Close Reading - Sentence Structure
A question on sentence structure asks you to look at HOW a sentence is put together rather than what it means.
The steps to completing these types of questions are as follows:
1. Identify the feature of structure used by the writer
2. Explain the effect that is created by the feature
You should not only describe the main features of a sentence but also explain their effect. Your answer will refer to any of the following aspects:
· Types of sentences
· Word order – repetition, list, climax, inversion
· Parenthesis
· Narrative structure or tense
· Sentence length
· Punctuation
Types of Sentences
A command – tell you to do something.
A question – ask something
A statement – tell you something.
An exclamation – express emotion – usually excitement or surprise
A minor sentence – a sentence that doesn’t contain a verb.
Also consider whether a sentence is simple or complex:
- Simple sentences only have one verb and tend to be typical of speech
and communicate in a direct way.
- Complex sentences contain several verbs and are more indicative of
formal language.
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Word Order
Look at the order of the words in the sentence – is there anything unusual about them? Look out for patterns such as lists, repetition and climax.
Question
Comment on the sentence structure used in the following phrase
· e.g. ‘I came, I saw, I conquered’ -
Answer
List of verbs - creates a sense of action.
Repetition of the personal pronoun ‘I’ - suggests a speaker who is egotistical and dominating.
The verbs in the list lead to a climax - with the most powerful coming last.
Also look out for inversions where the normal order of words is changed to emphasise a particular word or phrase.
Question
How does the sentence structure emphasise the man’s care in opening the letter?
· e.g. “Gingerly, he tried to reopen the envelope but it was stuck fast and the flap ripped jaggedly”
Answer
Change to word order putting ‘gingerly’ first - this exaggerates the careful manner in which he opened the letter
Parenthesis
This is an extra piece of information in a sentence which is enclosed by a pair of commas, brackets or dashes. A parenthesis may be a word, phrase or whole clause which, if removed, would leave the sentence in tact.
Question
What is the function of the dashes in the sentence?
e.g. “The man – who had been waiting patiently – was finally called into the office.”
Answer
Parenthesis is used – provides extra information about how the man had been waiting to go into the office.
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Questions
e.g. Explain the writer’s use of a question at the beginning of paragraph six.
· Sometimes writers use questions to make a point; to make the reader think or to show you what the writer is thinking.
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Narration/tense
First person narration – The text will use pronouns such as I, me and we.
Third person narration – The text will use pronouns such as he, she and they.
Look at the tense the writer uses. Narrative writing is commonly written in the past tense. If it is in the present tense or the tense changes comment on this.
Sentence Length
It is worth looking at the length of a sentence. Short sentences are often used for a particular effect e.g. to emphasise a point or to shock the reader.
Longer sentences are often used to indicate a lot of information e.g. a list; and usually associated with formal writing.
Parts of Speech
The words which make up a sentence are called parts of speech. There are eight parts of speech which all have different functions:
Nouns – The name of a person, animal, place, thing or quality.
Adjectives – Describe people or things.
Verbs – Express action – doing, being and having words.
Adverbs – Add meaning to verbs - how, when, where or why (often end in ‘ly’).
Pronouns – Takes the place of a noun i.e. I, we, you they, he, she it.
Prepositions – A word that shows the relationship between a noun/pronoun and the other words in the sentence i.e. to, on, under, in, from, beside etc.
Conjunctions – Joining words i.e. and, but, or, although, until, because etc.
Articles – ‘a’ and ‘the’ used with and gives some information about a noun.
Punctuation and its purposes
The punctuation can be helpful in giving clues to the structure. It is likely that you will be asked a question about the writer’s use of punctuation.
Comma (,) A comma separates phrases within a sentence; a number of commas may indicate a list.
Colon (:) A colon introduces quotations, lists or explanations.
Semi-colon (;) This finishes off part of a sentence. Adds a further section, and can often add a balancing or contrasting point, also lists of items with several words.
Inverted commas (“ “) These mark quotations, direct speech or words used in an unusual way.
Ellipsis (…) To continue an idea without actually explaining it; to indicate a pause or show that speech has trailed off.
Dash (-) A dash can be used like a colon but two dashes indicate a parenthesis.
Hyphen (-) Joins two words or indicates a split word at the end of a line.
Bold, capitals or unAlso watch out for words in capitals, bold or italics (used also for names/ titles) as there is a reason the writer has drawn attention to them.