IOC Prep. Questions (English A: Lang&Lit)

As you review your key passages you should be asking two broad questions: i) what makes this passage "key" and ii) how does this passage convey thoughts and feelings? A focused, well-developed response will address both.

Use the questions below, arranged by genre, to help you think about each of your passages in a way that is conducive to the oral commentary. 

Prose: Novel and short story 

• How does the extract show the attitudes and emotions of the central character(s)?
• In what ways does the use of language reveal underlying tensions?
• How is the significance of the setting of the work revealed in the extract?
• How are the central ideas of the work conveyed through the extract?
• In what ways does the extract foreshadow subsequent developments in the work?
• How is the extract pivotal to the structure of the plot?

Prose other than fiction

• How does the point of view influence our attitude to the ideas being conveyed in the extract?
• In what ways is the extract central to the work as a whole?
• How is diction used to influence the reader?
• How is a strong sense of place conveyed in the extract?
• In what ways are rhythm and balance important elements in conveying the writer’s point of view?
• What does the extract reveal of the writer’s attitude towards the subject matter?

Poetry

• What use has the writer made of repetition to convey meaning and/or emotional effects?
• How does the use of a persona contribute to the dramatic force of the poem?
• How is symbolism used to convey meaning?
• In what ways does the final line/stanza change your understanding of the poem as a whole?
• In what ways does the poet use repetition to underline key ideas?
• How is rhythm used to complement the thought and feeling of the poem?

Drama

• How are gesture and action used to convey the state of mind of the character(s)?
• How is language used to show contrasts between the characters?
• In what ways does the extract show or hint at developing conflict in the play?
• How does the extract reveal the time and place of the action in the play?
• What does the extract reveal of the relationship between X and Y?
• In what ways is the extract significant in revealing a key idea of the play?

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