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No joy in a dry sausage
Language library > Introduction to language study > Descriptions of language
How it works
This is a very straightforward resource: a short piece of text, taken
from Nigel Slater’s cookery text, Real Food, and a series of questions
testing introductory level knowledge about word classes. It was
designed to be an end-of-induction progress test to inform first term
individual student review interviews. Well, that and a bit of a
frightener for any student still labouring under the delusion that you
don’t have to actually learn anything to be successful in English at A
Level. It moves from basic identification questions into a stylistic
analysis, with an extension question about advertising for the superkeen.
Try this!
Instead of – or as well as – being used as a test, this text would work
well as the starting point for different kinds of investigation. Firstly, it
could be used as the basis for a study of language variation, by
collecting together, ENB1 style, another 6–8 contemporary ‘sausages’
texts from a range of sources. Sausage packaging, sausages ads,
sausage recipes, whatever students can lay their hands on. Different
kinds of grouping could be practised, as well as close textual analysis
of what’s going on in each.
Or this!
Alternatively, read on in Real Food and choose one of Slater’s sausage
recipes, and then collect others from Delia Smith, Nigella Lawson,
Jamie Oliver et al, for a comparison of language variation in recipes.
Use this to lead into wider work on recipes using the Books for
Cooks resources available on the British Library’s Texts in Context
website (www.bl.uk).
Or this!
Alternatively, follow up the bonus question as a mini-investigation,
looking at sexualised language in contemporary advertising.
Chocolate adverts can be particularly good for this: think Cadbury’s
Flake and the Caramel bunny …
© 2007 www.teachit.co.uk
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No joy in a dry sausage
A word classes progress test
You have 1 hour for this test.
Read the text below and complete all of the tasks which follow it.
IN SEARCH OF THE PERFECT SAUSAGE …
I want a sausage that is sticky outside and juicy within. I want its skin to be tight and deep
brown, and to be coated in that savoury, Marmite-like goo that comes with slow cooking.
It must be a proper butcher’s sausage. A butcher stands or falls by his sausages. And it must
be a plump one – no skinny chipolatas for me, thank you. Some fancy a smooth, bland banger
but I insist on one that is coarsely ground with plenty of herbs (nothing fancy – a bit of thyme
and parsley will do) and a generous hand with the pepper. It must be juicy. There is no joy in
a dry sausage.
A sausage for breakfast would be a treat indeed, fighting as it does against the morning rush
and the modern attitude to healthy eating. It is a wonderful way to wake up. Especially when
someone else has risen early and the smell is already wafting up the stairs.
Text: Chapter introduction in a recipe book
Source: Real Food by Nigel Slater
1.
List 10 concrete nouns from this text
(10 marks)
2.
List 3 abstract nouns from this text
(3 marks)
3.
List 5 adjectives from this text
(5 marks)
4.
List one example of a descriptive adjective, one example of an evaluative adjective, and one
example of an emotive adjective. You may use adjectives included in your answer to question 3
(3 marks)
5.
List 3 adverbs used in the text
(3 marks)
6.
State 1 modal auxiliary verb that is used in this text
7.
List 5 dynamic verbs used in the text
(5 marks)
8.
List 2 stative verbs used in the text
(2 marks)
9.
Using the analysis you have completed in tasks 1-6, discuss the effect the writer’s lexical choices
have on the meaning and impact of the text
(18 marks)
(1 mark)
Bonus question if you have time:
Discuss what you have observed about the use of sexualised language in contemporary advertising
and promotion.
(5 marks)
© 2005 www.teachit.co.uk
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No joy in a dry sausage
A word classes progress test
Mark scheme
These answers are not intended to be exhaustive but a starting point for marking – there are always
some grey areas. One way of marking question 9 is to give credit for up to 6 sets of 3 marks – a mark
for a key point about language use, a mark for substantiating evidence from the text, and a mark for
exploring the stylistic significance. Or make your own mark scheme up to develop a focus on the skills
you want to prioritise at this point in the course.
The mark scheme adds up to 50 for easy percentage calculation, but an extra 5 bonus marks can be
credited within that for any rational comments made in response to the question that are substantiated
with examples.
1) List 10 concrete nouns from this text.
Includes: sausage, skin, goo, butcher, banger, chipolatas, herbs, thyme, parsley, hand, pepper,
breakfast, stairs
2) List 3 abstract nouns from this text
Includes: joy, treat, attitude
3) List 5 adjectives from this text
Includes: perfect, sticky, juicy, tight, brown, savoury, slow, proper, plump, skinny, smooth, bland,
fancy, generous, dry, modern, healthy, wonderful
4) List one example of a descriptive adjective, one example of an evaluative adjective, and one
example of an emotive adjective. You may use adjectives included in your answer to question 3
Descriptive: includes sticky, juicy, tight, brown, savoury, slow, smooth, dry, modern
Evaluative: proper, plump, skinny, bland, fancy, generous, healthy
Emotive: wonderful
5) List 3 adverbs used in the text
Includes: outside, within, coarsely, early, already
6) State 1 modal auxiliary verb that is used in this text
Includes: must, would
7) List 5 dynamic verbs used in the text
Includes: stands, falls, insist, fighting, wake up, risen, wafting
8) List 2 stative verbs used in the text
Includes: want, is/to be, fancy
© 2005 www.teachit.co.uk
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