IB English A Lang & Lit SL — All Flashcards

Explaining how a writer's choices create meaning and affect the reader — not what the text says.

Name the CHOICE → explain the EFFECT on the reader → link to MEANING/purpose.

Summary = what a text says; analysis = how a choice works and why (the so-what).

Anything the writer decided — a word, image, sentence shape, layout or structure.

What a choice does to the reader — how it makes them think or feel.

The effect (and the link to meaning) — not naming the technique.

Naming a device without explaining its effect — it scores almost nothing.

Pushes you past describing a choice into explaining its meaning — real analysis.

Depth: one choice explained fully beats five just named.

Criterion B — Analysis and evaluation.

The short sentence feels abrupt and final, making the warning sound urgent (choice → effect → meaning).

Read (twice) → TAP (Type, Audience, Purpose) → Hunt (underline choices) → Explain (choice → effect → meaning).

Type, Audience, Purpose.

First read = the gist; second read = notice detail without missing the point.

Read · TAP · Hunt · Explain.

Underline the choices that stand out — your evidence.

Turn each choice into a point: choice → effect → meaning.

TAP, and the effect part of Explain.

It keeps your whole analysis focused on what the text is for.

Why it was made — to persuade, inform, entertain, warn, and so on.

No — read for the gist first, or you grab the wrong details and miss the point.

The situation a text comes from — who made it, when, where and why.

The same words mean different things in different situations — context shapes meaning.

'This place changed my life' = a sales pitch in a gym advert, but heartfelt in a personal blog.

The short note giving a text's type, origin and date.

The source line you're given, plus clues inside the text.

Something inside the text (a name, place, reference or slang) that hints at time, place or audience.

Use only context you are given or can see — never invent it.

It's worse than none — it sends your whole analysis off course.

No — context sharpens the reading of purpose and audience; it doesn't replace choice → effect → meaning.

The source line — it's free context about type, origin and date.

The job a text is trying to do — persuade, inform, instruct, entertain, warn or reflect.

Any of: persuade/sell, inform, instruct, entertain, reflect, warn.

It gives your analysis a target — read every choice as serving that job.

'Why did the writer do this — how does it help the job?'

Yes — one main purpose, often a secondary one that helps it (e.g. humour to persuade).

To persuade / sell.

To instruct.

Every point ties back to the job, so your analysis is focused (Criterion C) and about effect (Criterion B).

To persuade — the humour is a secondary purpose serving it.

No — link each choice back to the purpose as you go.

The people a text is written for.

Vocabulary, references, tone/register, and what the writer assumes you already know.

A wide or young audience.

Experts or fans who already know the terms.

How formal or informal the language is.

'This slang suits a teenage audience, making them feel the brand is one of them.'

It's too vague — name the specific group so you can explain the choices.

Yes — e.g. a children's leaflet that also speaks to parents.

Whatever the writer doesn't explain — they expect the audience to know it already.

The A — Type, Audience, Purpose.

The broad topic a text is about — a word or two (e.g. freedom, technology).

The specific point or opinion a text makes about its theme — a full sentence.

One or two words = theme; a sentence with an opinion = message.

Theme: courage. Message: 'Real courage is being scared and acting anyway.'

'What is this mostly about?'

'What does the writer want me to think or feel about it?'

See if you could argue with it — a real message can be disagreed with.

The credit comes from the message and from showing how choices build it.

A theme — it's a one-word topic.

The writer's choices — the analysis shows how they create the point.

A real-world concern that is significant, transnational and locally felt.

Significant (wide impact), transnational (crosses borders), locally felt (seen in everyday life).

Culture/identity/community; Beliefs/values/education; Politics/power/justice; Art/creativity/imagination; Science/technology/environment.

A theme is a topic (a word); a global issue is a sharp, wide real-world concern.

Felt across borders — in more than one country or culture.

You can see it in the specific everyday detail of a real text.

A broad topic can't be explored in depth; a narrow focus keeps the Oral clear.

The Individual Oral — you examine one global issue across two works.

e.g. 'how war forces children to grow up too fast' — narrow and specific.

Theme (topic) → message (the point) → global issue (a wide real-world concern the message speaks to).

A writer's word choice — the exact words they pick.

The feelings and ideas a word carries beyond its plain meaning.

Words chosen to push a strong feeling — ‘slashed’, ‘mob’.

A gentle word used in place of a harsher one — ‘passed away’ for ‘died’.

Same building; ‘home’ carries warmth (connotation), ‘house’ is neutral.

Name the word + the feeling it carries + what it makes the reader think.

To soften or hide a harsh truth — often to play something down.

‘slashed’ / ‘butchered’ — they add violence.

Denotation = the plain dictionary meaning; connotation = the feelings around it.

Saying ‘descriptive language’ without naming the word or its feeling.

How formal or informal a text is — its level of formality.

Full words, no slang, polite and serious phrasing.

Contractions, slang, exclamations, a chatty tone.

It's deliberate — it changes the audience or the effect.

Register is how formal it is; tone is the writer's attitude.

Who the text is for and how it wants to come across.

A contraction (‘you'll’) or slang (‘soz’).

Name it + quote a signal + link it to the audience.

Informal — it adds a chatty, excited feel.

Saying ‘it's formal’ without a signal or a link to the reader.

The writer's attitude to their subject or reader.

The feeling created in the reader by the text.

The distinctive personality of the writing — how the writer sounds.

