NQ Close Reading Course
Larbert High School
Understanding Questions
Linking Questions
Word Choice
Questions
Use of Language Questions
Imagery Questions
Sentence Structure
Questions
Questions on
Both Passages
Understanding Questions
2010 SQA Higher Close Reading
Always use your own words when answering U questions.
Understanding Qs are not about translating passages of Close Reading word-forword.
You are being tested on your ability to paraphrase succinctly.
Often the shortest answers (you can bullet-point) gain more marks than those who
write a full paragraph.
Try and answer this question from 2010 using no more than ten words.
On the next slide you will get a chance to see the SQA marking guidelines to check if
you were correct.
The exam board – the SQA – deliberately choose newspaper articles that contain mature
language and expect you to be able to paraphrase what you read.
Understanding Qs are a big indicator of your ability. If you struggle with them it is a sign that you
will need to read more quality non-fiction newspapers, magazines and books. Try to develop your
vocabulary by asking about or looking up words you don’t understand. Reading the rest of the
paragraph or passage for clues is also helpful.
On the next slide is a table of expressions that Higher pupils were expected to put into their own
words in a previous exam.
Copy the table into your jotter and attempt to paraphrase.
SQA expression -
Yellow translates as…
“A town… possessed of a certain
civic pride”
A town with community spirit.
“The nearby Black Isle has some of
Scotland’s richest arable farmland”
“Stopped abruptly in the past”
“A serious – and contentious –
scientific debate”
“A tremor of apprehension ran
through the scientific community”
“Governments may stop fingerpointing and start holding hands”
Put the following sentences into your
own words…
The apartment was absolutely filthy, with an aroma no
human could stand.
School was a breeze for Alan he was able to succeed with
minimum application. His university years were a sad
contrast.
The movie balances laugh out loud moments with sections
that will truly melt your heart.
In the darkness, he could see that the paint was peeling from the woodwork on their
doors and windows and that the handsome white facades were cracked and blotchy
from neglect.
Describe what the house looks like. (2U)
He went right up and peered through the glass into the room, and the first thing he saw
was a bright fire burning in the hearth. On the carpet in front of the fire, a pretty little
dachshund was curled up asleep with its nose tucked into its belly. The room itself, so
far as he could see in the half darkness, was filled with pleasant furniture. There was a
baby grand piano and a big sofa and several plump armchairs, and in one corner he
spotted a large parrot in a cage.
Describe why the room appeals to the man. (2U)
Now, the fact that his landlady appeared to be slightly off her rocker didn’t worry Billy in
the least. After all, she not only was harmless—there was no question about that—but
she was also quite obviously a kind and generous soul.
What is Billy’s opinion of the landlady? (2U)
Those born since the 1970s may find celebrity on the Taylor scale
hard to understand. The whole concept of celebrity has been
degraded, over the last two decades, by an avalanche of media
coverage which shows no interest in the actual work that well
known people do, but instead focuses entirely on their private
lives or their appearance. They also thrive off anyone who has
ever been in the public eye for any reason, from behaving like an
idiot on reality television, to having sex with a Premier League
footballer.
What three main criticisms
does the writer make of the
way the media treat
celebrities today?
Recently, an old friend I hadn't seen for 10 years committed
suicide. I instinctively went to her Facebook page, and so, it
seemed, had everyone else who knew her, leaving messages
of regret and love and loss. I found myself reading over her
old status updates. She was clearly trying to communicate
pain and isolation – but we all missed it, leaving inane
comments and thumbs up and tossed sheep below every
plea for help. Could we have known, if we had read it less
casually?
The contrast between the transitory nature of a Facebook
status update and the permanence of death made me wonder
if all this social networking is actually a way of keeping
people at a distance – a way of having a "friend" but not
having any of the commitments and duties of friendship,
when in reality we are alone.
What key criticisms is the writer making here of
Facebook? (3U)
Linking Questions
Linking Questions
Another popular SQA question in the Intermediate and Higher exams
is called a link question.
You will recognise it as the question will contain the word ‘link’ or
‘linking’.
You are being asked to show how a section of the passage acts as a
bridge between what has been said previously, and what the writer is
going on to go on to say.
Linking Questions
Link paragraph
Step-by-step Answer:
1.Quote the part of the link
paragraph/sentence that refers
back.
