GCSE English Language Revision: Useful Vocabulary.
Critical verbs.
Explores, Alerts us to, Vividly communicates, Gives Expression to, Gives Representation to, Undermines, reinforces, Subverts, Intensifies, Communicates, Reminds us, Fascinates, Repulses, Consolidates, Underlines, Recommends, Disturbs, Alarms, Coveys a vivid sense of , Conveys a visceral impression of, Adds conspicuous Weight to, Evokes, Illustrates, Connotes, Infers, Implies, Accelerates a sense of…. Escalates the Impression that….Repudiates, Rejects. Forsakes.
Jects,
Perspective or Viewpoint.
Talk about the POINT OF VIEW. ( First Person, Omniscient or Third)
Then explore issues of Social Class, Gender, Religion, Education, Economic Wealth or Poverty.
Expectations.
Every reading experience involves EXPECTATIONS linked to the PURPOSE and AUDIENCE as well as the use of language.
‘Once upon a time, there was a Princess who secretly trained as a Scuba Diver,’ generates very different expectations to ‘Once upon a time there was a Princess who never thought about anyone but herself ‘ or ‘…her true love.’
Effects.
Remember when you are evaluating effects that there may be a contrast between the effect of an utterance on the stage( or novel/poem) AND the effect on the Audience or Reader.
Hence, we might experience a pronounced sense of discomfort as well as a disturbing sense of irony when Macbeth delivers awestruck applause for his insanely ambitious wife’s speech about ‘dashing the brains out’ of a ‘babe’ whilst she was ‘given suck.’ By contrast, the audience feels utterly appalled and repulsed by this total dereliction of a mother’s maternal affection towards her vulnerable child and recognises the moral depravity of both husband and wife. The more you tease out the possibility of problematic effects, the higher the marks.
Another example of ironic contrast in terms of effects occurs when Birling pompously reiterates the propaganda around the unsinkable nature of the Titanic. This is not challenged by his captive listeners on stage as they are complicit with his unimaginative worldview, yet the audience watching the play would be all too aware of the dreadfully mistaken assumption of Birling and this would discredit him straight away in their eyes.
The wilful silence of both Utterson and Enfield when they witness the grotesque alteration in Jekyll’s demeanour at his window frustrates the reader, as their silence refuses to interrogate what has occurred in front of them and thus prolongs the mystery of Hyde’s identity a little longer and perhaps rather unnecessarily. It feels like wilful blindness: moral myopia!
Remember too that effects are not static. They are dynamic and these shifts or changes deepen or dilute the effect. So talk about ESCALATION or DEVELOPMENT or DEEPENING INTENSITY or the OPPOSITE/COUNTER-ARGUMENT.
Useful Words.
Sad: Woeful, Melancholy, Morose, Despairing, Gloomy, Bleak, Forlorn, Downcast,
Friendly: Intimate. Affable. Affectionate, Congenial, Genial, Cordial. Benevolent.
Many: Myriad, Countless, Plethora
Thick: Obtuse, Slow-witted
Strange: Alien, Unfamiliar, Eccentric. Sly, Furtive.
Unaware: Oblivious. Ignorant,
Important: Salient, Vital
Evil: Malevolent, Malign, Premediated Cruelty, Sadistic, Wanton, Vicious.
Danger: Perilous, Jeopardy Brave: Intrepid, Courageous,
Anger: Wrath, Indignant, Vexation, Raging
Happy: Exuberant, Jubilant, Blissful, Ecstatic, Exhilarating Gleeful, Delightful, Euphoric
Magical: Enchanted, Bewitched, Transported
Painful: Excruciating, Gut-Wrenching, Agonising
Powerful: Formidable, Monumental, Colossal, Patriarchal, Matriarchal.
Worried: Acutely anxious, Apprehensive, Full of Trepidation, Uncomfortable.
Trapped: Claustrophobic, Imprisoned, Enveloped by, Suffocated by
Ugly: Grotesque, Aberrant, Decayed, Disfigured, Degenerate, Distorted. Monstrous.
Frightening: Daunting, Terrorising, Throbbing, Agitated, Startled.
Uncomfortable: Intolerable, Awkward, Uneasy, Excruciating. ,
Disgrace: Ignominy, Notorious, Infamy.
Accept: Acquiesce, Tolerate, Yield.
Hatred: Enmity, Ill Will, Hostility, Loathing, Repulsion.
Smart: Erudite, Academic, Incisive.
Preference: Predilection, Tendency.
Reject: Repudiate, Negate.
Inhibit, Repressed
Exhibit, Demonstrate, Flaunt.
Cogent, Coherent, Fragmented, Hypocrisy, Nuanced,
