Language and Structure

When referring to the language of the text there are a number of things that you should look out for:

• Literary devices: alliteration, connotation, similes, metaphors; used to create certain effects
• Emotive language: language that is constructed specifically to make the reader feel a certain way. This can refer to the choice of adjectives; for example, in a romance story the setting, people and adjectives will be described positively, however, in a horror story only dark, gloomy adjectives will be used in the description to create tension and a sense of fear. The peaceful atmosphere created by Gray in his poem Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard is a perfect example of using emotive language to create a certain atmosphere and effect.
• Word choice: the different types of words; for example, short, complicated, dialectic, slang etc.Language can tell you about the underlying ideas of a text; its themes for example. As mentioned in Unit 1, words have two groups of meanings, which are denotations (the literal meaning of a word, or in other words, its dictionary definition) and connotations (the implied meaning of a word).

Language can tell you about the underlying ideas of a text; its themes for example. As mentioned in Unit 1, words have two groups of meanings, which are denotations (the literal meaning of a word, or in other words, its dictionary definition) and connotations (the implied meaning of a word).

The language across fictional texts can differ considerably. For example, a poem will tend to include a lot more literary devices in it than a novel, novella or short story. If you need to, refer back to Unit 1 to recap on the different literary devices you are required to know for the exam.

Different fictional texts have a certain structure. Structure refers to the shape of a text as a whole; for example, a novel, novella and short story will have a narrative arc and possibly other features. Different structural devices include:

• Narrative arc: Act 1 (beginning), Plot Point 1, Act 2 (middle), Plot Point 2, Act 3 (end).
• Dual narrative: a dual narrative is where two or more stories are contained in one. For example, in the film Love Actually there are multiple story lines occurring at the same time (more common in novels and dramas rather than novellas, short stories or poems).
• Sentence types: the different sentence types used e.g. simple, compound, complex, compound-complex. What effects does this achieve?
• Length of paragraphs/stanzas: the length of the paragraphs in a text or the stanzas in a poem are a structural device. However, it is most commonly used in poems to create certain effects.
• Punctuation: punctuation tends to impact poetry more than it does in any other type of fictional text. However, Shakespeare frequently used punctuation in his plays to impact the words spoken (a break in a line could indicate tension) and punctuation has been used and manipulated by many authors to create certain effects; James Joyce’s Ulysses is one example.
• Flashbacks: the main narrative takes place in the present day but flashbacks are included in the narrative to fill in any loose gaps in the plot or to add to the progression of the narrative arc.
• Circular narrative: a type of literary structure where the final line of the narrative takes the reader back to the beginning of a story which offers a sense of closure for the reader.

Questions in the Exam

It is possible that you may get asked to analyse an extract of fiction in the exam. Before analysing any aspect of a text, you should always read the question first. This way, you already know what is being asked of you before you begin reading so you can begin thinking about answering the question straight away – you are only recommended to spend a maximum of five minutes planning each essay and so reading the question first will save valuable time for you in the exam.

When answering the question to an essay you should always begin with a clear introduction and conclusion. You should also use evidence from the text throughout your essay to back up each point you make.

Questions in the exam could focus on:

• Characters
• Language and Structure
• Narrative Voice
• Setting
• Themes and Ideas

The key to an effective essay is a good plan and concise structure. The first two essays you will have to complete in Section A are fairly short, awarding only ten marks each. However, in the last question in Section A you are required to compare two texts. We will explore comparing two different texts in a few chapters’ time. A detailed description of what each question of Section A will include is provided at the end of this unit. Details on how to conduct a thorough plan will also be included.

Whilst reading a text in the exam for the first time you should also be annotating throughout. Tips on how to annotate a text will be included in a chapter towards the end of this unit.