1. Understanding Questions

1.1 Identify a point

Typical question: In lines 26–30 (“You often . . . show.”), what distinction does the writer make between video games and “most forms of popular entertainment”? (H 2011) 2 U

Instruction words: Give – State – Identify – Write down - What

METHOD : This is a Locate and Translate question Locate: Find the part in the passage where the answer appears Translate: as far as possible, turn this part into your own words, retaining the sense of what the writer was saying. ONLY write the translate point: don’t waste time copying out a quote from the passage.

You often hear video games included in the list of the debased instant gratifications that abound in our culture. But compared with most forms of popular entertainment, games turn out to be all about delayed gratification, sometimes so long delayed that you wonder if the gratification is ever going to show.

Locate: debased instant gratifications … compared with most forms of popular entertainment, games turn out to be all about delayed gratification … you wonder if the gratification is ever going to show.

Translate: Most forms of popular entertainment offer quick rewards (1) Video games make you wait a long time for the reward (1)

Coping with the challenge This type of question is easier if you have  a good general knowledge  good vocabulary

In addition to question type practice, you can improve by  reading widely  using a dictionary to look up unfamiliar words when you read  learning the skill of working words out from context

F McGrogan St Aidan’s High School May 2012 1.2 Explain an idea / argument in your own words

Typical question: According to the writer, why is “reward” so important to the learning process involved in playing video games? 3 U

Instruction words: Explain – Why

METHOD: This is a harder Locate and Translate question, because the answer draws on about nine points made between lines 33 and 45: one key point plus 8 optional points.

Locate: Find the part in the passage where the answer appears Translate: as far as possible, turn this part into your own words, retaining the sense of what the writer was saying. ONLY write the translate point: don’t waste time copying out a quote from the passage.

Key point: Locate: “the power of games to captivate largely involves their ability to tap into the brain’s natural reward circuitry.”

Translate: people’s brains are created in such a way that they find rewards a great stimulus to action, learning etc

+ 1 / 2 more points eg Subsidiary point Locate: “Most of the crucial work in game design focuses on keeping players notified of potential rewards available to them, and how much these rewards are currently needed.”

Translate: games constantly remind people that they can get rewards and how they will benefit.

Coping with the challenge

This type of question can be difficult because it often involves the ability to follow a complex line of thought which can extend over a good few lines. You need to make an intelligent summary of the idea, not just pick out unrelated points. Make sure that you reword the challenging / difficult vocabulary to reveal genuine understanding. Where necessary, generalise from specific examples, eg in a list.

You will find it easier if you have lots of experience of reading this sort of article for pleasure and general understanding.

F McGrogan St Aidan’s High School May 2012 1.3 Explain how a sentence acts as a link

Typical question: Show how the sentence in line 31 acts as a link in the writer’s argument. 2 U

So why does anyone bother playing these things?

Key word: link Instruction words: Show how

The link question involves understanding how the identified sentence 1. refers back to the topic of the previous paragraph and 2. introduces the new topic to be discussed.

METHOD: You need to do FOUR things 1. From the link, quote the phrase which links back 2. From the previous section, say what it is linking back to 3. From the link, quote the phrase which introduces a new idea 4. From the following section, show that this new idea is discussed.

1. “Why does anyone bother” links back 2. to the idea that game playing can seem like hard work and take a long time to offer any sort of reward or pleasure 3. The question “Why” introduces the new idea 4. which is the reasons why people do play, ie the reward system

The link question always requires the same 4 step method.

Take care: sometimes, the identified sentence links back / forward to ideas not immediately before or after. In the example above, the “reward” idea doesn’t appear until line 35: the writer poses the question again and puts forward the answer that “no-one really knows” before offering his own solution.

Again, intelligent and attentive reading is required. If you are reading the passage carefully enough, and following the line of thought, this type of question should be easy.

F McGrogan St Aidan’s High School May 2012 1.4 The meaning of key (difficult) words in the passage: the context question

Typical question: Show how the context of the word “vacillated” helps you to understand the meaning of the word. 2 U

For two days, the general vacillated. Should he give the order to advance, or should he allow his men to cling to their sturdy line of defence? This hesitation was to prove lethal.

