WHAT IS TEXTUAL ANALYSIS? ·You are given an extract from a play, a poem or a novel/short story that you have not studied in class. ·You must answer a set of questions worth 30 marks. ·If you gain 15 marks or above, you pass. ·You have one period to complete the assessment.
HOW DO I DO IT?
·Read the extract – you should know what the extract is (poem, prose (novel, short story), drama); what the extract is about ·Read all of the questions – this will help your understanding of the extract further (If you have time, read the extract again!) ·Return to the first question – pick out the key parts. Look for: 1.Focus of question – explain something, identify personality, mood,… 2.Category of question – understanding, analysis, evaluation 3.Type of question – own words, summarise, imagery, word choice, sentence structure, tone 4.Where to look for the answer in the passage – is a line reference or paragraph specified? 5.Length of answer required – look at number of marks; try to work out how the marks are awarded – if two marks, are you expected to make two brief points or one developed one? 6.TYPE OF QUESTION – this is the same as Close Reading. Apply the formula/strategy appropriate to the question type ·Answer the question, checking you have provided the right kind of answer ·Repeat for every question ·Try to have time to check your answers at the end.
QUESTION TYPES – A REMINDER
·OWN WORDS: Sometimes the question will actually say “In your own words…” Sometimes it won’t! If in doubt, if the code is a U, use your own words unless asked to quote FORMULA – 1. Find part of passage which contains the answer 2. Put into own words 3. Double-check with the passage that you have not reused any obvious words. ·SUMMARISE FORMULA –1.Pick out the key points from a section of passage identified in the question. 2.Put into own words. ·IMAGERY: Where you are asked about the effectiveness of a metaphor, simile or personification. You must follow the structure to analyse it! FORMULA – 1.Explain what 2 things are being compared 2.What do they have in common 3.What does it add to my knowledge of what or who is described Example: The children swarmed like greedy bees around the teacher’s desk, buzzing with anticipation. Formula: ·The children in the classroom who are gathering round the teacher’s desk are compared to bees swarming round a hive or garden. ·As bees gather in large numbers to suck pollen from plants, so do the children gather in large numbers to speak to the teacher. As bees are small in size and fast in movement, so are the children in the class As bees make a buzz (noise which is low but persistent), so do the children murmuring round the desk ·The children are many in number, noisy, enthusiastic, small in stature and similar in appearance and want to be rewarded by the teacher as the bees want to be fed with the pollen from the plants. Their enthusiasm is overwhelming. ·WORD CHOICE – where you are asked to identify words from their effect or to both identify and explain their effect Example: 2.(a)Write down from the second paragraph a word or expression which shows the writer’s attitude to his job. (b)Explain how it conveys his attitude. FORMULA 1.Identify attitude if the question does not already do so. 2.Find word(s) which convey(s) point of question. 3.Write down 4.Use the connotations of the word to show how it conveys attitude identified. Example: He sidled into the room. How does the word choice in this sentence convey the attitude of the person entering the room? Attitude – nervous, frightened, guilty “Sidled” – means came in sideways, edged Connotations – implies slow movement and not wanting to be seen, like an animal trying to stay out of sight of a predator, makes me think he is guilty or nervous. A street urchin gnawed on the remains of a hamburger he had retrieved from a bin. How does the choice of “gnawed” help you understand how the child ate? (2) “gnawed” Denotation – chewed determinedly Connotations - The child ate desperately as if starving, didn’t stop, in little pieces, like a small animal indicating his need for sustenance. Tone This could be a specific question or it could be included in the list of choices in an evaluation question. Tone means the attitude of the writer or speaker. This will be part of another type of question, very often. Most commonly linked to word choice. Please check your alphabet of tones. Sentence Structure 1.Sentence Types 2.Simple or Complex 3. Sentence Patterns 4. Inversion 5. Parenthesis Short, simple sentence follows more complex sentence (list). This emphasises the suddenness of the shooting. There is a list provided in the final sentence as it charts the moments before his