What are Language, Structure and Form in GCSE English?
Introduction
You’ll hear “Language, Form and Structure” a lot in GCSE English but what are they? Why should you care?
Half of GCSE English is learning how to write better which is why the other half is spent analysing the techniques and skills of the very best writers so we can learn to write like them.
If we can work out how these writers use Language, Form and Structure we can unlock their secrets.
Language is the use of powerful keywords and phrases that create ideas in our heads.
Structure is how the information has been organised. Is it chronological or something else?
Form is the type or category of a text. It’s like choosing the genre of a film or the style of music.
If used properly, these three will create an emotional effect, hooking readers.
This English GCSE guide will focus on structure and form, and how to analyse them by linking to ‘Effect.’
Want to learn about analysing Language? Visit our incredible GCSE English Language Analysis | EASY Beginner’s Grade 9 Guide.
Need to learn about analysing Form? Visit our incredible GCSE English Form Analysis | EASY Beginner’s Grade 9 Guide.
What is Structure in English GCSE?
Remember we said structure means how the writer organises their ideas into their chosen order so it can refer to lots of different things.
This could be:
16 English GCSE Structural Techniques You Need to Know
- Character Development
- Foreshadowing
- Organisation of plot and ideas
- Repetition
- Sentence and Paragraph Length
- Flashbacks
- Pacing
- Juxtaposition
- Cliffhanger
- Sub plots
- Circular Structure
- Foils
- Fragmented Narrative
- Parallel Plot lines
- Refrain
- Volta
16 English GCSE Structure Techniques Explained.
1. Character Development
What It Is: This is how a character changes and grows throughout the story.
Example: In Macbeth, Macbeth starts as a brave soldier and becomes a tyrant consumed by ambition.
Effect on the Reader: Seeing a character change can make readers feel different emotions, like sympathy or horror, and can highlight important themes.
2. Foreshadowing
What It Is: This is when the writer gives hints about what will happen later in the story.
Example: In Romeo and Juliet, Romeo says he prefers to die sooner than live without Juliet, hinting at their tragic end.
Effect on the Reader: Foreshadowing builds suspense and prepares the reader for future events, making the story more engaging.
3. Organisation of Plot and Ideas
What It Is: This is how the events in the story are arranged. Is it in chronological order, or does it jump back and forth in time?
Example: In To Kill a Mockingbird, the plot is organised around Scout (the main character’s) memories, jumping between her childhood and present.
Effect on the Reader: The organisation can affect how the reader perceives the story, building tension or creating a sense of reflection.
4. Repetition
What It Is: This is when words, phrases, or ideas are repeated to emphasise them.
Example: In A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens repeats “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” to highlight the contradictions of the era.
Effect on the Reader: Repetition can make certain ideas stand out and be more memorable, helping to reinforce themes.
5. Sentence and Paragraph Length.
What It Is: This is the length of sentences and paragraphs, which can affect the story’s pace.
Example: In action scenes, short, quick sentences can create a sense of urgency, while long, descriptive sentences can slow things down.
Effect on the Reader: Varying sentence and paragraph lengths can influence how the reader experiences the story, making it feel fast-paced or slow and reflective.
6. Flashbacks
What It Is: A scene set in a time earlier than the main story.
Example: In Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë uses flashbacks to tell the history of the characters and their relationships.
Effect on the Reader: Flashbacks provide background information, build character depth, and can create suspense by revealing crucial details gradually.
7. Pacing
What It Is: The speed at which a story unfolds.
Example: In The Hound of the Baskervilles, Arthur Conan Doyle varies the pacing to build tension during the suspenseful scenes.
Effect on the Reader: Fast pacing can create excitement and urgency, while slow pacing can build anticipation or develop character and setting.
8. Juxtaposition
What It Is: Placing two contrasting elements close together.
Example: In A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens juxtaposes Scrooge’s miserly nature with the warmth and generosity of the Cratchit family.
Effect on the Reader: Juxtaposition highlights differences, often to emphasise themes or character traits.
9. Cliffhangers
What It Is: Ending a chapter or scene at a suspenseful or dramatic moment.
Example: In The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins frequently ends chapters on cliffhangers to keep the reader hooked.
Effect on the Reader: Cliffhangers create suspense and encourage the reader to continue reading to find out what happens next.