Key word: context Instruction words: Show how

The context question involves understanding how the meaning of the word is revealed by the words around about it. The word is likely to be one you don't know: you are meant to work it out, not know it already.

METHOD: 1. Give the meaning of the word 2. Explain how the words around it reveal the meaning, eg by: giving an explanation; an example; an opposite etc

1. “”vacillated” means delayed in making a decision. 2. The question which follows shows the general weighing up two options, and we are told that this took two days, showing that the decision took time. Then the writer describes this behaviour as “hesitation”, which gives us another word for “vacillated”.

Take care to find the meaning of the word as it is used in the passage: this can be a different meaning to the common meaning.

Have you ever seen the headline round in “Have I Got News For You”? They give a headline with a word missing and ask the panel to guess what the word is. This is the way to approach this question: think of the word as a big blank, and work out what would fit the blank. The context WILL provide the meaning: the challenge is in explaining how by understanding the relationship of the word to the rest of the sentence.

F McGrogan St Aidan’s High School May 2012 1.5 Explain the relevance of an anecdote or illustration

Typical question: How does the example of algebra or of chess illustrate the point the writer is making in lines 55-61? 2 U

We teach algebra to children knowing full well that the day they leave the classroom 99 per cent of those kids will never again directly employ their algebraic skills. Learning algebra isn’t about acquiring a specific tool; it’s about building up a mental muscle that will come in handy elsewhere.

Key words: example - anecdote – illustrate Instruction words: Explain – How

Writers often use anecdotes (or “wee stories”) to illustrate a point. In fact, I did this in class myself one day … This type of question asks you to spot the similarity between the specific example / anecdote and the writer's wider argument.

METHOD: 1. Work out and explain the main point of the anecdote 2. Work out and explain the link to the overall argument eg The writer makes the point that algebra is useful more for the skills it develops than for the knowledge of algebra; this is the same as video games, which he believes develop the brain regardless of what they are about.

This is a good question for testing whether you are following the writer's general points. The “wee stories” can sometimes act as light relief in a serious passage, and you can enjoy the story for itself, but an attentive reader will see how it fits into the writer's general point and how it helped you to understand a key idea.

F McGrogan St Aidan’s High School May 2012 2 Analysis

The three question types which follow – Word Choice, Imagery and Sentence Structure – are all subdivisions of the Language question. They can be asked separately or as part of a Language question. You are always asked to make a connection between the language feature and an aspect of the writer’s ideas, opinion or attitude.

2.1 Word Choice

Typical question: Show how the writer’s word choice in lines 1–4 emphasises the “conventional wisdom” that reading books is better than playing video games. 2 U

Reading books enriches the mind; playing video games deadens it—you can’t get much more conventional than the conventional wisdom that kids today would be better off spending more time reading books, and less time zoning out in front of their video games.

Key words: word choice Instruction words: Show how

This is one of the easier questions to learn how to do, focusing on the impact of specific words. You are asked to connect the word chosen to the writer's attitude / tone / mood / point

METHOD: Quote and analyse You need to understand three concepts: Denotation : the dictionary meaning of the word Connotation: the emotional associations of the word, eg the attitude it displays Effect: the reason for the writer choosing this word Focus on single words, or, at most, very short phrases. eg “ enriches” Denotation : improves Connotation: suggests the idea of a wealth of benefits, as if the mind is stuffed with good things Effect: this emphasises that the “conventional wisdom” is that reading is improving.

You can lay out your answer like this: it isn’t required, but it can be helpful in making sure you are following the method and, therefore, getting the marks.

F McGrogan St Aidan’s High School May 2012 Coping with the challenge

Clearly, a good vocabulary helps you to cope with word choice questions: both a knowledge of difficult words and an awareness of the connotation of words.

As you read for pleasure, you should become aware of the emotional resonances of words used by the writer and how you subtly pick up the writer's attitude through the words chosen. You learn a lot about this when studying literature, especially poetry. Adverts are very good at using words with effective connotations: do you fall into their trap or can you spot their tricks?

F McGrogan St Aidan’s High School May 2012 2.2 Imagery

Typical question: Show how, in lines 15-22, the writer conveys the difficulty of playing video games by his use of imagery. 2 U

But when you put the game down and move back into the real world, you may find yourself mentally working through the problem you have been wrestling with, as though you were worrying a loose tooth.

