Exam code:8700
Paper 1 Question 3 tests you on your ability to comment on and analyse the structural choices a writer has made. But what is structure? How is it different from language? And how do you analyse it on the exam paper?
The following guide contains everything you need to know about the skills you need to demonstrate when answering the structure question:
-
How do you analyse structure?
-
Structural techniques
-
Key questions for analysing structure
-
Analysing structure in the exam
How do you analyse structure?
To explain, comment on and analyse the effects of structure you must:
-
Show you understand the writer’s use of structure
-
Examine and analyse the effects of the writer’s structural choices
-
Select and use relevant quotations
-
Use appropriate subject terminology to discuss structural techniques
The most important part of the assessment is the analysis of the effects of a writer’s choice of structure. Analysis of effects should be precise and contextualised to a specific point in the text.
It’s also important that, if you do use subject terminology (terms that relate to a writer’s use of structure, like “linear” or “juxtaposition”), that it enhances the points made.
What counts as structure?
In Question 3, structure refers to the way in which a writer has deliberately organised their text for a specific reason. That reason might be to create a particular tone or mood, such as tension, or anticipation.
Structural features can be at:
Structural techniques
Analysing structure for Question 3 can seem very demanding, but it simply involves examining the structural choices made by the writer and their impact on the text.
When looking over your extract, try to focus on the following:
|
Structural feature |
Questions to ask |
|---|---|
|
The narrative perspective of the text |
|
|
The organisation and use of time |
|
|
The location and setting |
|
|
Characters and how they are introduced |
|
|
Pacing |
|
|
Repetition and motifs |
|
Once you’ve answered a few of the above questions, you have to explore reasons why the writer might have made these choices. What are they trying to achieve by choosing to structure their text in this particular way?
Examiner Tips and Tricks
While the examiner will expect you to use relevant subject terminology to support your views, this does not mean that you will secure more marks for demonstrating a wide knowledge of structural terms.
It is much more important that you clearly articulate the intended effects of a writer’s choices, rather than just listing any devices that they have used.
The table below provides some other key structural terms, and how you might use them in an exam:
|
Structural technique |
What to look for in the exam |
|---|---|
|
Openings |
|
|
Endings |
|
|
Foreshadowing |
|
|
Juxtaposition |
|
|
Linear narrative |
|
|
Non-linear narrative |
|
|
Cyclical structure |
|
Key questions for analysing structure
As you read through a text, consider these key questions. These questions will help you to move from the what, to how and on to why.
Analysing structure in the exam
For the very best marks for Question 3, it’s important to analyse a writer’s structural choices across the whole of the passage you are given in the exam.
As a result, we will now explore the beginning, middle and end of an extract, in a similar way that you might do in the exam.
The passage below is from the opening of Chapter 3 from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. It is about a wealthy man named Gatsby and the narrative is told from the perspective of his neighbour, Nick.
Annotating the extract
It’s important — before you start reading or annotating the extract — that you read the question carefully to know exactly what to look for. Then, highlight relevant parts of the text and annotate the effects of these structural features in the margins:
Turning your annotations into an answer
We will now use your annotations to write full sentences about the middle and end of the text, while also comparing and contrasting it to the opening. This shows that you are aware of Fitzgerald making conscious choices to create shifts and contrasts in his narrative.
|
Structural technique(s) |
Quote from the text |
Intended effect on the reader |
|---|---|---|
|
Shift in narrative perspective |
“He smiled understandingly – much more than understandingly.” |
While the opening lines of Chapter 3 focus on the external spectacle and grandeur of Gatsby’s world, this passage in the middle of the text shifts the focus to the personal interaction between Nick and Gatsby. The narrative perspective changes from an all-encompassing view of the parties to a more intimate portrayal of Nick’s individual feelings which the writer uses to create a more personal tone. |
|
Dialogue |
“I’m Gatsby,” he said suddenly. “What!” I exclaimed. “Oh, I beg your pardon.” |
The use of direct speech at this point in the narrative brings a more intimate dimension and reveals the growing connection between Nick and Gatsby. It also provides insight into Gatsby’s charm and his efforts to build a relationship with Nick. Similarly, the dialogue brings an immediacy to the scene and draws the reader into a closer connection with the characters. |
|
Tone |
“I thought you knew, old sport. I’m afraid I’m not a very good host.” |
The opening lines of the narrative set a tone of extravagance, vibrancy and opulence, reflecting the lavishness of Gatsby’s parties. In contrast, the middle section of the passage conveys a more personal and introspective tone, which focuses on Nick’s feelings of shame at not having known who Gatsby was and Gatsby’s reassuring response. The writer’s shift in tone reflects the transition from the external spectacle of the party to a more emotional and introspective moment between both characters. |
While the model paragraphs above do a good job in using accurate subject terminology (“narrative perspective”; “direct speech”; “tone”), they are always focused on the effects of these structural choices. This is what makes these answers reflective of a Grade 9 student.