death. The final sentence describes his last moments in depth – dashes break up each stage of his dying, mirroring his last breath and movements. The parentheses describe his last sigh’s effect on his dying body to help us visualise his last moments more clearly. Comma at end of sentence separates his final movement from his death itself. This is emphasised by the use of “and”. Length of sentence – all one sentence to underline the amount happening at the moment of the eruption. Inversion – emphasises the heat, height, shape and variety of colours of the lava rather than where they were; emphasises speed of eruption by positioning of “up through them…bursting” Repetition – some – variety of colours emphasised. After the dash summarises the description before and emphasises the effect upon the onlooker. Climactic in highlighting the overall effect of the eruption. Other points to note: parenthesis to highlight height of lava in second line. Evaluation How effective has the writer presented his ideas/written his poem/described characters/setting/atmosphere? Often the question will be broken down into topics to help focus your answer. Example of Typical Question Giving examples to support your answer, explain how effective the writer has been in achieving his purpose. In your answer you may wish to consider the following: Characterisation Setting Imagery/Figures of Speech Word Choice Another type of evaluation is where you are asked to evaluate the end of a passage. Consider – was the end a surprise? Was there a twist? Was it climactic? Style – was it the same as the rest? Look at word choice and imagery? For example is an image used for the first time or is it developed from earlier? Tone – Is it the same or is there a change? Miscellaneous Questions Change/Difference/Contrast – these questions have big mark allocations (3 or 4 marks) Strategy – 1. Name change/difference/contrast 2. Prove first part of change (before) – quote and analyse (x2) 3.Prove second part of change (after) – quote and analyse (x2) NB: You must quote and analyse for these questions! (word choice, sentence structure, imagery) General Language Questions – require analysis of techniques: (word choice, sentence structure, imagery, tone) Other Techniques – alliteration, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, cliché…
· You are given an extract from a play, a poem or a novel/short story that you have not studied in class.
· You must answer a set of questions worth 30 marks.
· If you gain 15 marks or above, you pass.
· You have one period to complete the assessment.
HOW DO I DO IT?
· Read the extract – you should know what the extract is (poem, prose (novel, short story), drama); what the extract is about· Read all of the questions – this will help your understanding of the extract further (If you have time, read the extract again!)
· Return to the first question – pick out the key parts. Look for:
1. Focus of question – explain something, identify personality, mood,…
2. Category of question – understanding, analysis, evaluation
3. Type of question – own words, summarise, imagery, word choice, sentence structure, tone
4. Where to look for the answer in the passage – is a line reference or paragraph specified?
5. Length of answer required – look at number of marks; try to work out how the marks are awarded – if two marks, are you expected to make two brief points or one developed one?
6. TYPE OF QUESTION – this is the same as Close Reading. Apply the formula/strategy appropriate to the question type
· Answer the question, checking you have provided the right kind of answer
· Repeat for every question
· Try to have time to check your answers at the end.
QUESTION TYPES – A REMINDER
· OWN WORDS: Sometimes the question will actually say “In your own words…” Sometimes it won’t! If in doubt, if the code is a U, use your own words unless asked to quoteFORMULA – 1. Find part of passage which contains the answer
2. Put into own words
3. Double-check with the passage that you have not
reused any obvious words.
· SUMMARISE
FORMULA – 1. Pick out the key points from a section of
passage identified in the question.
2. Put into own words.
· IMAGERY: Where you are asked about the effectiveness of a metaphor, simile or personification. You must follow the structure to analyse it!
FORMULA – 1. Explain what 2 things are being compared
2. What do they have in common
3. What does it add to my knowledge of what or who is described
Example: The children swarmed like greedy bees around the teacher’s desk, buzzing with anticipation.
Formula:
· The children in the classroom who are gathering round the teacher’s desk are compared to bees swarming round a hive or garden.
