Kelso High School

1. Kelso High School English Department

2. Standard Grade English • Close Reading: • You will sit two Reading exams • Exam papers are made up of certain types of questions which come up year after year.

3. The layout of the Reading paper • There is often a short line of introduction in italics telling you what the passage is about or where it comes from • If the passage originally came from a newspaper it will be laid out in the style of a newspaper (columns etc) • Each paragraph of the passage is individually numbered • The name of the author will appear. Have a look at this so you know whether to use “he” or “she” when you are answering questions about the author and their use of techniques

4. On the question paper you will find the following helpful details: • You will see headlines in bold telling you which part of the passage to look at in order to find your answer • Key or important words in questions will also be highlighted in bold

5. Allocation of marks • In the margin you will see how many marks are available for the question. If you see 2 and 0 separated by a little black square, then you have to get the whole answer totally right to get any points at all • When you see 2 1 0 then you may need to give two pieces of information or you will have to explain fully and in greater detail to get full marks

6. Questions • The questions will take you through the passage in order, with the final questions asking you to take account of the passage as a whole • The amount of space you are given to write your answer gives a clear indication of how much you are expected to write • If you are expected to give just one word or to pick from multiple choice, there will be a box to write in or to tick

7. The Language of the Reading Exam Paper • Consider these words and phrases you might find in questions. Which of the following expressions tell you that you need to quote in your answer: • Why do you think…? • Which word….? • Explain fully…? • Find an expression…? • How does the writer…? • Write down the word…? • Which expression…? • By close reference to the text…?

8. Important advice • Unless you are sure that you are being asked to quote, you should always answer using your own words. This is the only way to show that you really understand what the writer is saying.

9. For Practice • On the following slide you will find a number of short extracts from recent Credit papers. Rewrite each one, keeping the meaning but using your own words. • For example, “My mother drew in her breath” could become, “My mum gasped.” • There will always be some words you cannot change, but you should change whatever you can.

10. Let’s try • It was the ‘n’-th year of preparations for a visit that always, in the end, failed to happen. • He was forever at a loss with guests. • I examined my cousin surreptitiously. • He ambled behind her to the escalator. • He got the whole story of her financial hardship. • Her perplexity was growing into acute anxiety. • In place of shoes his feet were bound with bandages.

11. Expression • You will often be asked to find an expression. This means either a single word or a short phrase, usually not more than six words long. • Be careful. If the quotation you choose is too long (even although it has the right expression somewhere in it) you may get no marks. This is because a long quotation is made up of several different expressions and you will not have shown which expression is the one that fits the question.

12. Close Reference to the text • When you are asked to make close reference to the text you may either use short quotations, or you may give examples from the text in your own words. You should make at least two references in your answer.

13. Question types • Questions asking you to obtain particular information from a text: Write down an expression from line 2 which shows that this “junk” makes a strange collection. The man is shown to be thoughtful and caring towards his daughter. What evidence is there of this in the passage?

14. Questions asking you to grasp ideas or feelings implied in a text • With this type of question you are going deeper into the text, not just looking at facts and information, but looking at feelings. These may be the feelings of the characters in the text, or those of the narrator, or those of the writer. • “My mother drew in her breath.” What does this tell you about her feelings? • Explain what concerns the detective had about the kids. • In your own words give two pieces of evidence which suggest that the detective felt some sympathy towards the woman.

15. Questions asking you to evaluate the writer’s attitudes,assumptions and arguments • This is quite an unusual question type as here we are looking at what the writer is thinking and saying. You are not being asked about a character or a narrator created by the writer. • You are most likely to find questions like this if the passage is factutal, especially if it is a piece of journalism

16. Examples • In your own words, what is the writer’s attitude to the various goods for sale in the lobby? • Which one word sums up the writer’s sympathetic attitude to the dodo? • In your own words, what is the writer’s opinion o3f the setting of the hotel?

