COMPREHENSION TECHNIQUES

STYLISTIC FEATURES
FORMAL LANGUAGE INFORMAL LANGUAGE

• No abbreviations • conversational/colloquial
• Grammatically correct • Uses shortened forms
• Wider range of word choice • Sentence structure is not
• Complex or technical so rigid
vocabulary • Common vocabulary
• Impersonal tone, passive • I = INTROSPECTION
• Objectivity Pronouns • Subjective stance
• Tends to be factual

• TONE: Feelings or emotion/ attitude through diction.

• Sarcastic, flippant, sardonic, humorous, light-hearted,
conversational, serious,
• effusive, enthusiastic, ironic, satirical, pompous, supercilious,
ponderous, thoughtful
 PUNCTUATION
• INVERTED COMMAS:
• To indicate the title of a book, play, newspaper, television
programme.
• For spoken words, direct speech...
• For quotations...
• To mark off an individual word or phrase from the rest of the
sentence: perhaps to
• indicate a word from a foreign language, a double meaning, a
play on words.
• “SO-CALLED”- used to distance the writer from what he is
reporting. Usually, what is INSIDE inverted commas in this
case is the OPPOSITE of its usual meaning
 STYLISTIC FEATURES
• DICTION: The words used by the writer. (Denotative or
connotative)
• REGISTER: The level of language used.
• PARADOX: A statement which appears to be a contradiction
but does contain some truth.
• OXYMORON; two opposites are placed side by side to
heighten the effect of
• contrast....OH, HAPPY DEATH!
• JUXTAPOSITION: placing side by side in order to emphasise
the differences
• CLICHE: an over-used or commonly used expression
 STYLISTIC FEATURES
• INVERSION:
• Normally the order of words in a sentence follows the pattern - subject,
verb, and object. However, when the word order is inverted it can be to
alter the emphasis in a sentence or to create a desired effect.
• REPETITION:
• Used to reinforce a point.
• ANTHITHESIS:
• The balancing of opposite ideas to create a contrasting effect. Can be
used for great effect in persuasive language.
• PRONOUNS:
• I = Personal/subjective/conversational/personal account or involvement
• We = Objective / readers need to get involved/ universal
 STYLISTIC FEATURES
• THE RHETORICAL QUESTION:
• Is a favourite device of the persuasive writer or speaker. It
forces the reader to consider the issue and sometimes invites
him to share the attitude of the author
• THE USE OF PERSONAL PRONOUNS....!
• ......WE.....YOU...etc.... suggest, either that the author is very
involved with the issue - or that the reader should be.
• EXAGGERATION:
• Is used in humorous writing to indicate the absurdity of
• something. The writer identifies features that are actually there,
then so distorts or exaggerates them that the original features
themselves appear to be ridiculous .
 STYLISTIC FEATURES
• UNDERSTATEMENT:
• Is usually used to indicate the direness or seriousness of a
situation...or a depth of feeling where rhetoric would be
inappropriate. Sometimes however it can be used to achieve dry,
sardonic ,tongue-in-cheek humour.
• QUOTES:
• Usually a statement given.
• Gives a personal account.
• Evokes an emotional response.
• WHATEVER DEVICE YOU ARE ASKED TO COMMENT UPON, IT IS NEVER
ENOUGH TO IDENTIFY THE DEVICE...IT IS ALSO ESSENTIAL TO
EXPLAIN ITS PURPOSE; THE CONTRIBUTION WHICH IT MAKES TO THE
MEANING OF THE PASSAGE
 DIFFERENT TYPES OF SENTENCES
• SYNTAX (word order)
• Words positioned at beginning or less commonly at end
of sentence to emphasise some aspect.
• Words omitted because they are understood +
explanation of why writer done this. Never say ‘for
emphasis' without explaining exactly what is being
emphasized
 DIFFERENT TYPES OF SENTENCES
• SIMPLE SENTENCE: one verb, usually short
• PURPOSE:
• - to make an emphatic point
• - to sum up
• - to build up to a climax
• - to create an atmosphere of excitement, pace, drama, action, when a series of
simple sentences are used
• COMPOUND SENTENCE: usually more than one clause, usually two, linked by
and, but, or.
• PURPOSE:
• - may be used for a balanced sentence, where each half either complements or
opposes the other
