Quote, connotation, effect - all three
Every point needs three parts, not a list of devices: QUOTE the exact word or phrase; give its CONNOTATION (the association or image beyond the plain meaning); state the EFFECT on the reader (what it makes them picture, feel or expect). In "the flames devoured the roof", "devoured" suggests a hungry creature consuming prey, so the fire feels monstrous and unstoppable. Naming this "personification" is not enough - the mark is for the effect on the reader.
Pick image-rich words, then group them
Not every word rewards analysis. Separate PLAIN language ("next morning", "went inside") - almost no connotation - from IMAGE-RICH choices: unusual verbs, sensory adjectives, comparisons. Quote only the image-rich ones. With three or four strong choices, look for a pattern: do several build the same impression (danger, decay)? Grouping choices under a shared idea, not as unconnected items, shows the cumulative effect across the extract, rewarded at the higher levels.
Drawn from real examiner reports.
Generic, empty effect comment
The most-repeated failure is a comment fitting any quotation: "creates vivid imagery", "makes it powerful", "helps the reader imagine". It shows no thought about the SPECIFIC word. Tie the comment to the particular connotation - not "vivid imagery" but what THIS image suggests here. "Devoured" gives the fire a predator's hunger, so the reader feels the building eaten alive.
Digest s1.4, June 2023 (s23) Paper 1 Q2(c)/(d): generic/empty effect comments (creates vivid imagery, helps the reader imagine, powerful language) with no explanation of HOW the words create the effect - the single most-repeated failure.
Device-spotting without effect
Labelling language is not analysing it. "The writer uses a simile" or "there are lots of adjectives" names a FEATURE until you explain how it works. Naming "like a wounded animal" as a simile scores nothing; showing it suggests something injured and unpredictable, so the reader expects erratic behaviour, earns the mark. A device name needs connotation and effect after it.
Digest s1.4, June 2023 (s23) Paper 1 Q2(d): device-spotting - naming a simile or "adjectives" without explaining how the device works in that instance.
Choosing plain, connotation-poor words
Selecting words like "next morning" or "went to bed" offers almost nothing to analyse, however carefully you try. These are functional, connotation-poor choices. Scan the paragraph first for the genuinely image-rich language - unusual verbs, sensory detail, comparisons - and quote those instead. A weak choice caps your point before you have written a word of analysis.
Digest s1.4, June 2023 (s23) Paper 1 Q2(d): selecting plain, connotation-poor language ("next morning", "went to bed") instead of image-rich choices.
Wrong number or spread of examples
The question usually asks for a set number of examples from EACH of two paragraphs - two from paragraph one AND two from paragraph two - not a shared total split however you like. Giving three across both, or piling every example into one paragraph, under-develops the required range and wastes time. Check exactly how many are wanted, and from where, before you choose.
Digest s1.4, June 2023 (s23) Paper 1 Q2(c)/(d): choosing more or fewer examples than specified per paragraph (3 total instead of 3 from EACH).
Reusing the same effect-vocabulary
Explaining every choice with the same word - "this is confusing", "this shows violence", "this creates relief" - for every quotation signals underdeveloped, word-blind analysis. Each explanation should be tailored to that word's own specific connotation. Vary the effect you name so it fits the particular image, rather than reaching for one all-purpose reaction each time.
Digest s1.4, June 2023 (s23) Paper 1 Q2(d): reusing the same effect-vocabulary ("confusing", "violently", "relief") for every choice signals underdeveloped analysis.
Miscopying a word in the quotation
An inaccurate quotation derails the interpretation built on it. Copying "punctuated" as "punctured" changes the meaning entirely - "punctuated" means interrupted at intervals, "punctured" means pierced - so analysis of the wrong word cannot be credited, even if the method is sound. Leave a moment to check every quotation is copied EXACTLY as it appears.
Digest s1.4, June 2023 (s23) Paper 1 Q2(d): miscopying words within a quotation (e.g. "punctuated" copied as "punctured") derails interpretation.
Naming a device earns the mark
The belief is that the mark is for SPOTTING a technique - once a phrase is labelled "a simile", the work is done. It is not: the mark is for the EFFECT on the reader. A label with no explanation earns little, while explaining what a word suggests and why it matters can score highly. The test is never "can I name this device?" but "what does this word do to the reader?".
Digest s1.4, June 2023 (s23) Paper 1 Q2(d): device-spotting and generic effect comments are the most-repeated failures - the underlying misconception is that identification alone is sufficient.
Read once for overall impression
Before picking any words, read the extract once and ask: what mood, atmosphere or attitude is it building overall (danger, wonder, sadness, energy)? This impression tells you which words to treat as significant when you go back to select.
Select exactly as instructed
Check precisely how many examples the question wants, and from where - often a set number from EACH of two named paragraphs. Under-selecting or over-selecting both waste marks, so match the exact spread before you start explaining.
Connotation, then effect, every time
For each choice, write the exact quotation, its connotation (the association or image beyond the literal meaning), then the specific effect on the reader at that point. Never stop at naming a device - the label carries no marks on its own.
Group choices; check quotes are exact
Where two or three choices build the same impression (menace, fragility, chaos), say so - this shows a cumulative effect, not a list of unconnected quotations. Finally, check every quotation is copied EXACTLY; a miscopied word invalidates the analysis built on it.
This is Reading objective R4: how writers achieve effects and influence readers through their choice of language, including imagery and connotation. It is assessed by Paper 1 Question 2, the 15-mark language question, usually set on Text C and asking you to select words or phrases from two named paragraphs and explain how the writer's language choices affect the reader. It is the single most reading-skill-specific question on the paper — it does not ask what the text SAYS, but how the writer's WORDS work.
What THREE things must every language-analysis point include?