17. Questions like these: • Are set to test your understanding of a text.

18. Example 1: I’m nocturnal. I love the moonlight, the shadows, the dark places, the dappled murk. I’m not being poetic. I’m simply being true to my nature, my nocturnal nature. Like all tarantulas. Question; In your own words, in what way is the speaker ‘like all tarantulas’ according to the first paragraph? (1 Mark)

19. How to answer How to answer. STEP 1 – Look in the text for the information which will answer the question. In this case, it is provided by the word ‘nocturnal.’ STEP 2 – Answer in your own words. A simple sentence is fine.

20. How to answer An acceptable answer would be: The speaker is active by night.

21. Example 2 A SLIGHTLY MORE DIFFICULT QUESTION Question: The speaker provides several pieces of evidence to support his argument that the fear of tarantulas is unjustified. Summarise the main ones given in lines 88-113. (3 marks)

22. How to answer STEP 1 – Look carefully at the number of marks – 3 marks mean 3 pieces of evidence to be found. STEP 2 – Present your answer in a numbered format.

23. Example 3 Stories about haunted places are always fascinating. What goes on there, and how, and why? Some hauntings can be explained as the results of ordinary trickery. In others some natural cause is at work, though it has not yet been traced. Question: What two explanations does the writer suggest to account for the belief that some places are haunted? (2 marks)

24. Example 4 Harrison started out as a carpenter. He completed his first pendulum clock in 1713, before he was twenty years old. Why he came to take on this project and how he excelled at it with no experience as a watchmaker’s apprentice remain mysteries. Aside from the fact that the great John Harrison built it, the clock claims uniqueness for another feature: it is constructed almost entirely out of wood. Harrison, every practical and resourceful, took what materials came to hand and handled them well. This is a carpenter’s clock. Question: a) What are the two ‘mysteries which puzzle the writer concerning the building of John Harrison’s clock? (2 marks)

25. Example 5 Harrison started out as a carpenter. He completed his first pendulum clock in 1713, before he was twenty years old. Why he came to take on this project and how he excelled at it with no experience as a watchmaker’s apprentice remain mysteries. Aside from the fact that the great John Harrison built it, the clock claims uniqueness for another feature: it is constructed almost entirely out of wood. Harrison, every practical and resourceful, took what materials came to hand and handled them well. This is a carpenter’s clock. Question: b) What is unusual about the construction of the clock, and why did Harrison choose this form of construction? (2 marks)

26. Example 6 Smugglers used to spread rumours that the places where they landed their cargoes were haunted. This made local people keep away, and accounted for strange lights seen flitting about after dark, or peculiar sounds. Today just occasionally tenants who want to be moved from one house to another have been known to stage a ‘haunt’. Question: a) What two ‘reasons does the writer give form smugglers pretending that their landing places were haunted? (2 marks)

27. Quick Revision - Meaning of words • MEANINGS OF WORDS • Explain the meaning of a word or phrase used in the text. • It may be necessary to pick out a clue near to the word or phrase in the text (word context) which makes the meaning clear.

28. Example 1 I’m nocturnal. I love the moonlight, the shadows, the dark places, the dappled murk. I’m not being poetic. I’m simply being true to my nature, my nocturnal nature. Like all tarantulas. Question: Show how the context helps you understand the meaning of ‘nocturnal’. (2 marks)

29. How to answer STEP 1 – Explain the meaning of the word. STEP 2 – Show how the rest of the text makes this clear by quoting the word or words which provide clues.

30. How to answer An acceptable answer would be: ‘Nocturnal’ means being active by night. The writer refers to his preference for ‘moonlight’ and ‘dark’ which both suggest night-time.

31. Example 2 1968 was, I suppose, the most traumatic year of my life. After my parents’ separation we moved into a smaller house, but for a time, because of some sort of chain, we were homeless and had to stay with our neighbours; I became seriously ill with jaundice; and I started to local grammar school.

32. Example 3 Saturday afternoon is a festive day with the natives. The girls put on all the finerythey can on Saturday afternoon – silk robes, hats trimmed with fresh flowers and home-made necklaces of vermilion tinted blossoms.

