SASS EL P2 Narrative Texts Guide

COMPREHENSION PACKAGE NARRATIVE TEXTS SEC 3 EXPRESS 2022 ST ANDREW’S SECONDARY SCHOOL

Page 1 NARRATIVE PASSAGE You are expected to demonstrate your understanding of the writer’s choice of words, style and his/her intended meaning. These include various literary devices such as simile, metaphor or personification and other uses of such aural and visual imagery. You also need to demonstrate your understanding of the following:  The meaning and connotations of words  How they are used in context  The writer’s purpose in choosing to use these words. These are some questions that are likely to appear in this section: a) Inferential questions which focus on:  The effect of certain words on the reader  The attitude of the narrator and the rationale for this particular attitude and/or response.  The overall tone/mood of the passage  The character’s/reader’s impression of another character  The writer’s/character’s attitude towards an event or situation  Anaylsing the author’s writing style b) Structure of the text – identification of main ideas or supporting details within the paragraphs. The table below provides some examples of the types of questions in this section and the skills you need to tackle them. Type of question Sample question What you must do Literal – Identifying specific information from the paragraph What were the two reasons behind Liverpool’s decision to participate in Super League? Identify two examples from the paragraph that indicate why Liverpool decided to participate in Super League. Language use – justification Explain how the language use in the paragraph conveys the atmosphere of panic. Identify key words or phrases in the paragraph. Think of the connotations of these words in the context of the passage. Explain how these words contribute to the atmosphere. Language use – vocabulary Identify the words and phrases which suggest that the main character Gabriel was losing his patience. Think of words, synonyms or phrases related to the idea of impatience. Locate the words and phrases which are related to the key words ‘losing his patience’. Lauguage use – Evaluating writer’s intent How is the phrase ‘only time will tell’ effective? Read the lines which come before and after the phrase used. Think about the message that the writer intends to convey with that phrase and the impact that he wishes to have on the reader.

Page 2 Language use – Testing your understanding of literary devices Identify one simile and one metaphor in paragraph 2 Locate the use of a simile and a metaphor in the paragraph, based on what you have understood about these two instances of literary devices. Analysis and justification of writer’s intent Why does the writer describe the event in this manner? What does he intend to achieve through it? Think about the feelings and/or reactions you have after reading the event. This question requires you to make connections to the text by ascertaining the writer’s intention. Evaluative – consider the point of view and justification Is Ancel’s view of his predicament accurate? Give reasons for your answer. Compare and contrast the character’s view of his predicament with the information provided in the passage. Decide whether the character has a biased or objective point of view. After that, use the information provided to explain your position. Structure – identifying main ideas What is the main reason for Ashwin decision? Identify the main reason for the decision. Structure – identifying supporting ideas Support your ideas with three details from paragraph 2 Identify the supporting details. UNDERSTANDING LITERARY DEVICES (FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE Literary devices such as similes, metaphors, idioms and personifications can be examples of imagery. A writer uses imagery in order to link two ideas and to create a vivid or life -like image in the reader’s mind. These features add depth to writing and make the experiences during reading come alive – engaging readers in thinking more deeply about an idea or provide amusement or entertainment for them. What are the possible questions? Question Type 1: Identify the words in the passage which suggest the idea given in the figurative phrase. Question Type 2:  Explain what idea is suggested in this figurative phrase.  Explain why the writer describes the subject in this way? E.g the effect the writer wants to create. What is the common mistake? Some students may use their general knowledge of the figurative language to understand how it is used. While some general knowledge is required, it is advisable to always think about how the writer uses figurative language to achieve their purpose. E.g students should contextualize the language within the passage.

Page 3 Use the table below to understand the definition and examples of the different literary devices , and identify how they are used. Literary device Example Question Types 1. Simile A comparison of two seemingly unlike objects which uses the words ‘like’ or ‘as’. The comparison points out a similarity between the two which allows us to understand the first object better. ‘The late afternoon sky bloomed in the window for a moment like the blue honey of the Mediterranean’ (“The great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald) Likening the late afternoon sky to the blue honey of the Mediterranean makes the sky seem inviting and calm. i. What is the sky compared to? Blue honey of the Meditteranean ii. What does this comparison suggest? The afternoon sky is calm and inviting. 2. Metaphor An implied comparison between two seemingly unlike objects. By identifying one thing as another, the use of metaphor points out similarities between two dissimilar things. Love is a rose. The nature of love is compared to the fragrance and beauty of a rose. My love is a rose with thorns i. Identify the phrase that describes the characteristic of love. ‘a rose with thorns’ ii. What does this image/comparison suggest about love? Love is a beautiful experience but can also be painful. 3. Personification When objects, concepts or animals are human characteristics, emotions or abilities. “Time races by when we are having fun.” Time passes very quickly as it has been given human qualities such as the ability to race. ”Caught in fear’s icy grip, she performed poorly during the piano examination.” Fear is personified as having an ‘icy grip’. The phrase ‘icy grip’ suggests that the examination candidate was terrified. Hence, she was unable to do well in the examination. “The moon smiles at the secrets she sees.” Which two words suggest the moon is a person. - ‘smiles’ and ‘sees’. What atmosphere is created when the moon is described as smiling? - It creates a happy atmosphere. What is unusual and effective about the sentence ‘He did not realize that his last chance was walking out of the door?’ The phrase ‘walking out of the door’ suggests that the opportunity he had was slipping away and that he would never have another opportunity such as this one again.

Page 4 4. Hyperbole A figure of speech that involves great exaggeration to make an idea memorable. It is not intended to be taken literally. “I am so hungry I could eat a horse.” The exaggeration in the phrase ‘eat a horse’ tells us that the writer is ravenous. Identify the phrase which is an over-exaggeration. - “eat a horse’ Why does the writer describe his hunger in this way? To emphasis how great his hunger was. 5. Pun A play of words. It is a word or a phrase which 1. Has a double meaning or both literal and figurative meaning 2. Sounds similar to another word with a different meaning A. In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, at one point, Romeo asks for a torch, saying ,’