must: Know the steps for answering understanding questions Be able to use these steps to answer understanding questions.

Types of questions Understanding Word questions choice questions Structure Linking questions

Understanding Qu’s In the understanding questions you need to put your answers in your own words. This means you should not use the same key phrases that have been used in the passage. Understanding questions need to be bullet-pointed. If the question is worth 3 marks you need to have at least 3 bullet points in your answer. An easy way to remember the steps for an Understanding question is: OWBP Own Words Bullet Point – OWBP

Practice – Example 1 “I really hate seafood. The texture is always gooey and slimy, the smell is truly revolting and you have to crack through an awkward exoskeleton to actually get any food. ” Question: What three reasons does the writer give for disliking seafood? (3 marks) Answer: The writer doesn’t like the way it feels. The writer thinks it has a very disgusting smell. The writer thinks it’s hard to get through the shell or the body to get the food out.

Practice 2 ‘There are two very simple reasons why there are so many cars on the road these days. The sheer convenience of being able to hop into a car makes it a better choice and the ridiculous cost of public transport makes it a very poor alternative. ’ Question: What two reasons does the writer give for the increase in the number of cars on the road? (2 marks) Answer Driving is much easier, simpler, less trouble (can’t use the word “convenience”) Public transport is extremely expensive (can’t use

Practice 3 ‘When I turn on the X-Factor I feel a sudden and overwhelming feeling of disgust. It is a humiliating and embarrassing example of everything that is wrong with Britain. Why is this rubbish on my television? ” Question: In your own words summarise the writer’s feelings about The X-Factor? (1 mark) Answer • The writer really dislikes, hates, can’t stand the XFactor.

Practice ‘I’m not scared’, pg 33 -35 Complete questions 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8

Analysing – Word Choice A word choice question is asking you to pick a word and consider why the writer has chosen that word instead of another word with a similar meaning. There are so many words in the English language that some words can have the same meaning but different connotations. Connotations are the different ideas associated with that word.

Connotations Underweight Skinny Slim All mean that a person is THIN but with different connotations. Underweight treatment. – Clinical/ medical view, as if in need of Skinny – Sounds more negative, as if it is unattractive. Suggests angular and bony. Slim – More positive. Looks smooth, neat, elegant

Connotations There are 3 steps that you must follow when answering a word choice question. Step 1: Quote the word Step 2: Suggests… Step 3: List at least three connotations of the word. To get 1 mark you must have completed all 3 steps for one word. To get 2 marks you’d need to complete all 3 steps for two words and so on.

Practice 1 - Example “After the dictator’s horrific treatment of his people it was decided that he should be removed immediately. ” Question: Show the writer’s word choice suggests that the dictator was a cruel leader. (1 marks) Answer: Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 ‘Horrific’ - suggests terrible, cruel, violent, extremely bad

Practice 2 ‘The boy swaggered into the classroom and slung his bag underneath the chair. ’ Question: Show the writer’s word choice highlights that the boy is confident. (1 mark) Answer “Swaggered” - suggests confidence, arrogance, sure of himself.

Practice 3 ‘John slumped in his chair and aimlessly rolled his pencil backwards and forwards across his desk’ Show the writer’s word choice suggests that John is lazy. (2 marks) “slumped” - suggests can’t be bothered, lazy, tired, no effort “aimlessly” - suggests without a purpose, no reason, unfocused

Practice 4 ‘When I turn on the X-Factor I feel a sudden and overwhelming feeling of disgust. It is a humiliating and embarrassing example of everything that is wrong with Britain. Why is this rubbish on my television? ” Show the writer’s word choice suggests he dislikes The XFactor. (3 marks) Answer ‘Disgust’ - suggests extreme dislike, sickening ‘humiliating’ suggests cruelly, embarrassing, bullying ‘Rubbish’ suggests of no value, no quality

We are learning to… To show our understanding of things we read. To do this I must: Know the steps for answering understanding questions Be able to use these steps to answer understanding questions.

Imagery Questions An imagery question is about how a writer has used a comparison between two things to create an image. It will ask you to identify and analyse either a metaphor, simile or personification as these are three imagery techniques used by a writer. Before we start… do you know what simile, metaphor and personification means? You NEED to if you are going to be able to answer these types of question.

Imagery Metaphors Say something IS something else Similes Say something is LIKE something else. Personification Is when something that is not human is given human qualities.

Figures of Speech Quiz! 1. The moon is a white button in the sky. 2. The trees are as tall as skyscrapers. 3. The wind screamed in my ears. 4. The cats claws were needles, stabbing into my leg. 5. The trees seemed like they were whispering all around me. 6. She is as quiet as a mouse. 7. He is a walking time bomb. 8. My brother is as strong as an ox.

