Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The effect of sentence structure and punctuation You will be expected to be able to identify and explain the effect of different types of sentences such as: SHORT SENTENCES - These could include: - short, powerful sentences to emphasise a point - a series of short sentences to build pace or tension
The effect of punctuation Most common punctuation marks you could comment on would include:
Question mark - ? - See use of questions Exclamation Mark - ! - Used to express a strong emotion such as a command, surprise, anger, joy... Ellipsis - ... - Used to show something is missing or to create a pause in thought or idea - For example: a person who is nervous might hesitate - Umm...eh...Well...I'm v-v-very someone is interrupted mid-flow - "if you could just let me finish..." a sentence or idea is incomplete - Who knows what happened to the cat with the purple eyes... Colon - These are usually used to introduce or define an idea such as a definition of a complex word or to introduce a list. Dashes - Parenthesis - When a short phrase is written within two dashes this is called parenthesis - The information within the two dashes is extra information The sentence would still make sense without the extra info. E.g. His expression - a mix of a scowl and grimace - showed his pain.
Metaphor - Comparing one thing to another saying it actually is somethingThe defender was a vicious animal as he smashed the striker's nose with his elbow.
Other imagery techniques include: Simile - Comparing by using like or as - The shark moved as if it was a powerful steam locomotive late for its next stop. Personification - Comparing an inanimate (not living) thing to a person by giving it human qualities - The car coughed and spluttered as he turned the ignition key on that frosty morning. You may also wish to comment on WORD CHOICE and the use of expression which creates an image or picture for the reader - Use of well-chosen descriptive words / adjectives etc.
The more commonly used conventions of written language This is a broad category and includes a range of ideas relating to types of language, structure and purpose. Formal / Informal language Formal language - You might expect a newspaper article or a government report to make use of formal, accurate and specific language: E.g. Having considered a range of environmental factors I can conclude that the precipitation is likely to increase later this week. Formal language may also be used for a particular audience - E.g. A letter to the P.M. would be more formal than a letter to a friend. Informal language - A more relaxed or conversational tone might be appropriate between friends or in a blog or magazine which is aimed at younger people: E.g. I had a quick squiz oot the windae and I reckon it'll be bucketing rain the morn.
Informal language could also include - slang (shortened or invented words by a group - e.g. a gang), dialect (words specific to a local area), colloquial language (another phrase for informal).
Jargon - This is specific, technical language known by an expert in a topic - E.g. - A snowboarder would use many words not known by most people.
Skills of inference making and summarising This element doesn't really involve a specific set of techniques but instead you need to be aware of how many of the elements of language work together. Inference - This means you need to work out (infer) what the writer is trying to tell to by reading the text carefully and identifying clues. CONTEXT - You may be able to work out a complex idea by reading the text around the word or idea. Sometimes the word may seem complex but by reading before and after the word you will be able find the meaning. Summarising - This requires you to read a couple of paragraphs and explain the main ideas in your own words. IN YOUR OWN WORDS - Many of the questions will ask you to explain or summarise in your own words. You MUST do this as 'lifts'(copying from the text) achieve ZERO marks. You should aim to identify the most important words in the section of text and see if you can find alternatives with a similar meaning. Don't try to translate every word from the passage - Try to get an overview of the idea and explain it without using the main key words.
How to Prepare? We will work on a variety of non-fiction texts in class but to improve your reading for U.A.E. you should be aiming to read good quality newspaper articles (and other non-fiction texts) regularly. You don't need to buy a paper - use the internet! When you find an article you like you should read it carefully and then try to find HOW the writer uses language techniques to make it successful: Sentence structure? Use of imagery - similes, metaphors, personification Unusual or successful punctuation Word choice - Connotations Summarising -What are the main ideas in each paragraph? Style - Formal / Informal - What is the writer's purpose?