Exercise of the Week #12

A little non-verbal reasoning this week.

Last Week’s Answers

This sort of question could easily be a three or four marker, but the post specified that we’re looking for five marks. That’s going to be tricky, as there isn’t much to go on.

Previously, we looked at the PETEE structure for answering extended-response comprehension questions. We could apply this here. Alternatively, we can use a similar structure: PEE.

• Point: Make your point. Ensure it is relevant to the question and that you can back it up.

• Evidence: Give evidence from the text. You’ll likely need a quote or two.

• Explanation: Explain how your evidence supports your point. Don’t just repeat the point.

Looking at the text, we know Alice is ‘very tired’ of sitting there and ‘having nothing to do’. While her sister has brought a book to read, she has not, and instead takes occasional glimpses at what her sister is reading. She dismisses the book, because it ‘had no pictures or conversations in it’, stating that a book without these does not have a use.

We need to thread these ideas together into an argument. We could say:

Alice is uninterested in literature. She paid little attention to her sister's book, occasionally glancing over but dismissing it because it 'had no pictures or conversations'. She believes that a book only has a 'use' if it contains these. This suggests that Alice believes books are only worth reading if there are pictures to look at and plenty of dialogue. Furthermore, this idea of books having a 'use' suggests she views things in a regimented and practical way: an object is only worthwhile if it has a clear 'use'. 

In this response, we make our point, give evidence, and explain the evidence. We haven’t referenced any ‘techniques’ as there aren’t any that really stand out.

Exercise of the Week #6

And we’re back with a springtime reasoning puzzle! Good luck.

Last Week’s Answers

These sorts of questions can be nefarious. Let’s look at a means of tackling them.

PETEE

You might’ve been taught this at school. If not, PETEE stands for: Point, Evidence, Technique, Effect, Emphasis.

Your point is the statement you intend to answer the question with. Everything that follows exists to support the point you have to make.

Evidence is a quote from the text. Pick a good one - ideally something rich that supports your point. When I say ‘rich’, I mean that there should be enough in your quote to explain further. If it has a technique, that’s perfect, as we should then discuss what technique is being used. Don’t worry if it isn’t obvious, like clear use of alliteration or a striking simile: keep your eye out for things like repetition, or juxtaposition.

We next explain what effect this technique has on the reader. What does it make you think of? How does it make you feel?

Finally, we explain why the writer uses the technique - what are they trying to emphasise?

If you use this structure, you’re giving yourself the best chance of securing all marks on these (typically thee to four mark) questions.

Model Answer

The writer creates the impression of a superfically commonplace man with a sinister depth to him. They use a striking simile to describe his glance, which falls ‘as trenchant and heavy as an axe.’ This suggests that he is capable of doing harm with merely a stern look. This emphasises that although he is ‘commonplace’, ‘ordinary’ and ‘usual’, something darker lurks within.

There are other techniques you might prefer to reference.

• There is juxtaposition between his ‘commonplace’ features and ‘remarkably cold’ eyes.

• There is much use of parenthesis in the final lines, drawing attention to the narrator’s unease: he can’t make sense of this man.

• There is sibilance in the last line: ‘expression of his lips, something stealthy - a smile - not a smile’. Perhaps the writer is drawing attention to the character’s snakelike qualities.

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’Heart of Darkness’ is for older readers: something to pick up when you are in years 9 or 10. It’s a critique of European colonialism in Africa in the 19th and 20th centuries. The character described in the extract is the unnamed ‘manager’ running an ivory trade on the Congo River.