What to Include

Statement

This will feel very similar to the ideas from the “Reading” section of Paper 1, but that’s because they’re asking you to use the same skills. I’m going to take this opportunity to go through the process of making good inferences again using a different worked example, so you can see more models of good answers- but if you feel you’ve got the idea, do skip ahead to __Q1: Response Guidance, __which is where I go specifically into how Q1 on this paper differs from Q1 on the last paper.

Again, we are aiming for a clear, succinct response. The first sentence of your answer or each paragraph is your __point __and should therefore demonstrate your understanding of the question and the source material. Aim to make a confident statement, as this will form the scaffolding for the rest of your answer. There may be slight inference (see below) in this statement but not too much!

In this lesson, let’s use the nursery rhyme ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”

Statement:

_The star represents God, or a similar religious deity, distant from humans on earth yet still always there, looking over us all. _

Quotations

Again, you are looking for short, __relevant __quotes from the text that are __judiciously chosen __(showing good judgement in your choice). Again, the best answers contain embedded quotations, lifted from the text and firmly attached to your comment by surrounding the quotation(s) with words of your own.

__Statement: __

The star represents God, or a similar religious deity, distant from humans on earth yet still always there, looking over us all.

Quotation:

The narrative voice stares at the star in wonder, marvelling at how it sits “up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky.”

Inference

Once more, we are trying to reason on ideas about the evidence you have selected and draw valid conclusions on a matter without speculation or assumption. Once more, we aim to keep it simple and succinct, explaining what the quote actually means in our own words, and mentally use interrogatives to contemplate on why, what or how this idea could be valid. We are still trying to continue digging deeper, squeezing meaning out of evidence.

Statement:

__ __The star represents God, or a similar religious deity, distant from humans on earth yet still always there, looking over us all.

Quotation: 

The narrative voice stares at the star in wonder, marvelling at how it sits “up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky.”

__Inference(s): __

_Here we see that the speaker feels distant from the star and far below it in stature and importance. The star seems “so high” to the speaker, implying that it is many levels above the speaker’s lowly status, and that distance seems almost insurmountable to the speaker. This recalls the relationship between humankind and religious deities who are said to live in “heaven”, high up in the sky, on a plane that is inaccessible to mere mortals. _

In addition to this, the speaker views the star as a “diamond”, one of the most precious materials known to man. The star calls to the speaker, sparkling enticingly, captivating the speaker’s attention even from its great distance. From this we might draw parallels to the way that religion calls to people who feel lost, offering them a comfort or a home in its embrace, representing joy and great value in its depiction as a “diamond”.

Effect

Once you have explored a range of meanings and drawn logical conclusions, you must consider the effect that is created. Writers always write with a clear objective in mind. You need to understand the purpose of the text to then determine whether or not the outcome has accomplished their aim. Some different types of purposes are writing to inform, explain, argue, describe and/or entertain.

__Here are a few pointers that you may consider: __

__Statement: __

The star represents God, or a similar religious deity, distant from humans on earth yet still always there, looking over us all.

__Quotation: __

The narrative voice stares at the star in wonder, marvelling at how it sits “up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky.”

_Inference(s): ___

Here we see that the speaker feels distant from the star and far below it in stature and importance. The star seems “so high” to the speaker, implying that it is many levels above the speaker’s lowly status, and that distance seems almost insurmountable to the speaker. This recalls the relationship between humankind and religious deities who are said to live in “heaven”, high up in the sky, on a plane that is inaccessible to mere mortals.

In addition to this, the speaker views the star as a “diamond”, one of the most precious materials known to man. The star calls to the speaker, sparkling enticingly, captivating the speaker’s attention even from its great distance. From this we might draw parallels to the way that religion calls to people who feel lost, offering them a comfort or a home in its embrace, representing joy and great value in its depiction as a “diamond”.

__Effect: __

_The writer cleverly uses the star as a metaphor for the pull humans feel towards a greater being than themselves. By weaving the longing and the marvel of the religious mind into a simple sighting of a distant object in space, the writer gently prods the reader to acknowledge that humanity puts too great a weight on coincidence and superstition, wanting desperately to see meaning where there is none. It is altogether an intensely nihilistic piece, prompting the reader to consider their humanity, position on religion and significance in the grander scheme of the universe. _