Tone is the writer's attitude; mood is the reader's feeling.

Mood is the feeling in you; voice is the writer's overall personality on the page.

Through word choice, imagery and sentence style.

Precisely — ‘weary, resigned anger’ beats ‘angry’.

A deliberate move from one attitude to another that carries meaning.

Quote the diction, imagery or syntax that builds it — don't just label it.

Vague labels (‘interesting tone’) with no precise word or evidence.

The way words and sentences are arranged.

Hits hard and slows the reader — good for emphasis.

Builds up detail or momentum — calm or breathless.

A deliberately incomplete sentence used for punch (‘Nothing.’).

Hides who acted — ‘it was decided’.

Immediacy — it feels like it's happening now.

A pile-up of items can feel overwhelming, endless or relentless.

Name the choice + its effect on pace or emphasis.

Yes — punctuation controls pause and emphasis, so it's analysable.

Labelling ‘short sentence’ with no effect.

The same word or phrase used again on purpose for emphasis.

Repeating the same sentence shape to build a rhythm.

Hammers an idea home and makes a line stick.

A steady, powerful rhythm the reader can feel.

Parallelism — the same shape repeated for rhythm.

The line that breaks the run stands out and lands hard.

Name the repeat + what its beat does to the reader.

Repetition repeats a WORD; parallelism repeats a PATTERN.

The repeat lodges the words in your head.

Spotting the repeat but not saying what it does.

Opposite ideas or words set against each other.

Placing two things side by side so each sharpens the other.

Makes each side look sharper and points to a difference.

In the gap between the two sides.

Contrast — opposite ideas set against each other.

The nearness makes the gap between them hit harder.

Name both sides + what the gap makes the reader feel.

Contrast = opposite ideas; juxtaposition = placing things side by side.

The joy sharpens the sense of loss.

Spotting a contrast but not explaining the gap.

A question asked for effect, not a real answer.

A command — the writer giving the reader an order.

Speaking straight to ‘you’, the reader.

‘We’, ‘us’, ‘together’ — folding the reader into one group.

Nudges the reader toward an obvious answer, so they agree.

Speaks straight to the reader and stirs them to act.

Folds the reader onto the writer's side, sharing a stake.

Name the device + how it positions the reader.

Speeches and adverts — stacked to persuade.

Naming the device but not saying what it does to the reader.

A comparison that says one thing *is* another — ‘the classroom was a zoo.’

A comparison using ‘like’ or ‘as’ — ‘quiet as a held breath.’

Metaphor says X IS Y; simile says X is LIKE Y — the ‘like’/‘as’ is the giveaway.

Look for the words ‘like’ or ‘as’ joining two things.

It presses the two things together as one, with no ‘like’ to hold them apart.

Name the two things compared + the picture or feeling the link builds.

A metaphor — it says her eyes ARE oceans, no ‘like’.

A simile — the ‘as’ compares the two.

The real thing and the image it's compared to.

Naming ‘metaphor’ without saying the two things linked or the effect.

Giving human qualities to a thing, animal or idea — ‘the wind screamed.’

Using weather or nature to mirror a mood — ‘the sky wept as she left.’

Personification = any human quality on anything; pathetic fallacy = weather/nature matching a mood.

Look for a human action or feeling given to a non-human thing — ‘the fog crept’.

Weather or nature changes to match a character's feelings.

To make the setting carry a feeling and pull the reader into the mood.

Personification — dancing is a human action given to trees.

Pathetic fallacy — the storm mirrors the menace.

Name the human quality or matched mood + the feeling it builds.

Naming the technique without the feeling it creates.

Language that appeals to the senses to make a scene vivid.

Sight, sound, touch, smell and taste.

Words that make you hear it — ‘the gate shrieked’.

Words for how something feels — ‘the cold coin bit her palm’.

A sight image using colour — ‘the sky bruised purple’.

To put the reader inside a scene and make them feel it, not just read it.

Name the sense + quote the image + say what it makes you feel.

It makes a scene feel overwhelming and real — worth analysing.

Taste (with a hint of smell) — a body sense image.

Saying ‘vivid imagery’ without naming the sense or the feeling.

An object that stands for a bigger idea — a wilting flower for lost innocence.

An image that keeps coming back across a text, building meaning.

A symbol is what an object means; a motif is an image that recurs.

An ordinary object that clearly points to a bigger idea beyond itself.

The same image or object keeps returning through the text.

To carry a theme through an object, without stating it directly.

A lack of freedom, or feeling trapped.

It builds and ties a theme together across the whole text.

Name the object + the bigger idea it stands for + why it fits.

Spotting the object without saying what it means.

When the real meaning is the opposite of the plain words, or an outcome is the reverse of what's expected.

A statement that seems to contradict itself but reveals a truth.

A fire station that burns down — the outcome is the reverse of what you'd expect.

‘The more you have, the less you feel.’

Irony = opposite meaning; paradox = one line that contradicts itself but is true.

To say a second thing under the words — often to criticise without saying it straight.

To make you stop, then see a surprising truth.

Name it, then say the opposite truth the words hide.

When the outcome is the reverse of what you'd expect.

Saying ‘this is ironic’ without explaining the opposite meaning.

Deliberate exaggeration, far past the literal truth, for effect.

Deliberately playing something down so it sounds smaller than it is.

‘I've told you a million times.’

Calling a deep cut ‘just a scratch’.

