Language and structure – WJECLanguage

Commenting on the language of a text is where the really detailed analysis comes from. When talking about language, you might comment on:

• The literary devices an author uses, like similes and metaphors and for what effect - how does it help them to present their idea or viewpoint in a specific way?
• The type of words used in the text. Are words long and elaborate or short and easy? Are dialect words used - does the author use jargon (terms which are only understood by certain audiences)?
• The connotations of specific word choices – are words being used that remind you of something else to create an effect, eg using words with connotations of death to create an ominous effect?
• The appropriateness of word choice: are words being used to match the context, or to extend a metaphor? For example, if a sports report uses the metaphor of the match being a battle, does the rest of the report talk about ‘fighting’ for points, or players as ‘foot soldiers’?
• Is the text written in the first person? Is the author directly addressing the reader using ‘you’?
• Is the text written in the past tense or the present tense? What effect does it have?

When you identify literary devices in a text, think about how you can link them to purpose or audience; how is it clear that the writer has chosen particular words or used techniques to cause you as the reader to react in a certain way?