Structure techniques

Question 1

What is a cyclical structure?

Answer 1

When a text begins and ends in the same place with the same idea/ theme

Question 2

What is the effect of a cyclical structure?

Answer 2

Forces a reader to consider what has happened over the course of the text, and how it has changed the characters or the outcome

Question 3

What is dialogue?

Answer 3

Speech or conversation between characters in a text. It can also be used to display a character’s internal thoughts

Question 4

What is the effect of dialogue?

Answer 4

• Dialogue is used to drive the plot of a text, while helping readers become acquainted with the characters.
• It is often responsible for progressing the storyline, while simultaneously helping readers become more emotionally invested in the characters.

Question 5

What is focus?

Answer 5

What the writer focuses their writing on as the text progresses. Focus can shift through the text and as different characters/ themes gain importance. Focus shifts can be done subtly, or through changing the point of view of the writer

Question 6

What is the effect of focus?

Answer 6

• Focus makes clear the more important characters and themes in a text, and focus shifts are key for progressing the narrative of a text.
• Shifting the narrative allows readers to become acquainted with different characters/themes, increasing their emotional engagement in the text

Question 7

What is the effect of a cliffhanger?

Answer 7

• A cliffhanger leaves anticipation of another text to follow
• it leaves the reader excited for more

Question 8

What is the effect of a neat and tidy ending?

Answer 8

Leaves the reader with a sense of satisfaction

Question 9

What is a rhetorical question?

Answer 9

A question asked by the writer which does not have, and isn’t expected to have, a direct answer

Question 10

What is the effect of a rhetorical question?

Answer 10

• Rhetorical questions are used to subtly influence the reader.
• They help persuade them of the argument at hand.
• They are not meant to be answered, rather they are intended to prompt deeper thought in the reader

Question 11

What is a sentence structure?

Answer 11

The way in which words and punctuation are arranged in a sentence. The length of a sentence is also an important component of sentence structure

Question 12

What is the effect of sentence structures?

Answer 12

• Shorter sentences make arguments explicitly clear to the reader, helping them to understand the point at hand
• Longer sentences can become confusing and overwhelming
• A sentence with lots of punctuation can come across frustrating, which can help a writer further develop a tone in their writing

Question 13

What is a tricolon?

Answer 13

The technical term for ‘rule of three’ when a writer lists three words, phrases or ideas in quick succession?

Question 14

What is the effect of a tricolon?

Answer 14

A tricolon increases the impact of a writer’s statement by creating a clear rhythm to a sentence