Hyperbole makes something bigger; understatement makes it smaller.

To make a feeling land hard — stress, awe, frustration.

A huge thing made small can hit harder, or sound calm and controlled.

No — the gap from the truth is the point.

Name it, then the gap between the small words and the real size.

Taking the exaggeration as fact instead of an effect.

A passing reference to another text, person or event the reader is expected to recognise.

A whole story that stands for a bigger idea, where the parts map onto something real.

Calling a hard journey ‘an odyssey’ — a nod to the old Greek voyage.

A story about animals taking over a farm that really means a revolution.

An allusion is a small nod inside the text; an allegory is the whole story standing for something.

To borrow a lot of meaning in one word or phrase.

To make a big or risky idea easier to see through a simple story.

Name what it refers to and the meaning it brings in.

Name the bigger idea and match parts of the story to it.

Spotting an allusion but not saying what meaning it borrows.

A small early hint that quietly warns the reader of what's coming later.

A mention of ‘the loose stair’ pages before someone falls.

A small object or fact dropped in early that seems minor but matters later.

A heavy or dark mood quietly warns the reader that trouble is coming.

Name the hint AND the later event it sets up.

To build tension and make a later event feel prepared, not random.

Yes — ‘nothing could go wrong’ often warns the opposite.

At the payoff — you feel it once the later event arrives.

Foreshadowing pays off later; a random detail leads nowhere.

Calling every early detail foreshadowing without naming its payoff.

Who tells the story and how much they can see.

A character telling the story using ‘I’.

A narrator outside the story using ‘she / he / they’.

Close and personal, but only one character's view.

Follow one person, or know everyone's thoughts.

A teller we can't fully trust — they hide or misread things.

The choice controls what the reader is allowed to know.

The personality and style of the one telling the story.

Name it + what it lets us see + what that does.

Naming ‘first person’ with no effect on the reader.

How a writer builds a person on the page.

The words characters speak to each other.

Reveal character through action, not a flat label.

What they say and how they say it shows who they are.

Their real nature — often more than any description.

The clash reveals the truth a character hides.

Distance, reluctance or hidden feeling.

Quote a detail + say what it shows about the person.

Direct tells us (‘she was kind’); indirect shows it through action.

Labelling a character without the detail that shows it.

The order things are put in — start, middle, end.

It hooks the reader and sets up the whole text.

A jump back to a scene from before the main action.

Events told out of time order, on purpose.

Where a text speeds up or slows down.

Creates rush, panic or excitement.

Makes a moment linger and feel weighty.

A text that ends where it began, echoing its start.

Name the order or shape + what it does to the reader.

Saying ‘it's a flashback’ without the effect.

Ways writers use the sound of words for effect.

The same consonant sound repeated in nearby words.

Repeated consonant sounds within or ending words.

Repeated vowel sounds inside words — ‘lone road home’.

Make a line feel gentle, calm or hushed.

Make a line feel harsh, sharp or violent.

Slow a line down — often sad or grand.

The beat of a line — steady, bouncy or heavy.

Name it + quote the sound + say what feeling it creates.

Naming ‘alliteration’ without saying what the sound does.

It sets the mood before you read any words.

Danger, urgency or heat — it grabs attention.

Loneliness, sadness or cold — an isolating mood.

How the frame is arranged — what's centred, foreground vs background, and empty space.

Grabs your eye first — it's the most important thing.

Makes a lone figure look isolated and small.

The foreground is what's up close and noticed first; the background sits behind it.

Name the colour + the mood or feeling it builds.

Say what's centred or in empty space + what it makes you look at.

Naming a colour or shape with no effect on the reader.

How the space is organised — what goes where in the frame.

The style and size of the fonts used.

What your eye sees first, second, third.

Shouting or a serious warning.

Warm and human, like a personal note.

The biggest, boldest thing is read first; small print is read last.

A big image on top with the words underneath.

Name the font style + the feeling it gives.

Say what your eye lands on first + why it's ranked that way.

Naming a big font or a layout with no effect on the reader.

Makes a figure loom and seem powerful.

Makes a figure look small and vulnerable.

A tight shot that fills the frame — good for emotion.

Puts a figure in a big space — can feel small or alone.

How close or wide a shot is, and what's kept in or cut out.

Where the subject looks in the image.

Looks straight at you — feels personal, like direct address.

Lets you watch the subject unseen — can feel lonely or thoughtful.

Name the angle (low/high) + what it makes you feel about the subject.

Naming an angle or a look with no effect on the reader.

Meaning (what it signifies), purpose (what the text is for), audience (who it targets).

Technique → effect → so what (link to meaning/purpose/audience).

Meaning = what the choice signifies; purpose = what the text is trying to do.

Linking the effect to who the text targets and how it works on them.

At least one — the clearer the link, the higher the mark.

‘which serves the purpose of…’ / ‘furthering its aim to…’.

‘which targets…’ / ‘which appeals to…’.

‘which suggests…’ / ‘which implies…’.

Feature-spotting — naming a device with no effect and no so-what.

In 1.1 — here you LINK your techniques to them.

It builds a stronger point and shows the text as a crafted whole.

‘Combined with’, ‘reinforced by’, ‘together they…’.

Name the ONE, stronger effect the combined choices build.

One device = a point; devices together = a wall (a stronger effect).

Two choices in the same place (same line/sentence).

Their shared effect — what both point towards.

Listing two techniques in separate sentences without joining them.