Key word: imagery Instruction words: Show how

In close reading, the word imagery refers to the techniques involving comparison: similes and metaphors. You are expected to recognise what the comparison helps you to understand about the writer's main point.

METHOD: You need to recognise three things: The literal root of the image: ie, what comparison is being used What this is being used to describe Why the two things are similar

You might find this formula useful: Just as … (characteristics of the root) so too … (characteristics of the thing being described) eg “ worrying a loose tooth” Just as a loose tooth is something you can't leave alone and keep going back to without thinking about it so too do we continually try to work out how to get past the problem in the game.

You can sometimes find that the simile / metaphor is something you don't recognise: one year, the Higher paper talked about children being like “battery hens”, and many pupils thought these were toy hens, not caged ones! Similarly, a recent paper used a reference to King Canute: do you know who he was?

Again, a good general knowledge helps: the writer is aiming the passage at an educated general reader with some cultural awareness.

F McGrogan St Aidan’s High School May 2012 F McGrogan St Aidan’s High School May 2012 2.3 Sentence structure

Typical question: Show how, in lines 15-22, the writer conveys the difficulty of playing video games by his use of sentence structure. 2A

The most powerful example of this trend is found in the world of video games. And the first and last thing that should be said about the experience of playing today’s video games, the thing you almost never hear, is that games are fiendishly, sometimes maddeningly, hard. The dirty little secret of gaming is how much time you spend not having fun. You may be frustrated; you may be confused or disorientated; you may be stuck. But when you put the game down and move back into the real world, you may find yourself mentally working through the problem you have been wrestling with, as though you were worrying a loose tooth.

Key words: sentence structure Instruction words: Show how

This is one of the hardest question types to do really well, and a good sentence structure answer is the marker of a high-scoring candidate. Sentence structure is about the way the writer organises words into sentences to highlight key points using Punctuation and Pattern.

As a starting point, you should look for what is obvious and different about the punctuation or the way the words are arranged. Among many other techniques, you will need to be able to recognise and discuss:  Sentence length (especially short / minor / (anti)climactic sentences)  Repetition  Parenthesis  Listing  Balance More subtle points take more careful reading and are the marker of an excellent candidate.

METHOD: Identify the technique being used Point out where it is used: you don’t need to quote a long chunk, but you need to show you’re not just guessing. Explain the impact of the technique.

F McGrogan St Aidan’s High School May 2012 eg “You may be frustrated; you may be confused or disorientated; you may be stuck.” The writer repeats the phrase “you may be” in order to highlight the variety of possible difficulties which the player may experience. The use of direct address in “you” makes the reader feel as if s/he may experience these difficulties. Each “You may be” clause ends in a different negative adjective; this focuses attention on the negative emotions which might be experienced.

There is one common answer which is ALWAYS WRONG, and it includes the words “a long sentence with lots of commas”. Most sentences in close reading are long with lots of commas; you won’t get ANY marks for pointing this out.

It is not surprising that sentence structure questions can throw a weaker candidate, as few people take care over their own sentence construction: think of the number of times you make punctuation errors in your own writing. (If you don’t, you are probably good at sentence structure questions!) As you develop a better awareness of how sentence structure creates impact, try to use these techniques in your own writing to highlight your key points and to create impact; this will help you to have a better awareness of how and why they are used.

F McGrogan St Aidan’s High School May 2012 2.4 Tone

Typical question: Briefly describe the mood created in lines 1-3 (“I have…girl.”). 1 A

I have a halcyon library memory. I am sitting under a cherry tree in the tiny central court- yard of the Cambridge University Library, a book in one hand and an almond slice in the other. On the grass beside me is an incredibly pretty girl.

Key word: tone – mood - attitude Instruction words: Identify – describe

This is usually a one mark question, requiring a one word answer. Easy, eh? You need to write down a word or phrase to describe the feeling. Sophisticated words are needed: positive / negative / formal / informal are not enough. Often, the writer is taking a stance against something, but don’t say “critical” – that is a purpose, not a tone. Identify how he expects us to feel. Go for words like: aggressive – regretful – angry – excited – petulant – mournful – respectful – anxious – querulous – confused - etc You don’t need to explain your answer. The next question often asks you to do this anyway.