2.Summarise what it refers
back to.
3.Quote the part of the link
paragraph/sentence that refers
forward.
4.Summarise what it refers
forward to.
Read the following paragraph and
explain how the underlined sentence
acts as a link. The first half of the
answer has been done for you:
Step-by-step Answer:
1.Quote the part of the link
paragraph/sentence that
refers back.
2.Summarise what it refers
back to.
3.Quote the part of the link
paragraph/sentence that
refers forward.
4.Summarise what it refers
forward to.
“Ecstasy to dream” refers back
to the opening sentence about
happily sleeping…
Read the following paragraph and explain how the underlined
sentence acts as a link:
Step-by-step Answer:
1.Quote the part of the link
paragraph/sentence that
refers back.
2.Summarise what it refers
back to.
3.Quote the part of the link
paragraph/sentence that
refers forward.
4.Summarise what it refers
forward to.
Read the following paragraphs and explain how the
underlined sentences act as a link:
Read the following paragraphs and explain how the
underlined sentences act as a link:
Word Choice Questions
Word Choice Questions
The easiest form of Analysis (A) Qs in the Close Reading exam is a
word choice question.
In these questions you are being asked to select specific
words/expressions that the writer uses and explain their effect.
Word Choice Questions
Discuss the paragraph with you partner and see if you can spot
two words/expressions that emphasise the impact of growth of
cities.
Things to note:
1.There are seven different examples
to choose from.
2.For two marks, you must deal with
two examples.
3.Every answer in the marking
scheme follows the same formula:
Step 1 - QUOTATION
Step 2 – SUGGESTS…
Step 3 - WHAT THE
WORD SUGGESTS/ THE
CONNOTATIONS
Step-by-step answer:
Step 1 - QUOTATION
Step 2 – SUGGESTS…
Step 3 - WHAT THE WORD SUGGESTS/ THE CONNOTATIONS
In grey and gloomy but history-drenched Philadelphia, child psychologist
Malcolm Crowe tries desperately to help school misfit, Cole, who has
disconcerting psychic and telekinetic flashes. Cole, who is desperately trying
to keep his strangeness secret from his struggling single mom, eventually
confesses up to Malcolm that his real special ability is that he can see the
spirits of the dead. At the heart of the film is a truly terrifying idea, and directorwriter Shyamalan - abetted by a brilliant performance from kid actor Haley Joel
Osment, fully deserving of one of those special child-sized Oscars they don't
give anymore - manages to visualise it perfectly.
1. Show how the writer’s word choice in the review of ’The Sixth Sense’ suggests that the
film is scary. (2A)
2. Show how the writer’s word choice makes it clear that he is impressed by the film. (2A)
Step-by-step answer:
Step 1 - QUOTATION
Step 2 – SUGGESTS…
Step 3 - WHAT THE WORD SUGGESTS/ THE CONNOTATIONS
Show how the writer’s word choice conveys her disapproving attitude
towards the choice of models at the fashion shows. (4A)
Then came the latest round of autumn/winter ready-to-wear shows, which ended
in Paris last week. Jutting collarbones weren't just easy to spot; they were
almost ubiquitous. There were the hollowed-out necks striped with taut, ropelike tendons, straining to keep balloon-like heads aloft on childlike shoulders.
There were the tiny upper arms, fragile and snappable as a bird wing stripped of
feathers. And, perhaps most notably, there were the women's thighs, space
gaping between them, often even slimmer at their upper reaches than at the
stark, bony knees. In some cases, it was hard to fathom how the women could
walk. There were a couple of shows – Louis Vuitton and Prada – where healthier
bodies were on display. But they were the exceptions; and anyway they weren't
a political statement, they were simply an aesthetic choice. Prada did put
healthy women into that Prada show, but at her other show – her Miu Miu show
– some of the models were skeletal.
Show how the writer’s word choice conveys his feelings
towards ‘modern food design’. (4)
The Snickers bar is extraordinarily well engineered. Unlike
many products whose nuts become annoyingly lodged
between your teeth, the genius of Snickers is that as we
chew, the sugar dissolves, the fat melts and the caramel
picks up the peanut pieces, so the entire candy is carried
out of the mouth at the same time. "You're not getting a
build-up of stuff in your mouth."