Criterion B — analysis and evaluation.

…link one choice to another that repeats or reinforces its effect.

Choice 1 + effect, choice 2 + effect, ‘together they…’ + the single effect.

‘evokes a sense of melancholy / sorrow’.

‘conveys’, ‘suggests’, ‘implies’, ‘reveals’.

‘juxtaposes’ — places side by side for effect.

‘undercuts’ — e.g. humour undercuts the serious mood.

‘emphasises’, ‘foregrounds’, ‘underscores’.

Precise — the exact word, never long words just to impress.

‘melancholy’, ‘grief’, ‘longing’, ‘despair’ — whichever fits.

Criterion D — language and expression.

It names no actual effect — say what the effect IS.

‘implies’ or ‘suggests’.

Point, Evidence, Analysis, Link.

A one-sentence claim about the writer's choice or its effect.

A short, embedded quote — a few words.

Technique → effect → audience → combined choices (the whole unit).

One sentence tying back to the question or the text's purpose.

Analysis.

Yes — don't cram several ideas into one.

A long quote and too little analysis.

Criterion C — focus and organisation.

Into the ‘A’ (Analysis) step.

Analysis = what the effect is; evaluation = how well it works, and why.

Criterion B — ‘analysis AND evaluation’.

‘effectively’, ‘powerfully’, ‘particularly’, ‘arguably’.

WHY — the reason the choice succeeds.

‘arguably’, ‘to some extent’, ‘especially for this reader’.

Noting one choice is MORE effective than another, and why.

Saying ‘effective’ and stopping — no reason given.

It shows nuance — a judgement you can defend, not an overclaim.

Technique → effect — you build the judgement on top.

‘insightful’ and ‘evaluative’ — judge, don't just describe.

Feature-spotting — naming a device with no effect.

Technique + effect, but no depth, audience or evaluation.

Technique → effect → audience → combined → evaluated, in PEAL.

Compare weak, middling and top-band versions of the same line.

Adding audience, combining choices, and evaluation.

A full evaluated PEAL paragraph.

In the ‘A’ (Analysis) of a top-band PEAL paragraph.

Yes — copy its MOVES (not its words) into your own writing.

No — it's only mid-band; add audience, combination and evaluation.

Feature-spotting → technique+effect → full evaluated PEAL.

To persuade you to buy, choose or believe in something.

Any of: slogan, brand name/logo, USP, a persuasive image, a call to action.

A short, memorable phrase that sums up a brand.

Unique selling point — the one thing that makes a product stand out.

A line telling the reader exactly what to do next (buy now, join today).

Any of: imperatives, direct address, flattery/aspiration, FOMO, contrast, bandwagon.

A feeling or identity (confidence, belonging, freedom) attached to the product.

Fear of missing out — 'limited', 'don't get left behind' — pushing you to act fast.

Naming the feeling sold and showing how words and image build it together.

In adverts the image often does much of the persuading — analyse them together.

Few words + bold design (big image, size, colour).

Importance — the biggest element is the main message.

They have only seconds to catch a passer-by, so short and bold lands fastest.

The bit telling you what to do next — donate, learn more, a date or QR code.

A short punchy line, one big image, and size/colour used for emphasis.

Say what the colour DOES to the viewer (red = alarm), not just that it's there.

There's little text, so the design (size, colour, image, layout) carries most of the meaning.

Makes the cause feel personal; direct eye contact pulls the viewer in.

‘What did they make biggest, and why?’

Listing colours/features without saying what each one does to the viewer.

A print text that informs and sells at once — facts wrapped in persuasion.

Informs (facts, headings) and sells (positive words, images, call to action).

With positive word choices — ‘cosy’, ‘breathtaking’, ‘just steps away’.

It's persuading; selecting the appealing side makes the offer look ideal.

Headings/bullet points, positive selling language, and a call to action.

It re-dresses the flaw of ‘small’ as a charm.

‘How does it make plain facts feel appealing?’

Speaks to the reader (‘your perfect escape’) so the offer feels personal.

Both persuade; a brochure carries more information alongside the selling.

Treating it as pure information and missing the persuasive word choice.

A text that rallies people to act — vote, sign, join — through persuasion.

A short, memorable, repeatable line that sticks and spreads the message.

A ‘we’ against a ‘they’ builds unity and gives readers a side and an enemy.

Stir hope, anger or pride so readers feel moved to act, over careful detail.

A memorable slogan, ‘us vs them’ framing, and a clear call to action.

Builds rhythm and momentum, hammering one idea until it sticks.

‘How does it make me feel part of something and act?’

The whole point is to move people — it tells them exactly what to do.

An editorial argues an opinion; campaign material rallies you to take a specific action.

Summarising the cause instead of analysing the rhetoric that rallies the reader.

It's written to be heard aloud by a live audience — sound, rhythm and direct address matter.

To persuade or inspire — to change how a live audience thinks, feels or acts.

The art of persuasive speaking or writing.

Repeating the same words at the start of successive lines, for rhythm and force.

A group of three, for rhythm and emphasis.

Two opposite ideas balanced against each other.

It unites the speaker and the crowd into one team.

What its sound does to the listening audience — not just that it's there.

The choices are built for the ear — you spot where the crowd would cheer or pause.

Build to a climax — track how the rhythm and force rise.

A longer article built to entertain and engage, not just report facts.

To keep you reading — it hooks and entertains even while informing.

