Language Analysis

Introduction

In the FSCE 11+ exam, you will often be asked how an author uses language to create effects. This means looking at the specific words and techniques an author chooses and explaining why they chose them and what impact they have on the reader. Language analysis is one of the highest-scoring skills because it shows deep understanding of how writing works.

This lesson will teach you how to identify and write about word choice, imagery, and figurative language -- and, most importantly, how to explain the effect on the reader.

---

What Is Language Analysis?

Language analysis means examining the words and techniques an author uses and explaining:

1. What technique or word choice the author uses
2. How it works (what it literally means or does)
3. Why the author chose it (what effect it creates)

The key word is effect. You must always explain the effect on the reader. Simply naming a technique ("the author uses a metaphor") will not earn full marks. You need to explain what the metaphor does and how it makes the reader feel.

graph TD
    A["Identify the Language Feature"] --> B["Quote the exact words"]
    B --> C["Name the technique if applicable"]
    C --> D["Explain the EFFECT on the reader"]
    D --> E["Strong Answer!"]

---

Key Language Techniques

Word Choice (Diction)

Every word an author uses is a deliberate choice. When you analyse word choice, think about:

• Why did the author choose THIS word instead of a similar one?
• What associations or feelings does this word carry?
• Is the word positive, negative, or neutral?

Example:

The dog crept towards the table.

The word "crept" suggests the dog is moving slowly, secretly, and perhaps guiltily. The author could have written "walked" or "moved," but "crept" creates a much more vivid picture and tells us something about the dog's behaviour.

Imagery

Imagery is when an author uses descriptive language that appeals to your senses -- sight, sound, smell, taste, or touch. Good imagery makes you feel as though you are there.

Example:

The market was a riot of colour and noise. Spices in towering pyramids glowed amber and crimson. Traders called out in voices that crackled like fireworks.

This creates vivid visual imagery (colour, glowing spices) and auditory imagery (noise, crackling voices), making the reader feel immersed in the scene.

Figurative Language

Figurative language means using words in a non-literal way to create an effect. The main types are:

Simile -- comparing one thing to another using "like" or "as."

Her eyes shone like diamonds.

Metaphor -- describing one thing as if it IS another thing.

The classroom was a zoo.

Personification -- giving human qualities to something non-human.

The wind whispered through the trees.

Onomatopoeia -- a word that sounds like the thing it describes.

The bacon sizzled in the pan.

Hyperbole -- deliberate exaggeration for effect.

I have told you a million times!

Alliteration -- repeating the same sound at the start of nearby words.

The silent snake slithered slowly.

---

How to Write About Language: What to Write vs What NOT to Write

What NOT to Write	What to Write
"The author uses a simile."	"The author uses the simile 'her smile was like sunshine' to suggest warmth and happiness, making the reader feel that she is a kind and welcoming person."
"This is a good description."	"The description of the forest as 'a dark, tangled maze' creates a sense of danger and confusion, suggesting the character feels trapped and lost."
"The author uses lots of adjectives."	"The adjectives 'bitter,' 'stinging,' and 'relentless' create a harsh, painful impression of the cold weather, helping the reader feel the character's physical discomfort."
"This makes it more interesting."	"This creates a vivid image of the storm's power, making the reader feel the force and danger of the weather."

The key difference: weak answers name techniques but do not explain their effect. Strong answers always explain how the language affects the reader.

---

Worked Example 1: Analysing Word Choice

The soldiers trudged through the mud, their boots heavy with the weight of the earth. Rain hammered down on their helmets. No one spoke.

Question: How does the author use language to convey the difficulty of the soldiers' journey?

Strong answer: "The author uses carefully chosen words to convey the exhausting difficulty of the soldiers' journey. The verb 'trudged' suggests slow, heavy, effortful walking -- it sounds much harder than 'walked' or 'marched' and makes the reader feel the soldiers' physical tiredness. The phrase 'heavy with the weight of the earth' is effective because 'the weight of the earth' sounds enormous and overwhelming, as if the whole world is dragging them down. This could be a metaphor for the emotional as well as physical burden they carry. The verb 'hammered' personifies the rain, making it sound aggressive and violent, as though the weather itself is attacking them. Finally, the short sentence 'No one spoke' creates a sense of silence and exhaustion -- the soldiers are too tired or too defeated even to talk. Together, these language choices create a vivid picture of misery and endurance."

---

Worked Example 2: Analysing Figurative Language

The city at night was an ocean of lights. Cars flowed through the streets like rivers of gold. Above it all, the moon hung like a pale lantern, watching over the restless world below.

Question: How does the author use figurative language in this description?