Kettle Chips are another success story. Made of sugar-rich
russet potatoes, they have a slightly bitter background note
and brown irregularly, which gives them a complex flavour.
High levels of fat generate easy mouth-melt, and surface
variations add a level of interest beyond that found in massproduced chips. Heightened complexity is the key to
modern food design.
Step-by-step answer:
Step 1 - QUOTATION
Step 2 – SUGGESTS…
Step 3 - WHAT THE WORD SUGGESTS/ THE CONNOTATIONS
Imagery Questions
Imagery Questions
When answering the Analysis Close Reading Qs, you may be asked to comment
upon imagery specifically:
Or you may be asked to consider it alongside other techniques the writer has used:
Rushing through these questions without answering them properly is the easiest
way to lose marks in the Close Reading exam.
Imagery Questions
There are three possible examples to choose from. Can you spot them?
It is no longer necessary to identify the technique.
As with word choice, every answer in the marking scheme follows the same
structure:
1.Quotation
2.“Just as…” – here we give an understanding of the literal root of the image
3.So too… - here we explore how the writer is extending it figuratively
Show how the writer’s use of imagery establishes how old the
house is. (2A)
1. Quotation
2. “Just as…” – here we give
an understanding of the
literal root of the image
3. So too… - here we explore
how the writer is extending
it figuratively
“A house like this became a
dinosaur”
Just as a dinosaur is an
ancient creature, living billions
of years ago and now extinct…
So too is the house dying out
and falling into disrepair.
“Such a house became a fossil”
Just as fossils are the preserved
remains of prehistoric animals found
in modern times…
So too is this house an ancient
building compared to the modern
flats around it.
Show how the writer’s use of imagery establishes how well the
runner is doing in the race. (2A)
1. “I was an arrow”
2. Just as an arrow moves quickly
and is stream-lined
3. So too is the runner much faster
than his competition
Show how the writer’s use of imagery conveys
his love of golf. (2A)
Golf is such an empowering game. Every one of its army of
addicts will tell you that it all comes down to the pure joy of a
clean strike at the ball: making it defy gravity. Making it climb
like a soaring eagle. Making it fly gracefully through the air like
Concorde (at least in the mind of the striker) as it reaches the
top of its long, elegant parabola.
1. Quotation
2. “Just as…” – here we give an
understanding of the literal root
of the image
3. So too… - here we explore how
the writer is extending it
figuratively
Show how the writer’s use of imagery conveys
her attitude towards the weather in the UK. (2A)
On the street the wet wind scours people's faces like
sandpaper. A hoodied young man passes me, grimacing and
blowing out his cheeks. The face language says it all: "Bloody
hell, I've had enough of this, mister."
Me too. That first chill September evening breeze, is a splinter
under my fingernail, the beginning of the end of the medium in
which I thrive, the inexorable, perishing fade of sumptuous
heat.
1. Quotation
2. “Just as…” – here we give an
understanding of the literal root
of the image
3. So too… - here we explore how
the writer is extending it
figuratively
Show how the writer’s word choice and imagery
convey the danger in the setting. (4A)
Word Choice:
Imagery:
Step 1 - QUOTATION
1.Quotation
2.“Just as…” – here we give an
understanding of the literal root of the
image
3.So too… - here we explore how the
writer is extending it figuratively
Step 2 – SUGGESTS…
Step 3 - WHAT THE WORD SUGGESTS/
THE CONNOTATIONS
Are we working too hard?
• Britain now has the longest work hours in the developed
world after the US – and in a recession, those of us with
jobs scamper ever faster in our hamster-wheels. Yes, we
now make the Japanese look chilled. This is not how
2010 was meant to turn out. If you look at the economists
and thinkers of, say, the 1930s, they assumed that once
we had achieved abundance – once humans had all the
food and clothes and heat and toys we could use – we
would relax and work less. They thought that by now
work would barely cover three days as we headed en
masse for the beach and the concert-hall. Instead, the
treadmill is whirling ever-faster.
Show how the writer’s imagery makes clear
his disapproval of current working practices.
In your answer you should refer to two
examples.
Are we working too hard?