33. Example 4 There are many ordinary happenings which have frightened or startled people into believing they were caused by ghostly means. Subterraneanmovements of earth and rock in old mine-workings, for instance, can cause very odd noises, and miners hearing tappings and rumblings in the underground darkness used to be sure they were made either by earth spirits or by the spirits of miners long dead.

34. Example 5 I was born at Blunderstone in Suffolk. I was a posthumous child. My father’s eyes had closed upon the light of this world six months when mine opned on it. There is something strange to me even now, in the reflection that he never saw me; and something stranger yet in the shadowy remembrance that I have of my first childish associations with his white gravestone in the churchyard.

35. Example 6 About this time my brother’s behaviour grew ever more unpredictable. On a good day he would be cheerful and behave almost like the Matthew of old. A bad day might see him do anything from sinking into a silent depression to throwing the furniture in his room.

36. Questions about sentence structure • Sentence structure just means the way that sentences are put together. English has certain rules about sentence structure. You may not know about the rules, but you will probably notice if a sentence is constructed in an unusual way. Often a writer will construct an unusual or even “wrong” sentence to grab your attention, or to gain some particular effect.

37. Carefully consider the sentence • 1. Is it noticeably long or noticeably short? • 2. Is it a proper sentence or is it somehow incomplete? • 3. Is it - making a statement? asking a question? exclaiming in surprise or anger? giving an order?

38. 4. Does it have any unusual or very noticeable punctuation? 5. What does the punctuation do? 6. Is the sentence in an odd order? Are any of these words in unusual places?

39. Examples • The writer introduces the idea of giving practical advice. How does the sentence structure in the rest of this extract help to show this? • How does the structure of this sentence emphasise the man’s care in opening the envelope?

40. SENTENCE STRUCTURE

41. Sentence Structure • Structure of a sentence’ means the way in which it is made up and how the various elements are arranged. • You will have to have an understanding of the following structures: Statements Questions Commands Exclamations Minor sentences

42. Statements • tell you something • end in a full stop • Most sentences are statements, so it is usually if other types of sentence are used that you will need to comment • Writing which is made up of statements alone may have a calm or impersonal tone.

43. Questions • Ask something • Always end with a ? • Using questions may challenge the reader or show uncertainty on the part of the writer • Rhetorical questions do not expect an answer. • Rhetorical questions stir up strong feeling in the reader, such as anger. They create an emotive tone, which simply means one which stirs up feelings or emotions

44. Commands • Tell you to do something • End with either a full stop or an exclamation mark • Are often used in advertisements • Are often used when the writer tries to create the effect of talking directly to the reader

45. Exclamations • Express excitement or surprise • Do not always include verbs • Often begin with “What” or “How” • End in either an exclamation mark or a full stop • May create an emotive or dramatic tone

46. Minor Sentences • Do not contain a verb • Are an abbreviated version of a longer sentence • Are very short • May create a tense or dramatic mood • Are typical of informal languge\ • May be used in direct speech, notes or diary entries

47. Identify the type of sentence • What time does the match start? • Give me the money. 3. What an ordeal my interview turned out to be! 4. The dance will begin at nine o’clock. 5. Eleven thirty. Still no sign of anyone! 6. Why is she so upset? 7 Why is she so upset? 8. Come in! 9. Quite right! 10. He came here many years ago.

48. Long and complex sentences • Long sentences containing several verbs and therefore several clauses • Typical of written English • Usually the more complex the sentence, the more formal the language • e.g. It is merely to suspect that physicians marry quality with quantity when they judge how far to intervene.

49. Simple sentences • Contain only one verb. • Typical of speech and types of language which aim to communicate very quickly and directly. • Young children use mainly simple sentences. • e.g. The older generation are a canny bunch.

50. Word Order • Anything that is unusual deserves a comment. • Reversal of normal word order is called INVERSION. e.g. ‘back we went’ instead of ‘we went back.’ The inversion throws emphasis on a particular part of the sentence ‘back’.