Higher Close Reading Skills

1
Higher Close Reading Skills

• Analysis Language

2
Word Choice

• These questions are simply asking you to look at
  certain words and explain why the writer has
  chosen those particular words over similar words.
  
• You should be thinking about the associations or
  connotations of a particular word.
• Quote the word or phrase from the passage
  exactly.
• Give the connotations of the word and not just
  its meaning.

3
How does the word choice in these lines create an
exotic description of salsa dancing? (2)

• Admittedly, Saturday night TV may not reek of
  Latin glamour. But the new Dirty Dancing film,
  soon to reach UK cinemas, makes up for that. Set
  in the blistering heat of Cuba, Havana Nights
  features the sort of drippingly sexy salsa that
  you really have to be Latin to pull off.

4
Word Choice Answer

• reek
• suggests the smell of something animal, sweaty,
  sexy, settings.
• Dirty Dancing
• suggests the sexual connotations of the dance
  that it is connected with sex like dirty talk
• blistering heat
• the suggestion that the heat is so intense that
  it makes paint or skin blister
• Cuba
• glamorous location
• drippingly sexy
• suggests sweaty/energetic dancing, or some food
  connotations that, like ice-cream, it is
  meltingly attractive

5
Varieties of Language

• Formal/Informal Language, Jargon, and
  Dialect/Slang

6
Formal and informal language

• FORMAL
• Usually written
• No abbreviations
• Grammatically correct
• Complex vocab/jargon
• Impersonal
• Often factual

• INFORMAL
• Usually spoken
• Uses abbreviations
• Looser sentence structures
• Everyday words
• Personal
• May include feelings

7
Jargon

• Language that is usually found in a specialised
  text aimed at a specific group of people.
• The company will champion your assessment of this
  years revenue growth and spearhead a practical
  application of the new system.

8
Dialect and Slang

• Dialect language that is used in particular
  areas of the world.
• Slang language that is not formal or standard
  English.
• Informal in nature (usually spoken).
• Guid ane.
• Totally awesome.
• Youll go mutt an jeff.
• Aw shnap, son. Check out the fine ass sho-tee
  rockin' all dat ice.

9
Sound Effects

• Alliteration, Onomatopoeia and Pun

10
Alliteration

• Starting more than one word in a sentence with
  the same letter.
• Should create a sound effect linked to the topic
  of the sentence.
• The wind whispered through the willows.

11
Onomatopoeia

• Words that imitate/describe a sound.
• She screamed when the door banged shut.

12
Pun

• A play on words that sound similar but have a
  different meaning.
• Waiter!
• Yes sir?
• Whats this supposed to be?
• Its bean soup.
• I dont care what its been, what is it now?

13
Overstating, Understating and Talking in Circles

• Hyperbole, Litotes and Euphemism

14
Hyperbole

• Deliberate exaggeration for emphasis/humour.
• The diamond in my engagement ring was the size of
  my fist.

15
Litotes

• The opposite of hyperbole deliberate
  understatement.
• After the nuclear bomb went off, one professor
  turned to his colleague and said, See, it was
  practically silent.
• Defending his pet wolf, he said Hes just a
  puppy.

16
Euphemism

• Using inoffensive language to make an unpleasant
  truth less harsh.
• Youre missing that one final screw.
• Im one card short of a full deck.
• Im not quite the shilling.
• One wave short of a shipwreck.
• Im Going Slightly Mad - Queen

17
Contrasts, Opposites and Contradictions

• Paradox, Oxymoron and Juxtaposition

18
Paradox

• A statement which appears to be a contradiction
  but contains truth.
• I can resist anything except temptation.
• Spies do not look like spies.
• Theres method in his madness.

19
Oxymoron

• Two opposite words placed side by side that dont
  seem to belong together but heighten contrast.
• Free servitude
• Deafening silence
• Brightest black
• Brilliantly stupid

20
Juxtaposition

• Placing two contrasting ideas side by side.
• The feeling was both sweet and sour at the same
  time.
• The body of an angel with the mind of the devil.

21
The New, the Old and the Overused

• Neologism, Archaism and Cliché

22
Neologism

• A newly invented word/phrase.
• Fraped
• Texting
• Fess up
• Gamer
• WAG

23
Archaism

• A word from the past that is no longer in use.
• Thou thy
• You little perisher.
• Hes courting a girl.

24
Cliché

• An expression that was once original but has now
  been overused.
• Her hair was white as snow.
• Quiet as a mouse.
• Slow and steady wins the race.