10. Subplots
What It Is: A secondary plot that runs alongside the main story.
Example: In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen includes subplots like the romance between Jane Bennet and Mr. Bingley.
Effect on the Reader: Subplots add depth and complexity to the story, often highlighting themes or developing secondary characters.
11. Circular Structure
What It Is: When the story ends where it began.
Example: In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck begins and ends the novel at the same location, near the Salinas River.
Effect on the Reader: A circular structure can emphasise themes of fate, inevitability, and the cyclical nature of life.
12. Foils
What It Is: Characters who contrast with the main character to highlight particular qualities.
Example: In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson uses Mr. Hyde as a foil to Dr. Jekyll.
Effect on the Reader: Foils enhance the characteristics of the main character and can highlight themes of duality and conflict.
13. Fragmented Narrative
What It Is: A story told in a non-linear order with fragmented scenes.
Example: In The Sound and the Fury, William Faulkner uses a fragmented narrative to reflect the chaotic thoughts of his characters.
Effect on the Reader: This can create a sense of confusion or disorientation, mirroring the experiences of the characters.
14. Parallel Plotlines
What It Is: Two or more plot lines that run at the same time and often join up.
Example: In A Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin follows multiple characters and plot lines that eventually converge.
Effect on the Reader: Parallel plot lines add complexity and allow for a richer exploration of themes and characters.
15. Refrain
What It Is: A repeated phrase or set of lines in a poem or story.
Example: In The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe, the phrase “Nevermore” (which means ‘never again’) is repeated for various reasons such as to create sadness and show the narrator’s hopelessness. It also helps the poem flow smoothly and reminds us that some things, like losing someone, are forever.
Effect on the Reader: A refrain can create rhythm, emphasise a particular idea or emotion, and make the text more memorable.
16. Volta
What It Is: A turn or shift in the tone or subject matter of a poem, often found in sonnets.
Example: In Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130, the volta occurs in the ninth line when the poem shifts from criticising the mistress’s appearance to praising his genuine love for her.
Effect on the Reader: A volta can surprise the reader, change the poem’s direction, and provide a deeper understanding of its themes.
Put these on flashcards and learn them as soon as you can! Learning techniques in English is like knowing your Times Table in maths.
It’s probably one of the reasons why you might be struggling and find English difficult at times. Imagine doing your maths without knowing how to multiply!
The sooner you know these, the easier it will be for you to notice these things in books that you’re reading at school and then be able to comment on them.
This guide will show you exactly how to comment on and analyse structure techniques below.
There are so many more, but these are generally the types of structure analyses that you can expect to analyse in GCSE English.
How to Analyse Structure in GCSE English
The 2 types of evidence on GCSE English
- Language quotes taken from the text
- Short descriptions of events and character actions
Did you know? Evidence in GCSE English does not only have to be a quote from a text.
You can also describe the existence of a structural technique – like a brief description of a scene or certain events or character actions from a play or novel. (You must link it to an effect and never just describe the plot without reason).
When analysing some types of structure, you can still use a quote, for instance:
- the repetition of a single word or phrase
- the juxtaposition (contrasting) of two ideas
- enjambment between two particular words.
However, when analysing structure, you often have to link together different parts of a poem or a text which means that a single quote can’t hope to act as evidence for what you need. So you have to briefly describe what you have noticed (but then always explain the effect).
Analysing Structure: Linking to the Question Focus
When analysing structure, always link it back to the focus of the exam question. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
STEP 1
Identify the Element: Point out the structural element clearly.
Example: “Shakespeare uses foreshadowing in Romeo and Juliet.”
STEP 2
Explain Its Role: Describe what this element does in the text.
Example: ‘Shakespeare uses foreshadowing to build tension and prepare the reader for the tragic ending.”
STEP 3
Link to the Question Focus: Connect it to the specific focus of the exam question. For instance, if the question is about how Shakespeare creates tension, explain how the structure contributes to that.
Example: “ Shakespeare uses foreshadowing to build tension and prepare the reader for the tragic ending. Early in the play, Romeo says he would rather die than live without Juliet, hinting at their eventual fate.
STEP 4
Discuss the Effect on the Reader: Describe how it affects the reader’s experience.
Example: “This foreshadowing keeps the reader anxious about what will happen next, making the story more engaging.”
