Language & structure · Both
Language Techniques for Effect
Writers choose words and techniques deliberately. In the exam, name the technique, quote it, and explain the effect – not just ‘it makes the reader interested’.
Common techniques
• **Simile** – comparison using like/as
• **Metaphor** – says something *is* something else
• **Personification** – non-human given human qualities
• **Alliteration** – repeated starting sounds
• **Emotive language** – words that stir feeling
• **Repetition** – emphasis through repeating words/ideas
• **Rhetorical question** – question not expecting an answer
Explaining effect
Weak: “The metaphor is effective.”
Strong: “The metaphor ‘a wall of silence’ suggests the argument is **impassable and cold**, so the reader feels the relationship has shut down.”
Link technique → meaning → reader’s response.
Worked example
Effect of ‘the wind howled’?
Solution: **Personification** – the wind is given a human/animal cry. Suggests threat or loneliness; the reader may feel unease or isolation.
Practice questions
1. Simile vs metaphor?
2. What should an effect comment include?