Cambridge IGCSEReading frameworkPaper 1

Dialogue Analysis

Dialogue is where fiction does its most compressed work. A good exchange reveals character, relationship, conflict and change in a handful of lines. This framework trains you to read beneath the surface of what people say.

What this framework practises

Dialogue passages test your ability to infer relationships and power, to spot subtext, and to comment on the effect of speech tags, interruptions and pauses. All of these are rewarded on Paper 1.

Suggested practice texts

These three texts all feature dialogue-rich scenes. Look for an exchange between two or three characters of around 600 to 900 words.

The Importance of Being Earnest

by Oscar Wilde

Read on Project Gutenberg

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

by Arthur Conan Doyle

Read on Project Gutenberg

Little Women

by Louisa May Alcott

Read on Project Gutenberg

Comprehension questions

Who is speaking to whom, and what is the relationship between them? Find one line that makes the relationship clear.
What is the subject of the conversation on the surface, and is there a second, hidden subject beneath it?
Pick out one line that shows a difference in status or power between the speakers.
How do the speech tags (said, whispered, muttered, cried) shape your reading of the exchange?
Does any character avoid answering a question or change the subject? What does this avoidance tell you about them?
By the end of the dialogue, has anything changed between the speakers? Quote one line as evidence.

Language analysis prompt

“How does the writer use language to create tension and reveal character through this dialogue?”

Write roughly 150 words. Quote three short phrases, each from a different character if possible, and comment on tone, subtext and speech tags.

Summary task template

Summarise the exchange in no more than 120 words.

Sentence 1: Who is speaking and where they are.
Sentence 2: The topic on the surface of the conversation.
Sentences 3-4: What the dialogue really reveals about the relationship.
Sentence 5: What has changed by the end of the exchange.

Vocabulary focus

Eight terms to use when analysing dialogue.

dialoguesubtexttoneregisterspeech taginterruptionpauseidiolect

Self-assessment checklist

I named which character was speaking in each quotation.
I identified at least one moment of subtext.
I commented on speech tags and punctuation.
I used the word subtext or register at least once.
My summary focused on what changed between the speakers.
I stayed within the 45 minute time limit.

Character introductions Next: Setting and atmosphere

All reading frameworks

Cambridge IGCSEReading frameworkPaper 1

Dialogue Analysis

What this framework practises

Dialogue passages test your ability to infer relationships and power, to spot subtext, and to comment on the effect of speech tags, interruptions and pauses. All of these are rewarded on Paper 1.

Suggested practice texts

These three texts all feature dialogue-rich scenes. Look for an exchange between two or three characters of around 600 to 900 words.

The Importance of Being Earnest

by Oscar Wilde

Read on Project Gutenberg

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

by Arthur Conan Doyle

Read on Project Gutenberg

Little Women

by Louisa May Alcott

Read on Project Gutenberg

Comprehension questions

Who is speaking to whom, and what is the relationship between them? Find one line that makes the relationship clear.
What is the subject of the conversation on the surface, and is there a second, hidden subject beneath it?
Pick out one line that shows a difference in status or power between the speakers.
How do the speech tags (said, whispered, muttered, cried) shape your reading of the exchange?
Does any character avoid answering a question or change the subject? What does this avoidance tell you about them?
By the end of the dialogue, has anything changed between the speakers? Quote one line as evidence.

Language analysis prompt

“How does the writer use language to create tension and reveal character through this dialogue?”

Write roughly 150 words. Quote three short phrases, each from a different character if possible, and comment on tone, subtext and speech tags.

Summary task template

Summarise the exchange in no more than 120 words.

Sentence 1: Who is speaking and where they are.
Sentence 2: The topic on the surface of the conversation.
Sentences 3-4: What the dialogue really reveals about the relationship.
Sentence 5: What has changed by the end of the exchange.

Vocabulary focus

Eight terms to use when analysing dialogue.

dialoguesubtexttoneregisterspeech taginterruptionpauseidiolect

Self-assessment checklist

I named which character was speaking in each quotation.
I identified at least one moment of subtext.
I commented on speech tags and punctuation.
I used the word subtext or register at least once.
My summary focused on what changed between the speakers.
I stayed within the 45 minute time limit.

Character introductions Next: Setting and atmosphere

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Dialogue Analysis

Suggested practice texts

Comprehension questions

Language analysis prompt

Summary task template

Vocabulary focus

Self-assessment checklist

Dialogue Analysis

Suggested practice texts

Comprehension questions

Language analysis prompt

Summary task template

Vocabulary focus

Self-assessment checklist