Download Exam revision critical reading tips

ENGLISH EXAM REVISION
Critical Reading
Remember - Spell key names and terms correctly
Structure your ideas
into body paragraphs
by following the
structure above.



Avoid writing opinions and points that don’t directly relate to the author’s words in the text.
In articles, It’s not your job to agree or disagree with the author’s point of view.
It is your job to ‘unpack’ and explain the ways the writer has conveyed his/her ideas.
The questions in the
critical reading are
leading you to these
‘meta-questions’
Your paragraphs
should be answering
these
Analysing Non-Fiction Texts
Title (+ sub-titles)
Writer’s intention +
key ideas +
‘world view’
Structure: examples,
anecdotes, information,
quotes, paragraphing,
sentence-length…
Qualities of author’s voice:
E.g. attacking, humorous,
authoritative, cynical,
sarcastic, nostalgic,
pompous
Rhetoric +
rhetorical questions +
inclusive language +
bias
Emotive language +
imagery
Figurative Devices
(simile, metaphor,
personification,
hyperbole, etc.)
Irony +
Humour - e.g. sarcasm,
satire, plays–on-words…
Word choices +
connotation +
adjectives, colloquialisms,
clichés, jargon …
Repetition +
cumulation
Tone + atmosphere
Evidence
(anecdotal, expert opinion,
data, statistical
Ending
Analysing Fiction texts
Title (+ sub-titles)
Writer’s intention +
key ideas +
‘world view’ – thematic
message
Setting + tone
Point of view (1st, 2nd, 3rd
limited, 3rd omniscient) +
Centre of perspective +
psychic distance
Key conflicts (internal,
external)
Emotive language +
imagery
Figurative Devices
(simile, metaphor,
personification,
hyperbole, etc.)
Irony +
Humour - e.g. sarcasm,
satire, plays–on-words…
Dialogue +
characterisation
Repetition +
cumulation
Ending