Language SkillsImagery Revision

Comparison Imagery - StructureWhen commenting on the use of imagery, it is helpful to do the following:

1. Identify the image being used.• Identify the literal and figurative parts of the image.

2. Explain what the feature you have identified contributes to the passage:a) Explain the literal meaning / root of the image.b) Explain the figurative meaning of the image: make a sensible

connection with what the writer is trying to say at that point in the passage.

For example:“The fish shot through the water like a bullet.”1. The writer compares the fish to a bullet. 2.a) Bullets are small, metal objects that are fired from guns and travel at

great speed, in a straight line.2.b) This suggests that the fish was moving extremely quickly, and in a

straight line.

3. Show how the writer uses imagery and word choice in lines 15-24 to convey the “wonder of the library as a physical space”.4A

1. Identify the image being used.– Identify the literal and figurative parts of the image.

2. Explain what the feature you have identified contributes to the passage:a)Explain the literal meaning / root of the image.b)Explain the figurative meaning of the image: make a sensible

connection with what the writer is trying to say at that point in the passage.

• “a skyscraper library, built around a vast atrium stretching up through the various floors”

• “I could see other students … cocooned in their own separate worlds of knowledge”

• “Intrigued, I soon took to exploring what was on these other planets:”

3. Show how the writer uses imagery and word choice in lines 15-24 to convey the “wonder of the library as a physical space”.4A

1. Identify the image being used.– Identify the literal and figurative parts of the image.

2. Explain what the feature you have identified contributes to the passage:a)Explain the literal meaning / root of the image.b)Explain the figurative meaning of the image: make a sensible

connection with what the writer is trying to say at that point in the passage.

• “a skyscraper library, built around a vast atrium stretching up through the various floors”

• “I could see other students … cocooned in their own separate worlds of knowledge”

• “Intrigued, I soon took to exploring what was on these other planets:”

Language SkillsEvaluation Revision

Evaluation Questions – StructureThe structure of a response to an Evaluation question is virtually identical to a response to an Analysis question:

Analysis Question Structure:1. Identify unusual language features you have discovered, quoting

them where appropriate.2. Explain what the feature you have identified contributes to the

passage.

Evaluation Question Structure:1. State your opinion on the issue you have been asked to

consider.2. Identify unusual ideas / language features you have discovered

which support your opinion, quoting them where appropriate.3. Explain how the idea / feature you have identified supports your

opinion.

They are extremely effective:

Ideas: • References to Google and the Bodleian Library

– ties in with ideas that were introduced at the start of the passage, suggesting that the writer has come full circle in his argument.

• The idea of large numbers (one million books) on Google/the vastness of libraries– leads to an understanding of the enormous amount of

material which can never be known • The differentiation between information and wisdom

– Introduction of the main idea that the passage has been leading up to.

7. How effective do you find the ideas and/or language of the final paragraph (lines 55-61) as a conclusion to the passage as a whole? 3E

They are extremely effective:Language: • “Yet here’s”– conversational tone invites the reader to come on board and share

his ideas • “Ever.”– one word sentence emphasises the impossibility of conquering all

knowledge.• Use of a dash, plus the final statement in last sentence– pause created by the dash puts emphasis “merely imbibing

information” creating a strong contrast with notion of “the beginning of wisdom”.

• Inversion of the word order in last sentence– places the realisation very close to the “ever” which gives it more

impact, and leaves the important word “wisdom” to follow its verb and take a central place in the last sentence.

7. How effective do you find the ideas and/or language of the final paragraph (lines 55-61) as a conclusion to the passage as a whole? 3E

Imagery:1. “skyscraper”

– compares the library to an immensely tall building that is considerably taller than nearby buildings, suggesting the immense size and magnificence of the building.

2. “stretching”– gives the impression of something being pulled or elongated,

suggesting that the floors of the library go up and up / are never-ending.

3. “cocooned”– refers to the idea of larvae that are protected and self-contained

in their cocoons, suggesting that each floor in the library is separate and shelters the students within their specialised knowledge areas.

4. “worlds (of knowledge)” / “planets”– compares the floors of the library to separate planetary systems,

suggesting that each of them is immense in size / self-contained / characteristically distinct from the others.

3. Show how the writer uses imagery and word choice in lines 15-24 to convey the “wonder of the library as a physical space”.

2A