A first line that grabs you: a surprising claim, a scene, or a question.

The teaser line under the headline summing up the article's appeal.

A hook opening, a distinctive voice, and vivid anecdotes/detail.

Name it (funny, warm, opinionated) and say what it does to the reader.

Little stories make ideas concrete and human, so they land and stick.

‘How does it keep me reading?’ — analyse the craft, not just the facts.

A feature entertains with voice and craft; a news report delivers facts plainly.

Retelling the content instead of analysing how it entertains the reader.

To inform quickly and factually, key facts first.

News structure: most important facts first, then detail and background.

Who, what, where, when, why — packed into a news opening.

To sound reliable and balanced; but the choice of whom to quote carries a slant.

In which fact comes first, the verbs/adjectives chosen, and whose quotes appear.

‘Axe’ sounds violent and sudden; ‘end’ sounds routine — the verb steers feeling.

‘Which facts came first, and what words were chosen?’

The line naming who wrote the article.

News delivers facts fast and plainly; a feature entertains with voice and craft.

Treating news as ‘just facts’ and missing the slant in order, wording and quotes.

A newspaper's official, unsigned opinion arguing a clear stance.

The whole paper — an authoritative ‘we’, not a named writer.

A report informs neutrally; an editorial takes a side and argues to persuade.

A clear stance, a confident ‘we’ voice, and rhetorical devices (loaded words, contrast, questions).

To press the reader toward agreement without stating it outright.

Adds strong emotion and moral judgement, steering how the reader feels.

With a call to action or a judgement — demanding change or delivering a verdict.

‘What is its line, and how does it push me to agree?’

It speaks for a whole paper, so the opinion sounds authoritative and shared.

Summarising the issue instead of analysing how the piece argues its stance.

One named writer's personal, argued view on a topic, in a paper, magazine or website.

To persuade you round to the writer's view, or to make you think — often to provoke.

The publication's regular readers, who often half-share its outlook.

The personality a writer performs on the page — witty, angry, warm.

A short personal story; it grounds the argument in real life.

Saying the opposite of what you mean, to mock.

Any of: first-person voice, anecdote-to-argument, humour/sarcasm, hyperbole, rhetorical questions.

No — it's proudly one-sided; the point is the writer's take.

Link the voice and tone to how they persuade, and find the argument beneath.

It makes the writer likeable and pulls the reader onto their side.

A text that reveals a person through their own words, shaped by an interviewer.

Through the subject's word choice and tone — how they say things.

They steer the subject; a pointed question sets up a revealing answer.

How quotes are selected, ordered and annotated to shape the portrait.

Question-and-answer form, the interviewer's angle, and self-revealing word choice.

The chosen detail colours how the reader reads the reply.

Evasion — the passive phrasing dodges personal blame.

‘What do their words reveal, and how did the question and framing shape them?’

No — quotes are selected and framed; read them as a shaped portrait.

Taking the subject's words at face value and ignoring the interviewer's framing.

A text that gives a verdict on something and helps the reader decide.

To judge — is it any good? — and back it with evidence.

So the verdict is earned with specific reasons, not just ‘I liked it’.

They entertain as they judge; the witty voice is half the appeal.

A clear verdict, evidence for it, and a lively voice that guides the reader.

Show how it both judges (evidence) and entertains (voice) at once.

‘What's the verdict, and how is it proved and performed?’

Decide — is this worth their time or money?

A review can criticise honestly; an advert only ever sells.

Saying only whether the reviewer liked it, not how the verdict is proved and performed.

An informal, personal piece written online — like a public diary or a friend talking to you.

To share experience or opinion, entertain, and connect with followers.

Followers and casual online readers — often young, treated like friends.

Relaxed, everyday language, like friendly speech.

An incomplete sentence used for effect.

Gently making fun of yourself.

Any of: direct address, fragments, humour/self-deprecation, honesty, a closing nudge to comment.

They build a friendly, trustworthy, real-sounding voice.

It makes the writer relatable and trustworthy — and so persuasive.

A warm call to engage ('tell me in the comments') that builds community.

Scanned, not read word-for-word — headings and images guide skimming.

The button/link for the click they want (Buy, Join, Sign up, Donate).

It makes the service feel personal and speaks to each visitor.

The way size, colour and position steer the eye to what matters most first.

Headings for scanning, a clear call to action, and image/layout hierarchy.

‘Where does the design send my eye — and my click?’

Hierarchy: size and position signal what the page wants you to notice first.

Both use design, but a site adds clickable calls to action and navigation.

Say what its colour/placement DOES — pulls the eye, makes the action feel easy.

Reading only the paragraphs and ignoring design, buttons and hierarchy.

A very short, informal text built to relate and be shared quickly.

It has seconds to stop a scroll, so it works through brevity, tone and image.

They play off each other; the meaning is in the combination, not either alone.

Set a tone and tag it to a community or shared mood.

Tone and feeling in a tiny space — irony, warmth, humour.

A short punchy caption, image+caption interplay, and hashtags/emojis.

The way a post invites a like, share, reply or tag.

‘How does it earn a like or a share in seconds?’

No — the brevity is the craft; every word, emoji and hashtag is a choice.

Dismissing it as too short, instead of analysing tone, image and hashtags.

A written record of real speech, kept exactly — hesitations, pauses and all.

They're evidence — signs of nerves, thinking, uncertainty or power.

Who cuts in and who is cut off shows who holds the power.