· As bees gather in large numbers to suck pollen from plants, so do the children gather in large numbers to speak to the teacher.
As bees are small in size and fast in movement, so are the children in the class
As bees make a buzz (noise which is low but persistent), so do the children murmuring round the desk
· The children are many in number, noisy, enthusiastic, small in stature and similar in appearance and want to be rewarded by the teacher as the bees want to be fed with the pollen from the plants. Their enthusiasm is overwhelming.
· WORD CHOICE – where you are asked to identify words from their effect or to both identify and explain their effect
Example:
2.(a)Write down from the second paragraph a word or expression
which shows the writer’s attitude to his job.
(b)Explain how it conveys his attitude.
FORMULA
1. Identify attitude if the question does not already do so.
2. Find word(s) which convey(s) point of question.
3. Write down
4. Use the connotations of the word to show how it conveys attitude identified.
Example:
He sidled into the room.
How does the word choice in this sentence convey the attitude of the person entering the room?
Attitude – nervous, frightened, guilty
“Sidled” – means came in sideways, edged
Connotations – implies slow movement and not wanting to be seen, like an animal trying to stay out of sight of a predator, makes me think he is guilty or nervous.
A street urchin gnawed on the remains of a hamburger he had retrieved from a bin.
How does the choice of “gnawed” help you understand how the child ate? (2)
“gnawed”
Denotation – chewed determinedly
Connotations - The child ate desperately as if starving, didn’t stop, in little pieces, like a small animal indicating his need for sustenance.
Tone
This could be a specific question or it could be included in the list of choices in an evaluation question. Tone means the attitude of the writer or speaker.
This will be part of another type of question, very often. Most commonly linked to word choice.
Please check your alphabet of tones.
Sentence Structure
1.Sentence Types
2.Simple or Complex
3. Sentence Patterns
4. Inversion
5. Parenthesis
Short, simple sentence follows more complex sentence (list). This emphasises the suddenness of the shooting.
There is a list provided in the final sentence as it charts the moments before his death. The final sentence describes his last moments in depth – dashes break up each stage of his dying, mirroring his last breath and movements.
The parentheses describe his last sigh’s effect on his dying body to help us visualise his last moments more clearly.
Comma at end of sentence separates his final movement from his death itself. This is emphasised by the use of “and”.
Length of sentence – all one sentence to underline the amount happening at the moment of the eruption.
Inversion – emphasises the heat, height, shape and variety of colours of the lava rather than where they were; emphasises speed of eruption by positioning of “up through them…bursting”
Repetition – some – variety of colours emphasised.
After the dash summarises the description before and emphasises the effect upon the onlooker. Climactic in highlighting the overall effect of the eruption.
Other points to note: parenthesis to highlight height of lava in second line.
Evaluation
How effective has the writer presented his ideas/written his poem/described characters/setting/atmosphere?
Often the question will be broken down into topics to help focus your answer.
Example of Typical Question
Giving examples to support your answer, explain how effective the writer has been in achieving his purpose. In your answer you may wish to consider the following:
Characterisation
Setting
Imagery/Figures of Speech
Word Choice
Another type of evaluation is where you are asked to evaluate the end of a passage.
Consider – was the end a surprise? Was there a twist?
Was it climactic?
Style – was it the same as the rest? Look at word choice and imagery? For example is an image used for the first time or is it developed from earlier?
Tone – Is it the same or is there a change?
Miscellaneous Questions
Change/Difference/Contrast – these questions have big mark allocations (3 or 4 marks)
Strategy –
1. Name change/difference/contrast
2. Prove first part of change (before) – quote and analyse (x2)
3.Prove second part of change (after) – quote and analyse (x2)
NB: You must quote and analyse for these questions! (word choice, sentence structure, imagery)
General Language Questions – require analysis of techniques: (word choice, sentence structure, imagery, tone)
Other Techniques – alliteration, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, cliché…