English Exam Revision: Exam Skills - How to Analyse a Writer's Language, by Tutoring with Gavin on YouTube. 4 min 13 s.
- Video length
- 4 min 13 s
- Time to do it
- 15 minutes
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 7
What you need
Steps
Choose a short quotation, four to eight words long, that stands out as you read. Copy it exactly and note the page or act and scene so you can find it again.
Underline the one or two words doing the most work in that quotation. These are usually verbs, adjectives or nouns carrying strong connotations.
Name the technique using correct subject terminology, such as metaphor, simile, personification, sibilance, alliteration, rule of three or a short sentence.
Explain the connotations of the key word. Ask what else it makes you think of, what it usually describes, and whether the feeling is positive or negative.
State the effect on the reader. Say what the word makes them feel or picture, and why the writer wanted that reaction at that point in the text.
Link your point back to the exam question, the theme or the writer's purpose. Show how the detail supports what you are arguing about character, mood or message.
Build the paragraph: point, evidence, explanation, then a short link sentence. Keep the quotation brief and spend most of your words on the analysis.
Tips and common mistakes
Naming a technique earns little on its own, so always follow it with the effect of that particular word choice.
Keep quotations to a few words so you can zoom in on single words instead of paraphrasing a whole line.
Check your exam board's mark scheme wording so you know what the top band means by a perceptive or thoughtful response.
Practise one paragraph a day on your set text rather than rereading the whole book the night before.
Questions
How long should one analysis paragraph be?
Around five or six sentences is enough: a point, a short quotation, two or three sentences of close analysis and a link back to the question.
What if I cannot spot any techniques in the quotation?
Focus on word choice, punctuation or sentence length instead. A single strong verb or a very short sentence is enough to analyse.
Does this method work for poetry as well as prose?
Yes. The same steps apply to poems, plays and non-fiction, though you should also comment on form and structure when the question asks for it.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