Let’s look at some examples:
Putting It All Together
Here’s how to pull all this together in an essay:
Example 1: Structure GCSE analysis paragraph.
In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses foreshadowing to build tension and prepare the reader for the tragic ending. Early in the play, Romeo says he would rather die than live without Juliet, hinting at their eventual fate. This foreshadowing keeps the reader anxious about what will happen next, making the story more engaging.
Here are two more examples to help you…
Example 2: Structure GCSE analysis paragraph.
How different length lines or stanzas in a poem can create an effect.
In the poem Blessing by Imtiaz Dharker, the poet writes about the lack of drinkable water in a particular part of the world. A pipe suddenly bursts and the scene transforms from being dry and having no water to so much water that the people have enough to drink and even play in.
To reflect this, the lengths of the stanzas (verses) gradually get longer to mimic the idea of water increasing from a drip to a flood.
This is how we write this structural technique in a exam question:
Structurally, the stanza lengths begin short but become longer to reflect how a drop of water develops into a flood as the poem develops. This is reinforced by the poet’s decision to write in the form of a free verse poem giving it poem an irregular fluid (water-like) rhyme scheme that mimics the free-flowing nature of water.
As you can see there is no direct quotation from the poem, no keywords or even keyphrases.
Instead, the paragraph briefly describes 2 structural features:
- Structurally, the stanza lengths begin short but become longer
- the poet’s decision to write in the form of free verse
But the effect is analysed (explained in bold) immediately afterwards in each instance:
- Structurally, the stanza lengths begin short but become longer to reflect how a drop of water develops into a flood as the poem develops…
- the poet’s decision to write in the form of a free verse poem gives the it an irregular fluid (water-like) rhyme scheme that mimics the free-flowing nature of water.
Warning: Never just describe the text without analysing the effect!
You can see the poem A Blessing, how it does this and more on this other page. (The link will open in a new window. Have a look at the poem and then the structure analysis section and then come back to this guide).
Example 3: Structure GCSE analysis paragraph.
Whether a story tells its plot in chronological order or jumps around in time.
In the poem War Photographer, the poet Carol Anne Duffy describes the mental impact of a foreign war on a War Photographer. She jumps around in time and location to juxtapose (contrast) the hot angry war zone with the cool calm safety of the photographer’s dark room (a laboratory used to develop professional photographs) back home in equally peaceful and privileged England.
In the Structure Quotes Section of that guide, this quote is picked out for you:
“Rural England… foreign dust.”
This quote juxtaposes 2 powerful images to exaggerate the differences between peaceful England and the war zone.
Okay, 2 things to note:
1. What is Juxtaposition? – Juxtaposition is a structural technique that contrasts 2 images or ideas to exaggerate their qualities (or the differences between them). For example, a poor man looks much poorer when you put a rich man next to him and vice versa. Their differences and characteristics are exaggerated for effect.
2. The quote above is actually taken from 2 lines in 2 different stanzas. The ellipsis ( … ) is a way of connecting them. It tells the examiners that the text in between was cut away expertly by the student. You can do this too!
Okay, back to the quote… This is what an analysis of structure that uses keywords would look like.
QUESTION: How does the poet Carol Anne Duffy portray war in War Photographer?
The poet uses structure to exaggerate the impact of war in, “Rural England… foreign dust.” “Rural” creates imagery of lush green English countryside full of living plants, farm animals and crops to feed the local people. However, “dust” depicts the complete opposite – a dry, brown, barren and lifeless land where only death and nothingness exist. These two juxtaposed images could also portray the before and after impact of war on the landscape which also exaggerates the difference in life for the people of these two locations labelled as “England” and “foreign.”
You can see in this last example that we’re using a similar analysis to language analysis (that is covered in this other guide) where we pick out keywords and phrases.
The main difference is that the evidence is taken from two different stanzas which qualifies it as structural analysis because we are linking different parts of the text together with our ideas.
We must still explore the connotations (because we have used keywords).
You could use this method anytime a writer connects words from different parts of a text such as repetition, refrain, triplets etc.
RECAP
Congratulations! We’ve learned Structure:
- What Structure is in GCSE English
- How to Analyse Structure in GCSE English
- The 2 types of evidence in GCSE English
- Examples of Structure GCSE English
Congratulations! You’ve learnt about structure! There are some FAQs about structure at the very bottom of this article to help you even more.