Like a Word Choice question there also 3 steps for answering an Imagery question. As with a Word Choice question you must go through all 3 steps to gain 1 mark. Step 1: Quote the imagery Step 2 Just as… (list the qualities of the image used) Step 3 So too… (list the things that make the image similar to what is being described)

Practice 1 - Example “Dinner with the Smith family was delightful except for one small detail – their son Harry. The boy was an awful slob. All through dinner he droned on and on about his new car and he ate like a pig. ” How does the writer use imagery to make Harry Smith seem unpleasant? (1 mark) Answer “He ate like a pig” Just So as a pig is disgusting, unhygienic, messy too is Harry smith a disgusting and messy eater.

Practice 2 - Example “The house was in chaos. The curtains were ripped from the windows, glasses were smashed into the carpet and the furniture lay drunkenly sprawled around the room. ” How does the writer use imagery to suggest the room was in a terrible state? Answer “the furniture lay drunkenly sprawled around the room” Just as being drunk might mean to collapse, lie awkwardly, or in a strange way So too are the chairs lying awkwardly like a drunk person.

Practice 3 “The king was one of the cruellest the country had ever known. He ordered executions left, right and centre and he took great delight in putting taxes up. His predecessor had ruled with an iron-fist but he had always been fair. ” How does the writer use imagery to suggest the previous king was a good king? (1 mark) Answer: ‘Iron-fist’ Just as iron is strong, tough, resilient So too was the king tough and strong.

Practice 4 “Jamie was the rudest boy in any of my classes. He got punishment exercises like the rest of us got school dinners and he hated being told what to do. Jamie fell on hard times later in life when he realised that hating being told what to do made it very, very hard to get a proper job”. How does the writer use imagery to suggest that Jamie was badly behaved? (1 mark) Answer “punishment exercises like the rest of us got school dinners” Just as school dinners are something which you would have regularly, probably ever day, eat out of habit and routine So too does Jamie get punishment exercises every day as if it is part of his normal routine.

Practice 5 “Dear Sally, I love you dearly. Your eyes are stars that shine forever in my heart. Your lips are like roses - roses that I’d love to gie a wee kiss to. Not that I like kissing flowers or that. Yours forever, Frank” • Show the writer uses imagery to suggest that Frank thinks Sally is beautiful (2 marks) • • • “Your eyes are stars” Just as stars are bright, beautiful, shiny So too are Sally’s eyes beautiful and bright. “Your lips are like roses” Just as roses are red and beautiful So too are Sally’s lips red and beautiful.

Structure Questions A structure question is asking you to identify anything unusual in the way in which the writer has structure their sentences or paragraphs and then to analyse and comment on why they might have done that. Before you can answer these types of question you NEED to be able to identify: Short/minor sentences. Lists. Use of semi-colon. Use of dashes. Use of parenthesis (brackets, dashes, commas). Use of question marks Use of exclamation marks. Use of short paragraphs.

Colon A colon - : - is used to introduce a list or to introduce an explanation. Example There was a huge amount on my shopping list: bread, butter, cheese, ham, chicken fillets, crisps, juice and washing up liquid. (introducing a list) I hated Harry more than anyone I’d ever met: he was more arrogant and rude than anyone I’d ever met before. (introducing an explanation)

Semi-colon A semi-colon - ; - is used to link two clauses in a sentence that are about a similar subject. OR A semi-colon is used to separate longer items on a list.

Semi-colon - Examples I loved my new sunglasses; they were rarely off my face for the entire summer. I had a huge amount to do that day. Washing and cleaning the car; going to the shopping centre; picking up the kids from school and finally getting round to watching all of the stuff I had on Sky +

Parenthesis is additional information that has been added to a sentence. Parenthesis is shown by the use of two brackets, two dashes, or two commas. Examples I went to see Chris, who I hadn’t seen for weeks, right after school. I went to see Chris (who I hadn’t seen in weeks) right after school. I went to see Chris – who I hadn’t seen in weeks – right after school.

A summary of punctuation types Punctuation Mark Symbol What it does Shows that someone is, or has, spoken OR indicates a sarcastic/critical use of a word or term Quotation mark “ ” Colon : Introduces a list OR an explanation Ellipsis … Shows a pause in speech OR creates suspense OR makes the reader imagine what happens next Dash – Introduces an explanation Question mark ? asks the reader to think about a question OR shows a rhetorical question – one that does not need an answer. Exclamation mark Comma ! , Brackets ( ) Semi-colon ; Shows shouting OR strong feeling Shows a SHORT pause OR separates items in a list Includes extra information (parenthesis). (Two dashes or commas can do this too. ) Links two sentences that are about similar things.