• - More than one “and” suggests a series of actions/thoughts/whatever, happening
 DIFFERENT TYPES OF SENTENCES
• COMPLEX SENTENCE: one main clause and one or more
dependent clause
• PURPOSE
• - to explain a complex idea, describe a complex emotion etc
 DIFFERENT TYPES OF SENTENCES
• A QUESTION:
• Used in reflective or emotive writing.
• Rhetorical question which facilitates involvement of the
reader and to which an answer is not expected.
• AN EXCLAMATION;
• These are used to convey a tone of amazement, shock-or
strong emotion.
• A COMMAND (IMPERATIVE TONE);
• These are used in instructions and in writing aiming to
persuade, such as advertisements.
•
 TYPES OF QUESTIONS
- Explain in your own words- self-evident, but make sure
that you do not use a word
similar to the original e.g. "pointed" for "pointy" (an actual
example)
- Explain how the CONTEXT helps you to understand
the meaning of a word -
look at the words round about and QUOTE any which help
you to understand the
words, explaining exactly how they do.
- What is the EFFECT of the author's choice of words-
You MUST QUOTE and
give the connotation/associations of the words used.
-
 TYPES OF QUESTIONS
• COMPARE and CONTRAST - comment on the similarities
and differences between two different things/ people etc.
• Comment on the author's TONE- it could be angry,
critical, sarcastic, humorous, regretful etc.
• Explain how the SENTENCE STRUCTURE helps the
author to put across his message- comment on whether
the sentence is short, non-verbal, a list, long and complex
etc. The structure will reflect the meaning. Remember to
comment on the EFFECT of the particular sentence
structure.
• IMAGERY- simile, metaphor or personification. Explain
comparison, comment on EFFECTIVENESS. Consider
writer's purpose. Does he/she intend to shock/ inform/
defend/ make the reader sympathise?
 TYPES OF QUESTIONS
• Comment on the author's use of SYNTAX (word
order)- the words are probably in an unusual order, i.e.
not subject, verb, object. Usually words are put at the
beginning or end of the sentence for effect. . .
• Comment on the EFFECTIVENESS of the entire
passage (evaluation}- consider the writer's PURPOSE
e.g. to describe, explain, attack, defend etc and show
what means he uses to argue his case eg. Statistics,
personal experience, particular examples, jokes,
anecdotes, expert opinion.
• WORD CHOICE- explain whether strong/ understated
etc. QUOTE and comment on any connotations or
associations.
• AIM: To show how EFFECTIVELY the author achieves his/her
PURPOSE
• TASK
• - identify the writer’s purpose
• - identify the tactics he/she uses to put across his/her ideas
• - establish to what extent you think he/she has been successful in
achieving his/her purpose
• PURPOSE
• - to inform
• - to persuade (PEE + Statistics+quotes+various references)
• - to explain (Variety of examples will be given)
• - to entertain etc.
TACTICS
- use of statistics
- use of parallel cases (analogy)
- use of specific examples
- use of expert opinion
- use of personal experience
- use of style (structure, imagery, word choice, punctuation,
humour etc.)
- use of typography (italics, bold type, lower/upper case
letters etc.)
EFFECT
- the writer persuades us that his argument is valid
- the author makes us angry about/amused by/critical of a
particular situation
• EXAMPLE
• “At first the car seemed a good idea. Now it is a lethal
tyrant. As Dr. Mackay, of the Road Accident Research
Unit at Birmingham University, points out, there are
“some 130,000 fatalities and perhaps 1,700,000 serious
casualties in the western world every year. These figures
are on the scale of a medium-sized war continuing all the
time.” In Britain, the car at this moment kills four times as
many people a year as the Luftwaffe did during the war
years.”
• Purpose? Technique? Effect?
PURPOSE: to persuade the reader that cars are
dangerous
TACTICS: statistics, expert opinion, parallel case,
use of short sentences, word choice
EFFECT: spells out extent of deaths in road BUT
may overstate the case, by
comparing it to war.