Right, let’s move onto PART 2: Form…
What is Form in English GCSE?
What is Form?
Form is the type or category of a text. It’s like choosing the genre of a film or the style of music. The form sets the stage for what you can expect from the text.
Examples of Form:
- Poetry (types include sonnets, haikus, free verse, etc.).
- Prose (includes novels, short stories, essays, etc.).
- Drama (includes plays, screenplays, etc.).
These different ‘forms’ have special features that we expect to see – this could include the way it is organised. For instance, how a sonnet (a type of poem) has 14 lines with a very particular rhyme scheme.
Because these features can include structure, lots of people confuse the two with each other.
So, what is the Difference Between Structure and Form?
It’s easy to get confused between structure and form because they are closely related, but they are not the same. Here’s how they differ:
Form is about the type or category of the text. It’s the broad classification, like saying something is a novel, a poem, or a play. Form sets the expectations and framework (structure) for the text.
Structure is about how the content within that form is organised. It’s the specific way the text is laid out and arranged, such as chapters in a novel, stanzas in a poem, or acts in a play. Structure guides the reader through the text and helps build the narrative or argument.
Example: A sonnet (form) is a type of poem that traditionally has 14 lines. How those 14 lines are divided into quatrains and a final couplet, and the specific rhyme scheme they follow, make up its structure.
How to Analyse Form in GCSE English
The above means that form will often be mixed up with structure.
When commenting on the form (genre of the text) you must link it to an effect otherwise you are better off not mentioning it.
Remember, analysing is not just spotting techniques and pointing them out; you must always analyse them and link them to an effect. Examiners hate it when you are just ‘technique spotting.’
Let’s look at an example…
In the poem Piano by D. H. Lawrence, the poet, describes how the sound of a piano triggered memories of his dead mother and the pain of feeling isolated.
He chose to write the poem in the form of a lyric poem which is meant to be performed with a musical instrument. These short poems traditionally express personal feelings. See? The form was chosen specifically by Lawrence to represent a personal memory of music. The Lyric Poem style fits perfectly!
QUESTION: How Does D. H. Lawrence present his thoughts and feelings in the poem, The Piano?
Lawrence uses the form of a Lyric Poem with three quatrains, each consisting of four lines; each one is a self-contained unit that contributes to the overall theme of nostalgia and longing for the past. The AABB rhyme scheme for each quatrain creates a musical and rhythmic quality which suits the poem about a piano and music and also helps to evoke a sense of order in the poet’s memories that seem so solid and safe compared to the uncertainty of his adult life.
You can see, we’re back to using a description of the form and the structure of the poem because we can’t keyword or keyphrase quotes.
We can’t explore any connotations (because we haven’t used keywords).
The effect is explained each time in bold:
Lawrence uses the form of a Lyric Poem with three quatrains, each consisting of four lines; each one is a self-contained unit that contributes to the overall theme of nostalgia and longing for the past.
The AABB rhyme scheme for each quatrain creates a musical and rhythmic quality which suits the poem about a piano and music and also helps to evoke a sense of order in the poet’s memories that seem so solid and safe compared to the uncertainty of his adult life.
Remember: Always link language, structure and form to the effect that is created.
Summary
Okay, so we’ve learned Structure and Form:
- What Structure is in GCSE English
- How to Analyse Structure
- The 2 types of evidence in GCSE English
- Examples of Structure responses
- What Form is in English GCSE
- Examples of Form
- The Difference Between Structure And Form
- How to Analyse Form in GCSE English
That’s it! You’ve struck gold with everything you need to know about Structure analysis in English GCSE to aim for that top Grade 9.
Remember, there’s a lot to take in, and it’s normal not to remember everything straight away. Bookmark this page and revisit it whenever you need a refresher.
Remember that ‘Structure’ is just one part of three elements which also include Language and Form.
For more tips on analysing LANGUAGE, check out our incredible GCSE English Language Analysis | EASY Beginner’s Grade 9 Guide.
Need to learn about analysing Form? Visit our incredible GCSE English Form Analysis | EASY Beginner’s Grade 9 Guide.
Keep practising, stay curious, and you’ll be well on your way to mastering analysis in no time. Happy studying!
Peace.
The Oxbridge GCSE Tutor.