Paper 1, Section A: Question 3 is the structure question.
|
Question 3 summary |
|
|---|---|
|
|
|
Top tips |
|
|
How to answer Paper 1 Question 3
Let’s look at Question 3 from the June 2023 exam:
The wording of this exam question from 2026 onwards has slightly changed. Instead of being asked to explore how a writer has structured a text to interest you as a reader, you will be given a specific effect (e.g. tension) to analyse.
Let’s look at an example of the new wording for this question:
Step-by-step guide to Question 3
In order to achieve 8 marks for this question, you should:
1. Grab your highlighter:
-
Read the question carefully
-
Highlight the focus of the question
2. Scan the source text:
-
Highlight information directly relevant to the focus of the question
-
Annotate in the margins reasons why the writer might have used a particular structural feature (not just what the feature is)
-
Ensure you have explored the whole of the text: beginning, middle and end
3. Start your answer using the wording of the question:
-
For example: The writer structures the start of the text to create tension by deliberately leaving out crucial details of the setting.
-
This demonstrates to the examiner that you have understood both the question and the text
4. Go into detail:
-
You need to make 2–3 main points, ranging throughout the text
-
Use the annotations you have made in the margins to form the basis of each point
-
It is a good idea to make your points in chronological order, if possible
-
For the highest marks, write about the effects of the writer’s structural choices
5. Sum up:
-
Your concluding statement should sum up what you have discovered about the writer’s structural choices as a whole
Examiner Tips and Tricks
A great approach is to cover points from the beginning, middle and end of the extract.
This will enable you to show a greater understanding of the writer’s choices across the whole extract and support you to find contrasts or shifts in mood, or in the way settings or characters are presented.
How to get full marks on Paper 1 Question 3
-
Question 3 tests your ability to see the text as a construct, created and ordered for narrative effect:
-
All texts are organised by a writer for particular purposes
-
Your job is to look at the shape of the text and consider why the writer has put the text together in the way they have
-
-
Try to consider why a certain detail is located at that particular point in the text:
-
What is the reader being shown and why?
-
What does the reader learn from being shown these things?
-
What is being withheld from the reader and why?
-
Structural features can be at a:
|
Whole-text level |
Paragraph level |
Sentence level |
|
Beginnings, endings, perspective shifts |
Topic changes, shifts in mood or tone |
Recurring motifs, patterns that inform meaning |
Structure exam tips
Common mistakes
-
Avoid generalised and vague comments on how “the reader” might respond:
-
For example, “it interests the reader” or “it makes the reader want to read on” only lead to simple comments
-
These statements do not show any understanding of the effect(s) of a particular structural feature and will not be credited above a Level 1
-
-
Don’t use complex technical terms without also explaining why they’ve been used:
-
You must not simply spot techniques without demonstrating your understanding or acknowledging the effects achieved by the writer
-
-
Do not stray into writing about language:
-
Some of the structural features you may comment on may also be considered a language feature (e.g. foreshadowing)
-
However, you must ensure your comments focus on how the writer has used it as a structural device, rather than how they have used it as a language device
-
For example: The writer foreshadows the dramatic events at the end of the text by describing the tranquillity and silence at the start of the extract.
-
Grade 9 tips
-
Use the bullet points to help structure your answer:
-
They are there to encourage you to consider the whole of the extract
-
They also ask you to look for contrasts and shifts across the text
-
-
Having a focused approach will help you to structure your response and will enable you write more about less:
-
Quality over quantity is key to achieving a high grade in the exam
-
-
Make sure that your selection of evidence is precise and that your comments and analysis relate to the question being asked
-
Deconstruct the structural features you choose, analysing each one in detail:
-
You need to think about how these elements combine to create meaning
-
-
Higher responses focus on the effects of structural choices, rather than writing about complex structural techniques
Learn more and test yourself
For more great tips and tricks, check out our dedicated revision notes on the Paper 1 Question 3 mark scheme and our fully annotated Paper 1 Question 3 model answer.
You can also test yourself on Paper 1 Question 3 with expert-created Save My Exams quiz and exam questions. Try our Paper 1 Question 3 multiple choice questions and answer full questions and get them marked by Smart Mark, our AI model created by English Language experts.
Responses