• Britain now has the longest work hours in the developed
world after the US – and in a recession, those of us with
jobs scamper ever faster in our hamster-wheels. Yes, we
now make the Japanese look chilled. This is not how
2010 was meant to turn out. If you look at the economists
and thinkers of, say, the 1930s, they assumed that once
we had achieved abundance – once humans had all the
food and clothes and heat and toys we could use – we
would relax and work less. They thought that by now
work would barely cover three days as we headed en
masse for the beach and the concert-hall. Instead, the
treadmill is whirling ever-faster.
“hamster wheels”
Just as hamster wheels are designed for endless
movement but getting nowhere, so too are our
working lives very boring. This shows the writer’s
disapproval.
Last week, on holiday in the US, I went to a supermarket near
Fort Myers to buy breakfast cereal with the children and suffered
the first of a series of over-choice overdoses. A vast canyon of
cereals stretched out to the horizon, a universe of flakes,
crunchies, puffs and additives, an overflowing banquet of baffling
breakfast options. The children pounced like starving predators
and began grabbing at boxes.
Show how the writer’s use of
imagery adds impact to what he
is saying about choice.
Sentence Structure
Questions
Sentence Structure Questions
By far the most difficult Analysis Qs are those that ask us to comment on the writer’s
sentence structure. Candidates often go into auto-pilot and answer unconvincingly
about lists, short sentences or rhetorical questions.
When asked about sentence structure you are being asked to consider:
The use of punctuation in the extract.
The types of sentences used in the
extract.
Comment on the writer’s sentence
structure…
The lengths of the sentences in the
extract.
The order or frequency of words in
the extract.
Sentence Structure Questions
The use of punctuation in the extract.
Task:
Write a paragraph about
your day so far using:
1.A colon to introduce a
list.
2.A semi-colon to show
contrast.
3.A dash to introduce a
quotation.
4.Parenthesis to add
some humour.
The use of punctuation in the extract.
Sentences can be:
The types of sentences used in the
extract.
Using your novel, find and quote an example of each type
of sentence. Can you explain why they are using it?
Type of sentence:
1. Statement:
2. Command:
3. Exclamation:
4. Question:
5. Minor Sentence:
Example:
The lengths of the sentences in the
extract.
The order or frequency of words in
the extract.
1. After days of torturous climbing, sleeping in a damp tent, eating very little and braving
the horrendous weather the team had finally reached the summit. And what a summit! It.
Was. Sensational.
Comment on how sentence structure is used to show the contrast between the journey and
the destination. (2A)
2. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the
fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender.
Comment on how Winston Churchill used sentence structure to create an inspiring speech.
(2A)
3. Ready are you? What know you of ready? For 800 years I have trained Jedi. My own
counsel will I keep on who I trained. A Jedi must have deepest commitment, the most
serious mind. This one a long time have I watched. All his life he has looked away… to the
future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmmm? What he was doing?
Hmph. Adventure. Heh. Excitement. Heh. A Jedi craves not these things. You are reckless.
Comment on how Yoda uses sentence structure to show his disapproval. (4A)
Short sentences
Long sentences
Inversion
Climax
Lists
Repetition
Sentence Structure Questions
In the exam, questions on sentence structure can ask you to comment on it alone…
Or they can ask you to consider it alongside word choice, imagery and tone.
On the next slide you can see the marking scheme from a question on sentence
structure in the 2010 Higher exam.
Things to notice:
Analysing sentence
structure and
matching the answers
the SQA look for is
very difficult.
Identifying techniques
is not enough.
All answers are
backed-up with
evidence from the
passage in the form of
quotations.
Key words to use in
your analysis –
Emphasises,
underlines, creates…
Step-by-step guide to answering sentence
structure questions:
1.Identify the technique used.
2.Quotation as evidence.
3.Analysis.
Make sure you know why writers might use the following techniques in their writing:
Show how the writer’s sentence structure conveys his attitude
towards the members of the Convention on the International Trade
in Endangered Species. (2)
Idiots. Morons. Blockheads. Numbskulls. Nothing quite
captures the mind-withering stupidity of what has just
happened in Doha. Swayed by Japan and a number of other
countries - some of them doubtless bought off in traditional
fashion - the members of the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species have decided not to protect the
Atlantic bluefin tuna.
