Sentence Structure - Aunt Julia

Question 1

Aunt Julia spoke Gaelic very loud and very fast

Answer 1

• repetition
• The repetition emphasises key parts of Aunt Julia’s speech
• and suggests that she was particularly booming and rapid when she spoke.
• This also suggests to the reader that she is a lively character.

Question 2

She was brown eggs, black skirts and a keeper of threepennybits in a teapot

Answer 2

• list and rule of three
• is used to emphasise the simplicity of Aunt Julia’s lifestyle, that she is self-sufficient, and that she has little money so every small coin is kept safe.
• The tone is admiring, which suggests that even though she has little money, she had spiritual wealth because she lived an honest life deeply rooted in the land.

Question 3

Getting angry, getting angry

Answer 3

• repetition helps to emphasise the extent of MacCaig’s frustration at the fact he never ever got to fully communicate with his aunt, even after learning her language because she has died