Structure Question Step 1: Say what technique the writer has used. Step 2: Quote to show the use of structure. Step 3: Analyse why the writer has used that type of structure. You get 1 mark for completing all 3 steps. If a question is worth two marks you must complete all three steps twice.

I Practice 1 - Example had loads of friends coming to my Birthday party: Jack, Harry Peter, Frank, Norman, Anton, Pedro and Bias. Show the writer uses structure to suggest the boy had lots of friends coming to his party. (1 mark) Answer The writer uses a list. “Jack, This Harry… Pedro and Bias” suggests the boy has a lot of friends as the writer uses a list to emphasise this by saying all of their names separately.

Practice 2 Finally we’d found the key for the treasure chest. After weeks of searching the time was finally here. I fitted the key carefully into the lock and turned. I opened the box with great care and stared inside. Nothing. Empty. Completely empty. Show the writer uses structure to emphasise his feelings after opening the chest? (1 mark) The writer uses one word and short sentences. ‘Nothing. The Empty. Completely empty. ’ writer uses one word sentences and they emphasise how shocked the writer is when he opens the box.

Tone refers to the writer’s attitude towards their topic. Imagine how the writer’s voice would be speaking if they were reading their work aloud. How would they sound? On the next slide is a paragraph. Read it and try to figure out what the tone is. Here are some examples of the tone a writer might be using: Formal Humorous Sympathetic Bitter Scared Angry Friendly Arrogant Nostalgic Aggressive

Practice 1 - Example Harry was convinced that he was so clever. He never did anything wrong and he was so very, very popular. Oh Harry, you’re so great! Great, great. What do you think the writer’s tone is in this passage? Sarcastic/mocking

Hyperbole is when the writer uses deliberate exaggeration to emphasise their point. Example: I hate that guy. I’d rather eat glass than have to speak to him a minute longer.

Linking Question A link question is a question that asks you to look at a sentence and show it links a previous paragraph with the paragraphs that come after the link sentence. The steps for answering a link question are: Step 1: Quote the part of the sentence that links back Step 2: Say how it links back Step 3: Quote the part of the sentence that links forward Step 4: Say how it links forward

Practice 1 - Example Dogs are fantastic creatures. They’re easy to train, funny to be around and very affectionate. All round they are an excellent pet. Despite my love of dogs, I still much prefer cats. Cats are clean, affectionate when they want to be and are considerably smarter than even the smartest of dogs. Question: Show the sentence ‘despite my love of dogs, I still prefer cats’ acts as a linking phrase between paragraph 1 and paragraph 2. Answer ‘Despite my love of dogs’ Links back to paragraph 1 and its discussion of how great dogs are. ‘I still much prefer cats’ Links forward to paragraph 2 and the discussion of the even greater qualities of cats.

Practice 2 Having been a life long supporter of the Labour party I knew it was going to take a considerable amount of pressure to convince me to change my allegiances. Regardless of this dedication though, I was only willing to accept so much. Having watched as taxes were increased, reforms put on hold and laws changed without any thought I realised that enough was enough. Question: Show the sentence ‘regardless of this dedication though, I was only willing to accept so much’ provides a link between paragraph 1 and paragraph 2. Answer ‘Regardless of this dedication though” Links back to the previous paragraphs discussion of the writer’s support of Labour. ‘Only willing to accept so much” Links forward to the next paragraphs discussion of the things they’ve done wrong and the things he wasn’t willing to accept.

There are lots of things that are extremely difficult to learn: Spanish, how to be an astronaut, ballet. Despite these challenges, It is always worthwhile trying to learn something new. Learning is what makes us better people and helps us to understand the world. Learning is what keeps us alive. Show the sentence ‘despite these challenges, it is always worthwhile trying to learn something new’ acts as a linking phrase between Paragraph 1 and Paragraph 2? Answer ‘despite these challenges’ Links back to paragraph 1 and all of the things that are difficult to learn ‘It is always worthwhile’ Links forward to paragraph 2 and the benefits of learning.

Today… We will be practising our close reading skills. We You need to have completed pg. 17 -19. should also have completed pg. 2326 as well.

A summary of punctuation types Punctuation Mark Symbol What it does Shows that someone is, or has, spoken OR indicates a sarcastic/critical use of a word or term Quotation mark “ ” Colon : Introduces a list OR an explanation Ellipsis … Shows a pause in speech OR creates suspense OR makes the reader imagine what happens next Dash – Introduces an explanation Question mark ? asks the reader to think about a question OR shows a rhetorical question – one that does not need an answer. Exclamation mark Comma ! , Brackets ( ) Semi-colon ; Shows shouting OR strong feeling Shows a SHORT pause OR separates items in a list Includes extra information (parenthesis). (Two dashes or commas can do this too. ) Links two sentences that are about similar things.