Structural features for Edexcel GCSE English

Word cluster

A cluster of things is a small group of them close together. When we see a cluster of related but different words in a text, the effect is to create a connotation in the mind of the reader.

Dialogue

A conversation between two or more people as a feature of a book, play, or film.

Interior monologue

A method of narration that describes in words the flow of thoughts in the minds of the characters.

Genre

A particular type of writing - e.g. prose, poetry, drama, extract from non fiction travel guide, letter, leaflet, news article, feature article, blog or speech.

Complex sentence

A sentence containing a main clause and one or more subordinate clauses linked by a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun. E.g. "Even though he was clever, he remained unsuccessful in business."

Compound sentence

A sentence containing two independent clauses linked by a conjunction. E.g. "I turned around and walked in the other direction."

Imperative/Command

An instruction or a request. Commands are usually written in the imperative. E.g. "Take an interest in politics." "Go to bed." This type of sentence can also express a desire or wish.

Starting a sentence with a conjunction

And, but, and or are the three most common members of a group of words known as coordinating conjunctions. Using these words to start a sentence is acceptable, especially in writing which is less formal. The conjunction used in this way might give the impression of a rushing thought in the mind of the character.

Anecdote

Anecdote is defined as a short and interesting story offered to demonstrate a point and make readers and listeners laugh.

Chronological

Arranged in the order it happened. An example of chronological is a biography that starts in 1920 and goes through 1997.

Interrogative/Question

Asks about something and is marked by a question mark. E.g. "Are young people interested on politics?"

Cohesion

Does the text form a unified whole? Are there links from one paragraph to the next? Are words in one sentence are repeated in another?

Exclamatory

Expresses surprise, shock, strong emotion or amusement. It doesn't really matter what the emotion is. They always end in an exclamation mark, so it's pretty easy to spot them. E.g. "Politics! What a terrible idea!"

Declarative statement

Gives information or tells you about something. These sentences are used to make a statement. The function of a declarative sentence is to give information. E.g. "Young people are not interested in politics."

Coherence

Is the text logical? Does the text open and close using related ideas?

Focus

Is there an evenly balanced mix of information, arguments, biographical details, anecdotes or comments? The dominant focus of the content is an aspect of structure.

Long sentences

Long and thoughtful or complicated sentences force the reader to slow down.

Clause

Part of a sentence with its own verb. E.g. "- and here's the thing-."

Short sentences

Short and snappy sentences imply action.

Minor sentence

Single-word sentence without a main verb or clause. Used to create a particular effect e.g. "Beer." = Clarifies and emphasizes that the boy has been drinking.

Direct speech

Speech which is reported by using the exact words that the speaker used.

Simple sentence

The most basic type of sentence consisting of a subject and a verb. E.g. "It was a glorious day."

Structure

The order of events and ideas in the narrative. In non-fiction, the order in which ideas and concepts are presented.

Point of view

The point of view of the text is an aspect of structure. Whose perspective is shown in the text?

List

Used to build up ideas or an effect of multiple events or participants in a narrative.