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ScotlandEnglishQuick questions
The Critical Essay
Quick questions on Writing a critical essay on language - SQA Higher English
7short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is persuasive language?Show answer
Advertising, political speech, campaigning. Analyse the rhetorical machinery: emotive word choice, rhetorical questions, the rule of three, repetition, direct address, and a register pitched at the target audience.
What is variety and identity?Show answer
Dialect, accent, slang, jargon, the language of a region, trade or community. Analyse how specific features (Scots vocabulary, technical terms, in-group slang) mark belonging or exclude outsiders.
What is register and situation?Show answer
How language shifts between formal and informal, written and spoken, depending on context, and why a chosen level of language suits its situation and audience.
What is the language of a medium?Show answer
Broadcasting, journalism, texting, social media. Analyse the conventions a medium imposes and how they shape meaning, such as the compression of a headline.
What is q1?Show answer
What is the defining trap of a language critical essay, and how do you avoid it? [2 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
Name two persuasive language features, with the effect each can have on an audience. [2 marks]
What is q3?Show answer
Why must a language essay keep purpose and audience in view throughout? [2 marks]
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