METHOD: Pick a word and write it down. Easy. eg idyllic / carefree / blissful (any one)

Just like a good song, there will be highs and lows, light and shade within a good passage: moments where the writer sets up a mood and moments where s/he knocks it down or creates confrontation. A passage which stayed blissful or aggressive all the way through would soon become wearing. You need to be able to spot how the mood changes within the passage, and also have a good vocabulary with which to describe these moods. To practice, you could look at your iPod and give words to describe the main tone or mood in some of your favourite songs, and describe places where it changes.

F McGrogan St Aidan’s High School May 2012 2.5 Language and Tone / Attitude

The Language question is really just a combination of the three question types above: Word Choice, Imagery and Sentence Structure. One type of Language question asks you to examine how language creates tone.

Typical question: Show how the writer’s use of language in these lines conveys a dismissive attitude towards the content of video games. 2A

After all, with the occasional exception, the actual content of the game is often childish or gratuitously menacing. Much of the role play inside the gaming world alternates between drive-by shooting and princess-rescuing. It is not the subject matter that attracts; it is the reward system that draws those players in, and keeps their famously short attention spans locked on the screen.

Key words: language – tone – attitude Instruction words: Show how

The Language question is really just a combination of the three question types above: Word Choice, Imagery and Sentence Structure. Apply the skills you have acquired in these three question types. You are often directed – usually in 4 mark questions – to comment on more than one feature. You are sometimes given the tone / attitude: eg a dismissive attitude how language is used to create a sense of outrage. If not, say what the tone is before you start, so that you can connect your language to tone.

METHOD: Identify tone if it not given in the question Use sub-headings: word choice / sentence structure etc. Then follow the advice given for that question type. eg Word choice “gratuitously (menacing)” Denotation: unnecessary Connotation: exploitative, damaging Effect: suggests that the violence in video games is overdone in order to sell games and therefore is taking a negative, critical stance towards their content, suggesting it has no real value.

Sentence structure

F McGrogan St Aidan’s High School May 2012 The short, blunt declaration before the semi-colon is a simple statement of complete dismissal of their content with no room for compromise: “It is not”.

This type of question is extremely common: in the 2011 paper, 16 marks, or over a third of the marks available, were for questions on language, and a further 10 marks for word choice and imagery, making over 50% of the marks for these question types.

You can practise it with any comment piece in a newspaper; look for examples of language used for impact, and work out why it is used. You can do the same with adverts or anywhere language is used to create effects.

2.6 Language and Contrast

This is another type of Language question. It may be asked about language in general or about word choice or imagery or sentence structure.

Typical question: Show how the writer’s use of language in this sentence emphasises the contrast between novels and video games. 2A

“Novels may activate our imagination and may conjure up powerful emotions, but games force you to analyse, to choose, to prioritise, to decide.”

Key word: language – contrast – difference Instruction words: Show how

This is asking you to do two things, really:  Understand the contrast  Pick out and analyse how the language – word choice / imagery / sentence structure – makes the contrast clear.

You would expect to find some of the following:  Words with strongly opposing denotations and connotations : eg lazy / conscientious  An image with two opposites within it: eg those who are in the lifeboat and those who are swimming for their lives  Clear separation in sentence structure: eg use of semi colon or contrasting lists However, this is not an exhaustive list: writers are endlessly inventive!

METHOD:

F McGrogan St Aidan’s High School May 2012 If the question says “language”, decide on the feature(s) you will focus on, and use these as headings. Within each heading, use a subheading for each side. Quote and analyse for each side. eg Novels Word choice “conjure up” The word “conjure” has connotations of magic, as if novels operate in the realm of unreal things which cannot be accounted for by logic.

“analyse” This word is connected to a very logical thought process, suggesting that video games operate more in the real world and involve sequential, linear thought patterns.

Among the language questions, the contrast one is probably the most manageable. You can approach it in a very logical way, and it’s not too hard to pick up the marks. Like all close reading, though, you need to read attentively so that you pick out the correct contrast.

F McGrogan St Aidan’s High School May 2012 3 Evaluation

3.1 Conclusions

Typical question: How effective do you find lines 36-39 as a conclusion to the writer’s condemnation of video gaming in the passage as a whole? 3E

“So I say now: go to where your children are sitting in auto-lobotomy in front of the console. Summon up all your strength, all your courage. Steel yourself for the screams and yank out that plug. And if they still kick up a fuss, then get out the sledgehammer and strike a blow for literacy.”

