IGCSE Language A

Language analysis (Q3)

The language task in Question 3 asks how the writer of Text C uses language to convey meaning and create effect, in an extract the question names. Ten marks. Around 13 minutes and about 200 to 250 words. Choose a few striking words or phrases (three in the specimen paper), including images, and analyse them in layered detail.

This is the paper for exams from 2027. On the November 2026 paper the language task is part of Question 2: 15 marks, about 200 to 300 words, on two paragraphs of the text.

What the examiners want

Level 5 (9-10)

The sharpest choices, each opened up to show what it suggests and why the writer used it, with images explained exactly and thoughtfully.

Level 2 (3-4)

Less telling choices; the comments mostly repeat the text or stay vague, even if techniques are named correctly.

A five-step framework for every paragraph

Point

State which aspect of the writer's language you are examining.

The writer uses violent, combative verbs to describe the storm.

Evidence

Quote a single word or short phrase - no more than a few words.

"lashed", "pounded" and "tore"

Explanation (literal)

Explain the basic meaning of the word or phrase in this context.

"Lashed" suggests being struck repeatedly with a whip - an aggressive physical attack.

Analysis (connotations)

Explore the wider associations and layers of meaning carried by the word.

The word carries connotations of punishment and cruelty, as though the sea deliberately means to harm the ship.

Effect on the reader

State what feeling, image or idea the word creates for the reader and how it links to the writer's purpose.

Together these verbs create a sense of helplessness, positioning the crew as victims of a hostile, almost sentient storm.

Useful analytical vocabulary

Verbs for the writer

suggests
implies
conveys
evokes
emphasises
highlights
portrays
juxtaposes

Nouns for technique

connotation
imagery
metaphor
simile
personification
diction
tone
atmosphere

Effect phrases

creates a sense of
paints a picture of
builds tension by
invites the reader to feel
draws the reader into
establishes a mood of

Worked paragraph

Writer describes a cityscape at dusk: "Skyscrapers loomed like sleeping giants, their mirrored faces bleeding orange fire."

The writer personifies the skyscrapers as "sleeping giants", a simile that invests the buildings with both threat and fragility - giants are dangerous, but their stillness makes the city feel uncertain and expectant. The verb "loomed" adds to this unease, suggesting the buildings tower over the viewer menacingly. The metaphor of their windows "bleeding orange fire" evokes violence and destruction, transforming the mundane reflection of sunset into something almost apocalyptic. Together these choices create a cityscape that feels simultaneously majestic and hostile, making the reader sense that the city itself is alive and watching.

Common mistakes

Feature-spotting - naming a device without analysing its effect.
Copying long quotations instead of single well-chosen words.
Generic labels like "it makes it more interesting" or "it adds description".
Confusing similes and metaphors, or calling any adjective "imagery".
Ignoring connotations and just paraphrasing the surface meaning.
Running out of time because every paragraph is too long, so later choices get one line.

Paper 1 hub

IGCSE Language A

Language analysis (Q3)

This is the paper for exams from 2027. On the November 2026 paper the language task is part of Question 2: 15 marks, about 200 to 300 words, on two paragraphs of the text.

What the examiners want

Level 5 (9-10)

The sharpest choices, each opened up to show what it suggests and why the writer used it, with images explained exactly and thoughtfully.

Level 2 (3-4)

Less telling choices; the comments mostly repeat the text or stay vague, even if techniques are named correctly.

A five-step framework for every paragraph

Point

State which aspect of the writer's language you are examining.

The writer uses violent, combative verbs to describe the storm.

Evidence

Quote a single word or short phrase - no more than a few words.

"lashed", "pounded" and "tore"

Explanation (literal)

Explain the basic meaning of the word or phrase in this context.

"Lashed" suggests being struck repeatedly with a whip - an aggressive physical attack.

Analysis (connotations)

Explore the wider associations and layers of meaning carried by the word.

The word carries connotations of punishment and cruelty, as though the sea deliberately means to harm the ship.

Effect on the reader

State what feeling, image or idea the word creates for the reader and how it links to the writer's purpose.

Together these verbs create a sense of helplessness, positioning the crew as victims of a hostile, almost sentient storm.

Useful analytical vocabulary

Verbs for the writer

suggests
implies
conveys
evokes
emphasises
highlights
portrays
juxtaposes

Nouns for technique

connotation
imagery
metaphor
simile
personification
diction
tone
atmosphere

Effect phrases

creates a sense of
paints a picture of
builds tension by
invites the reader to feel
draws the reader into
establishes a mood of

Worked paragraph

Writer describes a cityscape at dusk: "Skyscrapers loomed like sleeping giants, their mirrored faces bleeding orange fire."

Common mistakes

Feature-spotting - naming a device without analysing its effect.
Copying long quotations instead of single well-chosen words.
Generic labels like "it makes it more interesting" or "it adds description".
Confusing similes and metaphors, or calling any adjective "imagery".
Ignoring connotations and just paraphrasing the surface meaning.
Running out of time because every paragraph is too long, so later choices get one line.

Your Hub

Your Hub

Language analysis (Q3)

What the examiners want

A five-step framework for every paragraph

Useful analytical vocabulary

Worked paragraph

Common mistakes

Language analysis (Q3)

What the examiners want

A five-step framework for every paragraph

Useful analytical vocabulary

Worked paragraph

Common mistakes