English Language Gcse Paper 1 Question 2 Method

How to make points for Q2 in English Language GCSE Paper 1

Example question: How does the writer use language to create a sense of mystery?

1. Identify a point of interest probably quote it

2. Explain why we think the writer chose this particular word, name interesting association this word, why is it significant

3. The effect on reader

By using the word shadow the writer emphasises a sense of darkness, and the dark is often mysterious. Also shadows can be seen in the night, and in day a shadow can be seen as the darkness of the shade it creates from an object. Also the shadow of a person can be said to follow that person, in the way the ghost is described as stalking the corridors. The fact that you can t escape from your shadow, and its closeness to you, can create feelings of terror in the reader, because the phantom could therefore always be close, following the people of opera.

The writer uses the word stalked to describe how the ghost moves around the building, this word choice emphasises the scary way the ghost haunts the opera, like an animal hunting its prey, the writer didn t just say walked for example, and the use of stalked creates a feeling of terror in the reader.

The writer uses the word legend to describe how the ballet dancers regard the ghost, by using the word legend it emphasises the sense of mystery because legends are stories which no-one knows whether they are true or not, this creates a sense of mystery surrounding the ghost for the reader.