Everything you ever wantedto know

about LG1 but were

afraid to ask

LG1: The Basics2 hours 30 minutes

Section A: The Language of Texts Section B: Language Focus

Section A: The language of texts• 2 texts.• Spend between 1 hour 30 and 1 hour 40 on

it.• Allocate roughly 10 mins per text

reading/annotating.• Question will be: ‘Analyse the use of

language in these texts.’• This will be supported by 3 bullet points –

the third of which will ask you to ‘include some consideration of similarities and differences’.

Section A: tips for success• Clear introduction: identify the purpose and

audience for each text. Most importantly home in on the key ideas in the text. Remember that this is first and foremost a test of reading and understanding. Establish that you ‘get’ the text from the outset.

• Establish overview from the start – this will feed the FECs that run through the entire analysis.

Section A: tips for success• Best approach is to work chronologically through

Text A (ie. start at the beginning). • However don’t just take a ‘And then in the third

paragraph…’ approach – link features/ideas together from across the text.

• Avoid starting paragraphs with ‘In the declarative sentence…’ use topic sentences that establish overview and understanding. E.g. Another way in which Text A tries to reassure the reader that getting a flu-injection is simple is through the use of adverbs of degree…

Section A: tips for success• Avoid making too much of

presentation/graphology, unless it’s explicitly referred to in one of the bullet points.

• Be as accurate as possible in your use of terminology.

• Once you’ve dealt with Text A, move onto Text B.• In the process of analysing Text B make 2/3/4/5

comparisons to Text A – aim to base these around or link to specific lexical/grammatical features if you can.

• Refer to as wide a range of features as possible!

Section A: tips for success• Remember that you need to pick examples that

are purposeful (ie. that have a significant impact on the way in which the text goes about fulfilling its purpose or addressing its audience.

• Don’t forget that you need to contextualise your examples.

• Do I need a conclusion? End by focussing on how the text(s) end. (Bit of hypophora for you there. And parenthesis. And a fronted conjunction. And…)

Section A: Things to avoid• Paragraphs without any features mentioned• Generic comments about purpose or about

specific features (the second person pronoun makes the text appeal to the reader)

• Describing anything powerful as ‘hyperbolic’ (don’t hyperbolise hyperbole)

• Comments about ‘keeping the reader interested’ or ‘making the reader want to read on’. The comment equivalent of a Coldplay b-side.

Section B: language Focus• One text• Spend 50-60 minutes on it.• Question will get you to focus on an aspect of the

text – usually how the writer presents attitude/opinion towards/about a particular thing

Section B: language Focus• Don’t need an elaborate introduction – but a

sentence or two showing overview would be helpful.

• Only choose features/examples that are relevant to the focus of the question – basics such as pronoun choice might not be as relevant here as they were in Section A.

• While most of the texts heavy lifting (idiomatic phrase) will be done by the verbs/nouns/adjectives – don’t be afraid to refer to a wider range of features if relevant.

Final tips• Proof-read at the end.• Don’t forget to use paragraphs.• And, you know, full-stops and stuff.