Step-by-step guide to answering sentence
structure questions:
1.Identify the technique used.
2.Quotation as evidence.
3.Analysis.
Show how the writer uses sentence
structure to establish how profitable
Sandra Bullock is as an actress. (2)
The film could not have served her better, but then last
year was a good year, professionally at least, for Bullock.
Indeed if ever an actor had a full-spectrum, 360-degree
banner year to celebrate, it was Sandra Bullock in 2009.
First The Proposal (made on a mere $40m outlay) took an
estimated $320m at the box-office. Meanwhile, The Blind
Side, late in the year, crossed over in its second and third
weekends to a more conservative audience that often
dodges Hollywood product. Directed by John Lee
Hancock, it has made more money than any previous
movie featuring a single above-the-title female star:
$265m and counting.
Is Booze Culture Killing Britain?
Excessive drinking is everywhere. Look at the messages on
greetings cards. Look at the effect Ibiza culture is having back
home. Look at the rise of the superpub. Look at the number of
new alcoholic products coming to the market. Look at the space
and prominence supermarkets give to alcohol. Look at
television.
We won’t change this overnight, but we could start to change
direction. It’s not about drinking less – it’s about thinking more!
Show how the writer’s sentence structure emphasises the
points she is making about alcohol consumption in the UK.
(2A)
Do drugs raids work?
After a huge and successful police raid, the response is to sit
back in one’s armchair happy in the knowledge that the streets
have been cleared of an evil scourge that ruins lives. Good has
triumphed evil. The end.
Except that real life doesn’t work that way. Drugs raids don’t
work in reality. They look good on telly. They help senior police
officers reach targets. They reassure the public. They stop a
few clubbers from taking ecstasy this coming weekend. There
the benefits end.
Show how the writer’s sentence structure in both paragraphs
adds impact to the point she is making. (2A)
Use of Language
Questions
In the past, the SQA
separated many of
their Analysis Qs
into word choice,
imagery and
sentence structure.
Now, more and
more, they are
asking candidates to
comment on the
writer’s use of
language.
In these questions
you are being tested
on your ability to
read an extract and
comment on word
choice, imagery and
sentence structure.
How many can you
see in the 2010
Higher Questions on
Passage 2?
Some tips for questions on use of language:
1.Divide your answer up into sections on word choice, imagery and sentence
structure. Use headings to make it clearer to the marker what technique you are
dealing with.
2.Don’t feel that you need to deal with all three (word choice, imagery and
sentence structure) to get full marks. Word choice is usually easier and quicker
to spot and analyse than sentence structure!
3.Give four examples for 4A marks.
Try the following Q from the 2010 Higher Paper.
The marking scheme is on the following slide.
Who is to blame for the London riots?
We think we can treat young people with contempt, demand
respect when it has not been earned, consign them to a
lifetime of poverty, disregard their need for education and
nurture, cut their services first and hardest, and cast them on
to the scrapheap of life in order to preserve our own cosy
lifestyles.
Consequently, young people are rioting because they can,
because it is all they can do. Hope is an unfamiliar
companion, the idea of generational justice is laughable.
They have no fear because they have no future.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Show how the writer’s use of language in these
paragraphs makes clear her sympathy with young
people.
In your answer you should refer to word choice, sentence
structure and imagery. (4A)
Zoos – educational or entertainment?
The main thing that distinguishes zoos from the discredited circuses of
yesteryear is their spurious educational credentials. But what does a child
really learn from watching a wretched polar bear sitting discontentedly on
some concrete rock? What ecological awareness is gleaned from looking
into an enclosure, watching a listless tiger pacing up and down with
frustration? Don’t ask me. I refused to take my children to a zoo because I
find them so depressing. But they went anyway. And found them
depressing.
Show how the writer’s use of language in these paragraphs makes
clear her disapproval of zoos.
In your answer you should refer to word choice and sentence
structure. (3A)
Show how the writer’s use of language shows
her disapproval of this new campaign. (3A)
Last week, it was proposed that parents should be expected to
adhere to the following five-a-day childcare check-list: read to
your kids for 15 minutes; play on the floor with them for 10;
talk to them for 10 minutes (with the telly off); praise them
regularly; and give them a nutritious diet.