Key words: effective - conclusion Instruction words: How - Explain

A good conclusion will  refer back to ideas introduced elsewhere in the passage  make a final summing up of the writer’s argument  do all this with some sense of style / use of language for effect.

Sometimes, a conclusion will seem to be unusual, eg in introducing a new, unrelated idea or using an anecdote. You are expected to recognise this – and you are even allowed to say that you don’t find the conclusion effective – if, of course, you can back it up.

METHOD: There isn’t one clear method for this question type – an intelligent understanding of the passage is required. However, you can expect roughly one mark per point where you:  connect an idea in the conclusion to the overall argument in the passage, or  connect a feature of language in the passage to the writer’s overall tone / attitude. eg Ideas The writer suggests that the parent should take violent action against the games console in order to prevent the children from using it. This connects to his overall argument throughout the passage that children are being harmed by the games and that they are addicted, suggesting here that only violence can overcome their hold.

Language The language here is very dramatic and hyperbolic: “screams”, “sledgehammer”. He is creating a very exaggerated, almost comic book picture of the parents waging physical war on the video games, and the

F McGrogan St Aidan’s High School May 2012 children’s over-dramatic responses. This is in keeping with the exaggerated tongue in cheek style demonstrated throughout, in particular in the introduction where he described the games as a “drug” and the children as “addicts”.

This tends to be one of the hardest questions to do, and impossible unless you have read the passage as a whole and really understood how the argument has developed. One again, good reading skills are vital. Students tend to also find conclusions hard to write, and the two are not unrelated; the better you get at analysing conclusions, the better you will be at writing them!

F McGrogan St Aidan’s High School May 2012 3.2 The Both Passages question

Important: This is a revised question type, starting in the 2012 paper. Beware of study materials which might still tell you to approach it in the old way, for which you will get 0 marks.

Now, you will always be asked to identify the areas of agreement OR disagreement OR agreement AND disagreement between the passages (depending on whether they agree, disagree or both) and back up your choices with evidence from the text.

Typical question: Consider the attitude displayed by each writer to video games and their effects on young people. Referring to important ideas in the passages, identify the key areas on which they disagree. You may answer this question in continuous prose or in a series of developed bullet points. 5E

Key words: agree – disagree - ideas Instruction words: Identify - explain

METHOD: Deal with agreement/s first, then disagreement/s, if you are asked to do both. Use this as a heading, the put the area of agreement or disagreement as a subheading, underlined. Follow this up with evidence from each passage. A straightforward quote is the minimum. Better is a paraphrase of one or more points, showing an ability to link and sum up, and interspersed with short well chosen quotation.

Eg 2011 Paper: Passages disagreed (no areas of agreement)

Disagreements  The effect of gaming on intelligence: Passage 1 states that video games improve players’ intelligence as they exercise the brain. Passage 2 states that video games reduce players’ intelligence as they prevent them from reading and do not exercise the brain.

 The difficulty of gaming: Passage 1 describes games as “maddeningly hard” and as such require and develop problem solving skills, thus making games beneficial to the player. Passage 2 describes the players as “spoon-fed” so offer no challenge to the player so do not develop any skills.

F McGrogan St Aidan’s High School May 2012  Strategy required to play video games: Passage 1 states that the majority of the time players have to engage in boring tasks to gain longer term rewards, this develops players’ concentration as they must persevere for long term reward. Passage 2 states the opposite – that players are given “undeserved praise” and that the rewards are immediate” suggesting there is no concentration, or long term tactics required to play video games so players do not develop any skills.

In this question you need to show an ability to step back and look at the passages as a whole. It is an excellent test of whether you have really understood the passages. It is challenging because it comes after an hour and a half of hard work, and you really need to have understood the passages; but it’s really not too difficult to pick up the marks if you are logical and methodical.

It is one of the easiest question types to practice, as you can easily find two comment passages on any topical issue on internet versions of newspapers: just look at the links you have been given. Take two passages, and figure out: do they agree, disagree, or a bit of both? Where is the evidence?

F McGrogan St Aidan’s High School May 2012