Study Notes
Overview
Welcome to your guide for OCR GCSE English Language, focusing on the critical skills of understanding a writer's purpose, audience, and perspective. In your exam, you will be presented with unseen 19th, 20th, and 21st-century texts. Your success hinges not on just what you read, but how you read. Examiners are looking for candidates who can dissect a writer's craft, linking their choices in language and structure directly to their overall intention. This guide will equip you with the analytical frameworks and writing techniques needed to achieve this at a high level.
Reading Skills
Identifying Information & Ideas
This is the foundation of all reading comprehension. AO1 requires you to identify and interpret both explicit and implicit information. Explicit information is stated directly in the text. Implicit information is suggested or hinted at; you must 'read between the lines'. To secure marks, you must be able to select 'judicious' evidence – short, precise quotations – that directly support your points.
Analysing Language
Language analysis (AO2) is about exploring how a writer's specific word choices, phrases, and literary devices create meaning and influence the reader. Avoid generic statements like 'the writer uses a metaphor'. Instead, you must analyse the effect of that specific metaphor in its context.
Key Language Features to Identify
| Feature | Definition | Effect on Reader | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metaphor | A figure of speech where a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. | Creates a powerful, often complex image in the reader's mind, adding layers of meaning. | 'The classroom was a zoo.' |
| Simile | A figure of speech comparing one thing with another thing of a different kind, using 'like' or 'as'. | Makes a description more vivid and relatable by linking it to a familiar concept. | 'He was as brave as a lion.' |
| Pathetic Fallacy | The attribution of human feelings and responses to inanimate things or animals, especially in nature. | Creates a specific mood or atmosphere that often reflects the emotional state of a character. | 'The miserable rain fell from the sky.' |
| Personification | Giving human qualities or abilities to something that is not human. | Brings an object or concept to life, making it more engaging or threatening. | 'The wind whispered through the trees.' |
| Alliteration | The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. | Can create a specific sound effect (e.g., harsh, soft) to influence the tone or draw attention to certain words. | 'The sweet smell of success.' |
| Sibilance | A specific type of alliteration that uses the repetition of soft consonant sounds like 's' or 'sh'. | Often creates a sinister, soft, or sly tone, depending on the context. | 'The snake slithered silently.' |
| Juxtaposition | Placing two contrasting ideas, characters, or descriptions close together. | Highlights the differences between them, often to create a dramatic or ironic effect. | 'The juxtaposition of the wealthy and the poor in the city was stark.' |
| Emotive Language | Words and phrases chosen deliberately to evoke an emotional response in the reader. | A key tool of persuasion; it can make a reader feel sympathy, anger, or excitement. | 'A defenceless puppy was abandoned in the cold.' |
Analysing Structure
Structure refers to how a writer organises a text. This includes the sequence of events, the shifts in focus, and the way sentences and paragraphs are built. When analysing structure, you must consider why the writer has chosen to present the information in that specific order.
- Openings: How does the writer hook the reader from the very first sentence?
- Shifts in Focus: Where does the writer change the topic or perspective? Look for discourse markers like 'However' or 'Meanwhile'.
- Narrative Perspective: Is it first-person ('I'), third-person limited (following one character), or third-person omniscient (all-knowing)? How does this choice affect what the reader knows?
- Sentence Length Variation: A mix of long, complex sentences and short, simple ones can alter the pace and create tension or emphasis.
- Paragraph Structure: Short paragraphs can have a punchy impact, while longer ones can build detailed arguments or descriptions.
- Cyclical Structure: Does the text end where it began? This can suggest a sense of entrapment or inevitability.
- Flashback/Foreshadowing: How does the writer play with time to build suspense or provide context?
Evaluating Critically
Evaluation (AO4) is the highest-level reading skill. It requires you to form a critical judgment on a text. You need to assess how successfully the writer has achieved their purpose. This is not just your opinion; it must be rooted in textual evidence. A good structure for an evaluative paragraph is:
- Statement: Make a clear point about the writer's methods. ('The writer is highly successful in creating a sense of threat...')
- Evidence: Provide a short, embedded quotation.
- Analysis: Explain how the language or structure in your evidence works.
- Link: Connect your analysis back to the overall success of the writer in achieving their purpose.
Comparing Writers' Viewpoints
For comparison questions, you need to synthesise information from two texts. The key is to compare the writers' perspectives and the methods they use to convey them. A good approach is to identify a key theme or idea present in both texts and then compare how each writer treats it. For example, both writers might describe a city, but one might present it as a place of opportunity (using vibrant, positive language) while the other sees it as a place of decay (using bleak, negative imagery).
Writing Skills
Creative Writing
Whether you are asked to write a description or a narrative, the key is to be engaging and technically accurate. Examiners reward ambition.
- Show, Don't Tell: Instead of telling the reader a character is nervous, show it: 'His hands trembled as he reached for the glass.'
- Sensory Description: Appeal to all five senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste) to create a vivid world for the reader.
- Varied Sentence Structures: Use a mix of simple, compound, and complex sentences to create rhythm and pace.
- Engaging Openings: Start with action, dialogue, or a mystery to hook the reader immediately.
- Satisfying Endings: A good ending provides a sense of closure, but it doesn't have to be a happy one. A twist or a reflective moment can be very effective.
- One-Scene Rule: For short stories in an exam, it's often best to focus on a single, dramatic moment in time rather than trying to tell a long, complex story.
Transactional/Non-Fiction Writing
For tasks like writing a letter, article, or speech, you must master the TAP framework from a writer's perspective. Your choice of form, tone, and language must be appropriate for the specified purpose and audience.
- Purpose-Form-Audience: Before you write, identify the purpose (e.g., to persuade the council), the form (e.g., a formal letter), and the audience (e.g., the head of the council). This will guide all your choices.
- AFOREST Techniques: This acronym is a great memory hook for persuasive writing: Alliteration, Facts, Opinions, Rhetorical questions, Emotive language, Statistics, Three (rule of).
Technical Accuracy (SPaG)
Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar (SPaG) are critical. They account for a significant portion of the marks in the writing sections. Perfect SPaG allows your ideas to shine through clearly. Aim for ambitious but accurate punctuation: semicolons to link closely related independent clauses; colons to introduce a list or explanation; dashes for dramatic emphasis; and parenthetical commas to add extra information. Ensure your paragraphs are cohesive and linked with appropriate discourse markers (e.g., 'Furthermore', 'In contrast', 'Consequently')."