The problem isn’t the checklist itself, but the “nudge” principle
behind the campaign. This politically trendy word litters the
report. Governments are becoming overly fond of nudging,
manipulating, beguiling and frog-marching us towards the
kinds of personal change they say would lead to better health,
greater social mobility, reduced crime and other grand
objectives.
Show how the writer’s use of language shows
his disapproval of homework. (4A)
Homework has a lot to answer for. It doesn't mess up every
child. But the mental oppression of leaving school for the day,
and then facing hours of slog, alienates many. Piling
mountains of homework on children is the surest way to turn
education into drudgery.
In the 40 years since I last wore a blazer, the culture of
excessive homework, especially in “high-flying” schools, has
become far worse denying children the time and opportunities
to discover the infinite richness and possibilities of life. The
narrowing of the British educational curriculum over the past
30 years - pushing art, music, sport and drama to the margins
or beyond - has been shocking.
Questions on Both Passages
Question on Both Passages:
The final question of the Close Reading will ask you to identify:
Similarities
between the
two passages
Differences
between the
two passages
Both similarities
and differences
between the
two passages
You are being asked to focus on ideas (key arguments
or points made) not style (tone, structure…)
Some advice:
1. Be careful what you are looking for: similarities, differences
or both.
2. Read the final question before you start reading the
passages – this will focus/inform your reading from the start.
3. Note down key similarities / differences as you work your
way through the exam – the other questions might help with
this.
Structuring Your Answer:
Similarity 1 - ________________________________________
Passage 1 states _________________________________________________
Passage 2 states _________________________________________________
Similarity 2 - ________________________________________
Passage 1 states _________________________________________________
Passage 2 states _________________________________________________
Similarity 3 - ________________________________________
Passage 1 states __________________________________________________
Passage 2 states __________________________________________________
Keep your answer focused and clear. You should gain 3
marks for identifying the three similarities/differences and gain
an additional 2 for going into detail.
You do not need to use quotations in your answer. You are
being tested on your ability to summarise.
Some examples:
Similarity 1 - ________________________________________
Passage 1 states _________________________________________________
Passage 2 states _________________________________________________
Similarity 2 - ________________________________________
Passage 1 states _________________________________________________
Passage 2 states _________________________________________________
Similarity 3 - ________________________________________
Passage 1 states __________________________________________________
Passage 2 states __________________________________________________
P95 – 98 ‘Competitive Sport’
Consider the attitude displayed by each writer to competitive
sports.
Referring to the important ideas in the passage, identify key areas
where they agree. (5U/E)
Some examples:
Difference 1 - ________________________________________
Passage 1 states _________________________________________________
Passage 2 states _________________________________________________
Difference 2 - ________________________________________
Passage 1 states _________________________________________________
Passage 2 states _________________________________________________
Difference 3 - ________________________________________
Passage 1 states __________________________________________________
Passage 2 states __________________________________________________
P100 – 104 ‘Serving on a Jury’
Consider the attitude displayed by each writer to jury duty.
Referring to the important ideas in the passage, identify key areas
where they disagree. (5U/E)
Some examples:
Similarity 1 - ________________________________________
Passage 1 states _________________________________________________
Passage 2 states _________________________________________________
Difference 1 - ________________________________________
Passage 1 states _________________________________________________
Passage 2 states _________________________________________________
Similarity/Difference 2 - ________________________________________
Passage 1 states __________________________________________________
Passage 2 states __________________________________________________
P105 – 108 ‘The Importance of Reading’
Consider the attitude displayed by each writer to reading.
Referring to the important ideas in the passage, identify key areas
where they agree and key areas where they disagree. (5U/E)
‘The Tragic Beauty of Concorde’ and ‘The Ghoulish Crowds’ were
both published on the same day and talk about Concorde
crashing.
Consider the points that each writer is making.
Bullet point the three main ideas from each passage.
Work for today:
Critical Essay
Finish your critical
essay on ‘The DeathBed’ or ‘Disabled’.
Close Reading
Answer the Qs on
‘The Ghoulish
Crowds’ to ensure
that you get a CR
mark out of 50.
Writing Folio
Plan and begin your
creative piece for your
writing folio.
Deadline for draft
submission –
23/3/12
John.doherty@falkirk.
gov.uk