Game of Polo with a Headless Goat structure analysis

Short sentences contrasting with lengthy complex sentences: Alternating between long, complex sentences and brief abrupt sentences provides contrasting atmospheres, creates tension and develops the drama of the event.

'The race was over.' Creates a sense of an abrupt stop/anticlimax while the longer, flowing 'Men standing on top of their cars ...' speeds pace.

Contrasting use of pace (slow then fast): 'Nearly one hour later I was beginning to feel rather silly ...', 'vehicles roaring up in their wake.'

Delivers a sense of momentum to the experience - provides a dramatic, slow build up which is contrasted with the noise and bustle of the actual race.

Chronological ordering of events eg 'And then the trouble began.'

Provides a real time perspective on the events as they unfold before us - journalistic approach - sequencing often with topic sentences to create cohesion/flow and to give us a more vivid, 'timed' experience.

Use of hyphens and brackets for parenthesis: '- for it was a main road -'

Provides additional information, almost as an afterthought, adds a sense of incredulity to the events - as if we can capture the writer's disbelief at what she was witnessing separate from, but integral to, events themselves.

Contrasting use of tone from comic to serious: from 'Wacky Races' to 'tempers rising.'

Reflects the speed at which the emotions surrounding the event can switch and emphasises the serious situation.

'Are they coming?'

Tension is built through questions and short exchanges of direct speech: Sense of expectation draws in the reader - long build up to the actual race approaching them - deliberate method to set the scene and make the event itself even more dramatic and entertaining.

Starting humour to contrast with speedier tension later in the piece: 'a villager on a wobbly bicycle, who nearly fell off'

The calm before the storm is made funny by this anti-climactic image of a sleepy backwater local who almost crashes in surprise. Reflects how unusual they must have looked waiting to film the event. They are a spectacle in themselves as a western film crew being watched by the locals. Use of visual humour here creates a break in the suspense - lightens the tone.

Structural method of interweaving three races: donkey, race to get the picture taken and the spectators' race

The combination of three separate but intertwined races lends itself to a successful, engaging piece of travel writing. Levine combines these vital aspects of the event to provide different viewpoints, each of which creates its own drama; together they pitch a great story leaving the reader breathless and fully immersed in the excitement but also the danger of the race.

The writer shows a change in their attitude to the race by contrasting how they 'had never been interested in this Karachi sport' but 'were suddenly fired up'

The exaggeration in 'never' followed by the verb 'fired' suggests a sudden burst of fervor which shows a comical impulsiveness.

The revelation near the end of the passage that Yaqoob does not have a driving licence 'because I'm underage!'

The punchline shows his casual attitude and reveals just how young he must be; the exclamation mark helps to emphasise the writer's shock which is shared by the reader but just enough to make us laugh all the more.

The short sentence 'Yaqoob loved it'

briefly sums up the thrill the driver experiences thus emphasizing Levine's fondness for his joie-de-vivre.

''We'll open the car boot, you climb inside''

direct speech is used from the start to show how they try to be helpful and give humourous impact to the suggestion of how the writer can get the best view of the race is crazy.

The piece opens as it means to go on with 'WE drove off to find the best viewing spot'

immediately engaging us with the first person plural inclusive address so we feel part of an adventure we will probably never be able to go on ourselves.

'could have caused problems' showing the writer thinking ending up in a jail cell in India is worse than death in a 'pile-up'.

in the final understated words of the passage, the reader is left with a sense of Yaqoob's cavalier attitude.

For the first three paragraphs 'the lads' are not differentiated or referred to by name but the focus then moves to Yaqoob, with Iqbal only mentioned briefly in the penultimate paragraph

shows the writer's change in focus from light attention on the conversation (which leads to a crazy set of choices almost unnoticed) to pointed observation of the driver in whose hands the writer's life is.