One person dominating vs one-word replies reveals the balance of power.

They record how something is said, not just what — tone and manner.

Nerves, uncertainty, or a speaker thinking on their feet.

‘How does the WAY they speak reveal character and power?’

No — the stumbles and interruptions are the evidence you analyse.

A transcript keeps speech raw; an interview article selects and polishes quotes.

Analysing only the topic and ignoring the speech features that reveal character.

Information shown through pictures, numbers and a few words, so it's quick to grasp.

To inform — and very often to persuade, by making a point feel obvious.

Colour, size, icons and layout are deliberate choices carrying half the meaning.

How size and position guide the eye to the main point first.

Using colours to signal meaning — green good, red danger.

A simple picture that stands for an idea.

A huge stat grabs the eye and makes the scale feel shocking or impressive.

Showing how a word and a visual work together to make a meaning neither could alone.

Danger or a negative — while green signals good.

Usually the biggest item at the top of the visual hierarchy.

A single funny, exaggerated image that criticises the news through symbols and satire.

To persuade and criticise through satire — mocking something to change how you see it.

Using humour or mockery to criticise something.

A drawing that exaggerates a person's features to mock a trait.

An object that stands for a bigger idea (a dove = peace, a flag = a nation).

Big vs tiny shows power vs weakness.

Pins down who's meant and often flips or sharpens the meaning with irony.

Decode each symbol into a meaning, then state the criticism.

Nothing is spare — each symbol, label and size is a deliberate choice.

The point — the criticism the cartoon argues.

A story told in a sequence of panels using images and words together.

The gap between panels; readers fill it in, and it controls timing.

Setup then payoff — the sequence builds the meaning or joke.

Dialogue or thoughts; their shape and size signal tone and volume.

Cartoon shorthand — big eyes, sweat drops — quickly shows feeling.

In the final panel (the twist) and the gap between panels.

‘How do the panels and their order build the meaning or joke?’

Say what it signals — a tiny shaky bubble = a timid, weak voice.

A strip uses several panels in sequence; a cartoon is one image.

Describing each panel separately and missing the sequence, gaps and twist.

The photographer chose the frame, angle, focus, light and moment.

What's included and excluded — the edges are a deliberate choice.

Make a subject loom and feel powerful or imposing.

A few words anchor the meaning; a new caption changes how we read the image.

Framing (in/out), angle and focus, and light/colour.

Warm light feels safe; harsh shadow feels tense — light sets the feeling.

‘What did the photographer choose to show, and how?’

Exclusion is a choice too — what's missing can shape meaning as much as what's in.

Both are composed, but a photo also carries a claim of ‘this really happened’.

Describing the contents instead of analysing the choices and the caption.

A film about a real subject whose viewpoint is shaped by narration and selection.

Narration, chosen footage, tone and music all select and shape a viewpoint.

Guides how you read the images; its word choice sets the angle.

What's shown and left out builds the argument, even while feeling factual.

They steer feeling — solemn, urgent or hopeful — under the ‘facts’.

Claiming to show reality makes the viewpoint feel objective and trustworthy.

‘Whose viewpoint is this, and how is it built?’

Calling a plan ‘an experiment on a town’ casts residents as test subjects.

Both claim fact, but a documentary crafts a sustained viewpoint through narration and footage.

Treating it as pure fact and missing how narration and selection build a viewpoint.

A single frame from a film, in which everything is deliberately arranged.

Everything arranged in the frame — setting, lighting, costume, props, position.

Warm light feels safe; cold blue or harsh shadow feels tense or sad.

The subject looks small, weak or vulnerable.

Placement (centre/edge, big/small, high/low) signals power and mood.

Setting/props, lighting/colour, and position of people in the frame.

‘What has the director arranged in this frame, and why?’

Clues to who a character is, their situation and how they feel.

Both are composed; a still is a frame from a constructed fiction, rich in mise-en-scène.

Describing the scene instead of analysing the arrangement and what it suggests.

A text written to one particular reader, revealing a relationship and purpose.

The formality and relationship — ‘Dear Sir’ vs ‘Hey you’ set the tone.

The level of formality — formal and distant vs intimate and warm.

A letter speaks to a specific ‘you’; how it treats them reveals the relationship.

Salutation/sign-off, register (formal/intimate), and the writer's purpose.

Anger held under control — politeness used as a cold weapon.

‘What is the relationship, and what does the writer want?’

To thank, complain, persuade, apologise or console — it wants something.

A letter is addressed to one named reader with a clear salutation and sign-off.

Summarising the content and ignoring tone, address and register.

A true, first-person recollection reflecting on a real moment from the writer's life.

Specific sights, sounds and smells make the memory feel real and carry feeling.

The older narrator adding what they understand now that they didn't then.

An ordinary event is made to stand for something larger — growing up, loss, love.

First-person looking back, vivid sensory detail, and reflection/hindsight.

The older narrator recalls a younger self, often adding later understanding.

‘Why does this small memory matter to the writer?’

Memoir focuses on select meaningful moments, not a whole life story in order.

Memoir presents itself as a true recollection; fiction is invented.

Retelling the events instead of analysing the detail and reflection that make meaning.

A first-person account bringing a place alive through sensory detail and voice.

Their personality colours the place and shapes our experience of it.

Sights, sounds and smells put the reader right there in the place.

Noticing the place AND what the writer thinks or feels about it.

Sensory description, a personal voice, and selected telling detail.

