Home > Subjects > English > English level 1 > 1.6 Unfamiliar texts > Subject content > Reading written text
- Subject: English
- AS: 90057
- Level: 1
- Credits: 3
- External
1.6 Read and show understanding of unfamiliar texts
Reading written text
Usually written text is an extract taken from a longer text such as a novel, short story, magazine article, work of non-fiction, or complete poem.
Key features:
- context, see What is the purpose of this text?
- meaning of words, see Building Vocabulary
- purpose of grammar
- punctuation
- spelling
- poetic terms
- the use of figurative language
- interpreting imagery.
Written language example question and answer:
The first stanza of the poem 'I've Made Out a Will' by Simon Armitage (see subject matter for a complete version) has been used in this example of exam questions with possible answers:
- Identify the language feature used in the line "the web of nerves and veins, the loaf of brains".
- Explain how this language feature helps to convey the poet's attitude to death. Give evidence from the text to support your answer.
I've Made Out a Will
I've made out a will; I'm leaving myself
to the National Health. I'm sure they can use
the jellies and tubes and syrups and glues,
the web of nerves and veins, the loaf of brains,
and assortment of fillings and stitches and wounds,
blood – a gallon exactly of bilberry soup –
the chassis or cage or cathedral of bone;
but not the heart, they can leave that alone.
Possible answers:
Achieve: Metaphor "the web of nerves and veins".
Merit: This metaphor helps to show that the poet is happy to die because he can donate his organs to others. "I've made out a will; I'm leaving myself to the National Health."
Excellence: The rhyming of the two metaphors "the web of nerves and veins, the loaf of brains," shows the poet has a sense of humour about his death, until he has to give up the most vital organ, the heart. "But not the heart, they can leave that alone." This direct and serious statement brings him back to reality, that perhaps his life isn't worthless after all.
For an example that shows the style of writing needed for answering questions, quoting, and explaining how the language works see Analysing a Key Passage.
