Writer’s Effects

When writing your answer, try to vary the connectives that you use to show what the writer has
achieved.

For example:

This suggests that…

This implies…

The word “(word)” gives the impression of…

The phrase “(phrase)” invites the reader to… 

The term “(word)” encourages us to…

REMEMBER: For each word or phrase, you must explain the meaning of the word and the effects
of the language choice.

You can explain the meaning of a word by:

- its associations/connotations

- its exact definition

The effects of the language choices:

- How does it make the reader feel? Why?

- Has it impacted on the relationship between the reader and the writer? Why?

- What is the writer trying to achieve?

REMEMBER: ALWAYS BE CONCISE!

Connectives are a very good source when it comes to the writer’s effects question. Here are some
connectives that may be very useful to use in this link:

http://www.cranprep.org/home/images/stories/documents/departments/english/connectives.pdf
Adjectives
These are words that describe nouns e.g. ‘harsh’, ‘excruciating, ‘noble’. Writers use them to create
a specific picture in the readers mind.
Why has the writer used these adjectives? What picture does it create?

Adverbs
These are words that describe verbs, e.g. ‘carefully’, ‘quietly’, ‘quickly’. These can be used to add
more detail to an action so that the reader can picture what is going on and how.
Why has the writer added detail to this action? What picture does it create?

Alliteration
Repetition of a sound at the beginning of words, e.g. ‘Cruel Catherine…’ It is used to stress certain
words or phrases or to make a point to the reader.
Why has the writer stressed these words? What point are they trying to make?

Colour
Using colour words like ‘red’ , ‘blue’ or ‘yellow’. Colour creates images in the readers mind and can
affect atmosphere through connections the reader makes with that colour e.g. red associates with
‘danger’ ‘anger’ or ‘love.’
What image has been created with the use of colour? How has it affected the atmosphere?

Contrast
Strong differences between two things. A writer might write a paragraph about a beautiful place
and follow it with a paragraph describing a run-down place to show the differences between the
ways in which two groups of people live.
Why has the writer chosen to show these two things? What difference is being highlighted and
why?

Exclamations
Show anger, shock, horror, surprise and joy, e.g. ‘I won!’. They are used to portray emotion and
show how a character reacts or is feeling.
Why has the writer chosen to put the exclamation there? What emotion or reaction are they
portraying? Why?

Humour
Making a character or situation appear in a funny way can be used to mock the character or the
place, or it could show that a character is humorous.
Why has the writer made this situation or character humorous? How does it affect the mood?

Imagery
(Including similes, metaphors, colour and use of the 5 senses- sight, sound, touch, taste and smell)
What image has been created? What is the effect of involving the reader in the moment?

Juxtaposition
The positioning of two words, phrases or ideas next to, or near, each other. This highlights a
contrast between two words, phrases or ideas, e.g. ‘The two friends were known as clever Carole
and stupid Steven.’
Why has the writer chosen to position these two things together? What contrast is being
highlighted and why?

Metaphor
An image created by referring to something as something else, e.g. ‘storm of controversy.’ This
shows meaning by directly comparing something to something else.
Why is the word being compared to something else? What element of the thing that it is being
compared to is being highlighted in the word.

Negative diction
Words that are negative such as ‘cruel’, ‘evil’, ‘dark’. This gives a negative tone and can
portray negative feelings towards a character or situation.
Why has the writer created negative tone? What effect do these negative feelings have on the
representation of the character or the atmosphere?

Onomatopoeia
Words that sound like what they describe, e.g. ‘The clash of the symbols startled John.’ The reader
can almost hear the sound for themselves.
Why does the writer want the reader to hear the sound? What is the effect on the atmosphere?

Personification
Making an object/ animal sound like a person, giving it human characteristics, e.g. ‘the fingers of
the tree grabbed at my hair as I passed.’
Why has the object/ animal been given human characteristics? How does it affect the mood?

Positive diction
Words that are positive, e.g. ‘happy’, ‘joyous’ They give a positive tone or portray positive feelings
towards a character or situation.
Why has the writer created a positive tone? What effect do these positive feelings have on the
representation of the character or the atmosphere?

Sentence Length
Short sentences are just a few words long, without detail. ‘I wondered if he knew what he was
doing to me. It hurt. A lot.’ Short sentences affect the speed the piece is read and grabs attention.
Why has the writer used a short sentence? How does it affect the speed and tension?

Simile
A comparison between two things that includes the words ‘as’ or ‘like’, e.g. ‘Her voice cut through
him like a knife.’ This shows meaning by comparing something to something else
Why has the word been compared to something else? What element of the thing that it is being
compared to has been highlighted in the word.
Verbs
Action words such as ‘scrambled’, ‘sprinted’, ‘leaped’. The writer uses these to add action to the
writing.
Why has the writer used these verbs? What mood has been created?

Setting is the time and place of the action of a story.

The setting may be specific and detailed and introduced at the very beginning of the story,
or it may be merely suggested through the use of details scattered
throughout the story. Customs, manners, clothing, scenery, weather,
geography, buildings, and methods of transportation are all part of
setting.

The Purpose of Setting

Good writers choose particular settings, not because it is realistic or accurate, but because of what
it accomplishes in the story.

Setting is used for a number of reasons:

The setting can provide important information about the main character, whether he or she is
connected to the setting, at home in it, an outsider, or a guest.

 A setting that is vivid increases the credibility of the character and the action. If the reader accepts
the setting as real, then the reader is more likely to accept the characters who live there, and
their behaviour as real. On the other hand, “mistakes” in setting may cause the reader to give up
on the story as “fake”. This applies to fantasy settings as well as realistic settings.

The setting of a story often has a direct connection to the story’s meaning. For example, a
description of a house can help illustrate an overall feeling of loneliness and isolation. Or the
intense activity of a city setting might be linked to excitement. These feelings can be connected to
a character or to the theme.

Sometimes the setting will hold keys to understanding one of the characters. Where a person lives
is often very much a part of who that person is.

The setting can be used to create increase tension or to set the mood and atmosphere, if these
are important to the story

For 10 out of 10 you should give a full range of explained effects and link them into an overview
which shows understanding of what the writer was trying to achieve in the passage as a whole.

Do not select a quotation which you do not understand as you will not be able to explain either
its meaning or its effect.
When explaining a quotation do not repeat the words used in it. Do not repeat quotations; you
cannot get credit more than once.

Generalised and ‘gushing’ comments such as ‘The writer makes me feel as though I am there’
and ‘The passage is cleverly written’ gain no marks and give the impression that you are failing
to find things to say.

There is no need to use technical terms, and they are no substitute for explaining an effect in
your own words; if you do use technical terms, such as onomatopoeia, make sure they are
actually correctly used.

Select brief quotations only, of between one and four words. Do not lift whole chunks of text, or
clump quotations together, or list them. Each one must be focused on specific use of language
and explained separately.

Introduce your choices of language with phrases such as ‘gives the impression of’, ‘suggests
that’, ‘makes me think that.’ Do not say over and over again ‘This has the effect that…’

Once you have arrived at an overview, do not contradict yourself, e.g. do not say that one
quotation makes a character seem physically old and another one makes her seem physically
young. This is not likely therefore you need to look at the passage again. However, there are no
‘right answers’ to this (or any other) part of the exam and you can score highly by engaging with
the text and thinking about the way language is being used, whether or not your comments are
what the examiner is expecting.

Things to look for are: use of the five senses; use of contrast; use of colour; use of noise; links
between subject and environment; surprising, or unusual words; words which create sound
effects; unusual or dramatic punctuation; imagery (similes and metaphors)