A single vivid detail brings a scene alive more than a full list would.

‘How does the writer make me feel this place and their response to it?’

A guidebook informs plainly; travel writing shares a personal, felt experience.

Dry, awestruck, weary, curious — the voice shapes how we feel the place.

Listing the sights instead of analysing the detail and voice that convey experience.

A text that explores an idea, developing a line of thought in a distinctive voice.

It builds — claim, complication, question — so the argument feels like a journey.

A real mind speaking — thoughtful, witty or provocative, not a textbook.

It supports ideas with examples, observations or small stories.

A guiding idea, a distinctive voice, and development/turns in the argument.

Reframes a familiar idea more sharply, making it feel fresh.

‘How does the argument develop, and how does the voice carry me?’

To draw the reader in before widening to the bigger idea.

Both argue; an essay tends to explore and develop a thought more openly and at length.

Stating the conclusion instead of analysing how the thought develops and the voice engages.

A piece of prose fiction that builds a world and feeling through narrative craft.

Narrative craft — voice, POV, imagery, selected detail — not just plot.

Who tells it, and how, shapes what we know and how we feel.

A chosen small detail reveals character or setting (a habit shows a nature).

Metaphor and vivid images build mood and meaning, not just decoration.

Narrative voice/POV, selected detail, and imagery/atmosphere.

‘How does the WAY it's told create character and mood?’

A telling gesture (folding a letter smaller and smaller) carries the emotion.

A literary extract is fiction; memoir presents a true recollection.

Retelling the plot instead of analysing the craft that builds character and mood.

A compressed text where word, line break and sound are all chosen for meaning.

Where a line ends creates a pause and emphasis; the shape is a choice.

Cutting everything inessential so every remaining word carries weight.

Metaphor and vivid pictures pack feeling into very few words.

Rhythm, rhyme, alliteration, repetition — meaning you can hear.

Form/line breaks, imagery, and sound.

‘Why THIS word, and why does the line break HERE?’

Repeated soft ‘s’ sounds, often creating a hushed or hissing effect.

A poem uses line breaks, sound and extreme compression as central tools.

Paraphrasing the meaning instead of analysing the form, sound and word choice.

A guided analysis of unseen non-literary text(s): SL one [20], HL two [40].

Feature → effect → meaning: name the choice, explain its effect, link it to meaning/purpose.

A question pointing you to a central feature of the text; you may answer it or choose your own focus.

Your one-sentence overall answer that the whole analysis supports.

‘By [choice], the writer [effect], which [meaning/purpose].’

Feature-spotting names devices; analysis explains their effect and meaning. Only analysis scores well.

The writer's attitude — e.g. urgent, dry, angry, warm.

How formal or informal the language is, and who it suits.

Criterion B — analysis and evaluation.

Visual choices — layout, image, colour — as well as the words.

A Understanding, B Analysis and evaluation, C Focus and organization, D Language.

No — but your analysis must stay focused and supported.

A suggested way in — a focus so your analysis doesn't wander.

Underline its focus and turn it into a one-sentence thesis.

Which choices you analyse — only those that prove it.

Yes — if it's stronger, as long as you stay focused and support it.

Criterion C — focus and organisation.

Focus — one clear argued line beats listing every device.

In your introduction, as the claim the whole essay proves.

Restating the question then listing every device with no thesis.

Ignore them — they dilute the argument.

A Understanding · B Analysis & evaluation · C Focus & organisation · D Language.

Understanding and interpretation, supported by well-chosen references.

Analysis AND evaluation of the writer's choices (not feature-spotting).

A focused, well-organised response (intro, paragraphs, conclusion).

Clear, precise, academic and accurate language (your own writing).

Each out of 5 — total /20.

B (describing not evaluating) and C (listing devices, no focus).

Yes — an evaluated, quoted, precisely-worded point hits A, B and D at once.

Keeping every paragraph pointed at one clear thesis.

Yes — each is /5; don't chase one and neglect the others.

The article (print or online) — set most often across recent papers.

Headline, byline, lede/hook, and a clear angle (plus standfirst; online adds images and subheadings).

The particular slant or argument it takes — what it wants you to think or feel.

The opening line or paragraph, built to pull the reader in.

Headline, voice and tone, diction and imagery, structure, authority (data/quotes), and direct address.

Image, caption, subheadings and layout — all analysable.

Diction and imagery, figurative language, narrative structure, and how the article persuades.

Feature → effect → meaning: name the image, explain its effect, link it to the article's angle.

Facts, statistics, expert quotes or anecdote used to make the angle credible.

Treating it as neutral information and missing the angle — or listing devices without linking them to persuasion.

Twice — once for gist, once with a pen for choices.

For choices and their effects — never plot summary.

The effect of the choice, in one word.

Shifts / turns — where tone, tense or focus changes.

The gist — subject, audience, overall tone (no pen).

It front-loads thinking so writing is fast and focused.

Your margin notes — the choice+effect marks.

Word choice, imagery, sentence length, structure, layout.

Underlining lines but writing summaries, not effects.

A shift in tone/focus is a deliberate structural choice, rich to analyse.

About five minutes — it makes writing faster and more focused.

A one-sentence answer to your focus that the whole essay proves.

Per effect/idea — each is a sub-point of the thesis.

Cluster margin notes by their effect / idea.

Usually 3–4, each a clear sub-point.

So the argument builds (e.g. opening→turn→ending, or surface→deeper).

