Commenting on the effects of structure

    AQA
    GCSE

    Candidates must analyze the writer's deliberate organization of the text, focusing on the sequence of events and the movement of the reader's attention. Responses should move beyond simple identification of structural features to evaluate the specific impact of shifts in focus, perspective, and temporal manipulation on the reader's engagement. High-level analysis requires linking structural choices—such as the juxtaposition of internal thoughts with external action or the use of cyclical framing—to the overarching thematic intent or narrative tension. Examiners prioritize the explanation of why the writer guides the reader through the text in a specific order.

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    Objectives
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    Exam Tips
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    Pitfalls
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    Key Terms
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    Mark Points

    What You Need to Demonstrate

    Key skills and knowledge for this topic

    • Award marks for clear identification of shifts in focus (e.g., from setting to character, or external to internal).
    • Credit responses that analyse the effect of narrative perspective (e.g., the immediacy of first-person or the detachment of third-person).
    • Candidates must link structural choices (foreshadowing, cyclical structure, zooming in) to the reader's interest or tension.
    • Reward the use of accurate structural terminology (linear, non-linear, climax, resolution) over linguistic analysis.

    Marking Points

    Key points examiners look for in your answers

    • Award marks for clear identification of shifts in focus (e.g., from setting to character, or external to internal).
    • Credit responses that analyse the effect of narrative perspective (e.g., the immediacy of first-person or the detachment of third-person).
    • Candidates must link structural choices (foreshadowing, cyclical structure, zooming in) to the reader's interest or tension.
    • Reward the use of accurate structural terminology (linear, non-linear, climax, resolution) over linguistic analysis.

    Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for maximising your marks

    • 💡Divide the source text into three distinct sections (Beginning, Middle, End) to ensure coverage of the whole text.
    • 💡Use the 'What? Where? Why?' method: What is the focus? Where does it shift? Why did the writer move it there?
    • 💡Avoid analysing sentence length unless explicitly linking it to pacing or tension; treat it as a structural device, not grammar.
    • 💡Focus on the 'camera angles' of the text: look for zooms, pans, and shifts in perspective.

    Common Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

    • Analysing language features (metaphors, similes, word classes) instead of structural features (AO2 Language vs Structure confusion).
    • Retelling the story or summarizing the plot ('Then he goes to the shop...') without analysing the writer's organizational choices.
    • Using generic effects such as 'it makes the reader want to read on' without explaining *why*.
    • Limiting analysis to the beginning of the text and ignoring the development through the middle and end.

    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    Likely Command Words

    How questions on this topic are typically asked

    How is the text structured to interest you as a reader?
    What the writer focuses your attention on at the beginning
    How and why the writer changes this focus as the source develops
    Analyse the effects of structural features
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