English Literature A-Level
Signifier
What Signifier means in English Literature A-Level, as defined for AQA.
Definition of Signifier
Check what you remember
Read the wording for your board, then hide it and explain Signifier in your own words. Rough notes are fine. This is a self-check, with no mark or grade.
Reference: AQA
The form of a sign, such as a word, image, or costume.
Topics that use Signifier
- Subject content – A-level (AQA A-Level)
Related terms
- Authorial choice and textual effects
- Authorial shaping of meaning
- Comparative connections
- Context of production
- Convention, adaptation and subversion
- Critical evaluation and argument
- Form, structure and language
- Genre as a dynamic system of conventions
Using Signifier 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.
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