Higher Close Reading Question Types

HIGHER CLOSE READING QUESTION TYPES

Questions in Higher Close Reading will focus on the following 5 areas. In all areas, just identifying a point or technique will not gain marks. You will have to explain, clarify, evaluate and/or respond.

1. MEANING (U – Understanding):

- Use the context to find the meaning of a word

- Explain a difficulty or paradox in your own words

- Explain an inference (hinted meaning)

- Show how an idea is developed

- Summarise the main points of a section

2. STRUCTURE: (A – Analysis)

- Explain the function of a sentence or paragraph (the “link question”)

- Explain a sequence of points (the summary question)

- Comment on juxtaposition (gaining effect by putting two things together)

- Comment on recurrence of or development of ideas or forms

3. SENTENCE STRUCTURE: (A – Analysis)

- Comment on the use of minor sentence or unusual sentence structure

- Comment on the use of commands/questions (including rhetorical questions)

- Comment on the use of colon/semi-colon/dash/brackets/commas

- Comment on the use of listing/ repetition/ inversion/parenthesis

4. IMAGERY: (A – Analysis)

- Clarify and comment on the use of simile

- Clarify and comment on the use of metaphor

- Clarify and comment on the use of analogy

- Clarify and comment on the use of anecdote

- Clarify and comment on the metaphorical use of words

5. TONE: (A – Analysis)

- Identify different tones (anger, humour, etc)

- Identify and comment on the use of tonal words, expressions

- Identify and comment on the use of irony

- (Identify and comment on the use of paradox)

- Comment on techniques to involve the reader

All of these are related to the writer’s PURPOSE and to the reader’s RESPONSE. In comparing passages, you are required to show how some of these aspects are similar, some different, and how that relates to both the purpose of and response to each passage.