Linguistic analysis
What Linguistic analysis means in English Literature A-Level, as defined for OCR, Pearson Edexcel.
Definitions of Linguistic analysis
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
Check what you remember
Read the wording for your board, then hide it and explain Linguistic analysis in your own words. Rough notes are fine. This is a self-check, with no mark or grade.
Reference: OCR
Close detailed analysis of Shakespeare's use of language, dissecting specific lexical fields, imagery, metre and rhetorical devices to uncover deeper meanings.
Discussion of form and metre should be integrated alongside linguistic analysis, focusing on the features that most significantly shape the text's meaning.
Close reading focused on the specific nuances of the English language used by the author, such as regional dialects or period-specific idioms.
Examining lexical choices and syntax to explain meaning, rather than spotting features without linking the technique to the text.
Detailed exploration of Shakespeare's choices regarding language, imagery, and tone within the passage.
Detailed analysis of the effects created by the writer's specific choices of language and form.
Topics that use Linguistic analysis
- 2d. Content of non-exam assessment in A Level in English Literature (Component 03) (OCR A-Level)
- Drama and poetry pre-1900 (Component 01) - Section 1 set texts: Shakespeare (OCR A-Level)
- Literature post-1900 (Component 03) - Literary texts requirements: (OCR A-Level)
- Literature post-1900 (Component 03) - Task 1: Close reading OR Re-creative writing with commentary (OCR A-Level)
- Component 3: Poetry (Pearson Edexcel A-Level)
Related terms
- Form and structure
- Historical context
- Audience reception
- Literary terminology
- Textual evidence
- Textual selection
- Thematic connections
- Thematic development
Using Linguistic analysis in the exam
Check the command word and mark scheme for your exact question. After comparing your explanation with the reference, use the term in an answer on the linked topic. This practice does not predict an exam mark.
Practise English Literature questions
Create a free account to answer exam-style questions on this topic and get feedback on your answers.
A week of Premium from your first lesson · Then the free plan continues · No card, no charge