In a nutshell: Swap vague words for precise, academic vocabulary: don't say a choice ‘makes it interesting’ — say it ‘conveys’, ‘evokes’, ‘emphasises’, ‘undercuts’, ‘juxtaposes’.
The right word makes you sound like a critic, not a guesser.
‘This makes the reader feel sad’ is fine. ‘This evokes a quiet melancholy, underscoring the speaker's isolation’ is top-band — same idea, sharper vocabulary. Precise verbs like evokes, conveys, emphasises, juxtaposes signal that you can name effects exactly.
The upgrade
Kill ‘makes’ and ‘shows’
Replace with a precise verb: conveys, evokes, emphasises, suggests, implies.
Name the effect exactly
Not ‘interesting’ — ‘tense’, ‘nostalgic’, ‘ironic’, ‘unsettling’.
Use critical verbs
juxtaposes, undercuts, foregrounds, echoes, mirrors, subverts.
Stay precise, not fancy
Use the word that fits — never long words just to impress.
The key move: Replace ‘makes it interesting’ with a precise verb + a precise effect: ‘evokes nostalgia’, ‘emphasises the isolation’, ‘undercuts the cheerful tone’.
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Why it matters in the exam: Criterion D (language) rewards ‘effective and precise’ expression, and an ‘appropriate register and style’. Critical vocabulary — evokes, conveys, juxtaposes — shows you can name effects with a specialist's precision.
Upgrade this weak sentence: ‘The dark words make the poem interesting and a bit sad.’
Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
Watch out: Don't reach for long words just to sound clever. Precise beats fancy — pick the exact verb and the exact effect, even if they're simple.