Criterion C — focus and organisation.

A paragraph per device — a list, not an argument.

No — it makes the writing faster because you're following a map.

Proves one part of the overall thesis.

Identify the text, state your thesis, signpost your argument.

Three or four sentences.

Name its type, purpose and audience.

Your one-sentence answer to the focus, which the essay proves.

Preview your 2–3 main points so the structure is clear.

Plot summary and grand ‘throughout history’ openings.

C (organisation) and A (understanding) from the first line.

The thesis.

No — identify it, don't summarise it.

So the examiner sees your line of argument coming.

One sub-point of your thesis.

Topic sentence → embedded quote → evaluated analysis → link to thesis.

Short and embedded — a few words, never long blocks.

Analyse AND evaluate — technique → effect → how well it works.

With a link back to your thesis.

So you never freeze — you always know the next move.

One — a single sub-point of the thesis.

Each paragraph linking back to the thesis.

Drifting across unrelated points or quoting long chunks.

The opening mini-claim that states the paragraph's sub-point.

Reword the thesis, combine your points, land on the overall effect.

No — no new points or quotes.

‘So what?’ — the overall effect on the reader.

Reword — same idea in fresh words, not copy-paste.

Two or three sentences.

Show how your 2–3 sub-points add up to one argument.

C (one coherent argument) and B (an evaluative overview).

Just re-listing the devices, or copying the intro.

No — never apologise in the essay.

On the overall effect — then stop.

1 hour 15 minutes, for one guided analysis.

~15 min plan · ~55 min write · ~5 min check.

About 15 minutes — read twice, annotate, thesis + plan.

Roughly 12–15 minutes each.

Overrunning early and leaving no time for a conclusion.

Complete — an unfinished essay loses Criterion C.

Before you start writing.

A conclusion and a quick check for slips.

Watch the clock at each paragraph; pace evenly.

No — it wastes time; annotate instead.

Feature-spotting, summary, no focus, ignoring the reader.

Naming a device without saying what it achieves.

Add the effect (and evaluate how well it works).

It retells the text instead of analysing choices; it earns almost nothing.

Write a thesis and make every paragraph prove it.

Link each point to the audience or the effect on the reader.

Criterion B (analysis and evaluation).

A (understanding) and C (focus and organisation).

‘Uses a metaphor to show a metaphor’ — naming with no real effect.

Effect given? Summary avoided? Focus kept? Reader linked?

Intro + thesis, three evaluated linked paragraphs, a conclusion.

Identifies the advert and states a thesis (how it persuades).

By effect — each an evaluated point linked to the reader and thesis.

Evaluating effects and linking to the audience and thesis.

No — copy the method; the exam text is unseen.

The reader's week / Monday — personified as an aggressor.

Reframing buying as earned self-care (‘you have survived enough’).

Comfort and forgiveness — not caffeine.

On the overall effect — an emotional, not practical, purchase.

Makes it a warm, forgiving companion — a relationship, not a flavour.

HOW the writer argues (tone, voice, rhetoric, structure) — not whether you agree.

No — same thesis-led, evaluated, linked shape; only the text type differs.

‘Contact’ is not the same as ‘connection’.

Turns a comfort (‘staying in touch’) into a symptom of loneliness.

It makes the writer a fellow sufferer — honest, not preachy.

A vivid simile capturing the thinness of online acknowledgement.

Pre-empts the reader's defence, making the argument feel fair.

Crystallises contact vs connection in two balanced sentences.

On the overall effect — a familiar word redefined, the reader unsettled.

The method — the exam text is unseen.

A complete, focused essay in the real time — not a perfect one.

~15 min plan · ~55 min write · ~5 min check.

The planning — but the plan makes the essay fast and focused.

1 hour 15 minutes.

Annotate → thesis → three evaluated linked paragraphs → conclusion.

Complete — a finished essay beats a perfect fragment.

Repeat the full timed routine until the shape is a habit.

All four (A–D) at once.

Read it twice and annotate for choices.

A conclusion and a quick check for slips.

Two literary works you have studied.

One, chosen from four general questions.

Closed — no text; use detailed reference, not memorised quotes.

1 hour 45 minutes, [25].

B2 — comparison (comparing the works, not reviewing them in turn).

Two separate mini-essays instead of one woven comparison.

By shared idea — each discusses BOTH works, not one then the other.

No — but you need precise, detailed reference to the works.

So both fit the question AND differ interestingly.

One comparative argument about both works — similarities AND differences.

1 hour 45 minutes, for one comparative essay [25].

Choosing the question your two prepared works genuinely fit.

~10 min choose & plan · ~90 min write · ~5 min check.

The wrong question strains the whole essay; the right one plays to your works.

A question your works don't fit; and running out of time with no conclusion.

A by-point comparison (a thesis + shared points), not two reviews.

A conclusion and a quick check for slips.

The one YOUR works fit best.

Steadily across intro + comparative paragraphs; watch the clock.

Complete — always finish with a conclusion.

Two mini-essays, plot summary, off-question drift, uneven works.

Writing about A then B with no genuine comparison.

It retells instead of analysing and comparing choices.

Weave both works into comparative paragraphs on shared points.

Re-read the prompt; answer the ACTUAL general question.

Give both works roughly equal weight and analysis.

B2 — comparison.

A (understanding) and B1 (analysis).

A ‘similarly’ dropped between two separate discussions — still not a comparison.