HL English - Language and Literature

The "Big 5" Technique for Paper 1

In HL Language and Literature we are practicing for our Paper 1 examination in the spring of 2016. Since we're in HL we have to choose between two pairs of texts and compare them. Deciding what to compare is the hardest part of the process. In our past few classes we have been looking at a bunch of different techniques to do so. I found that the easiest way to remember what to compare is using the "Big 5":

1. Audience/Purpose
2. Content/Theme
3. Atmosphere
4. Stylistic Features
5. Structure

During class we also made acronyms to help us recall these "Literary Elements" during the test. I came up with "Aunt Pat Can't Taste And Smell Strawberries" but don't hesitate to formulate your own!

In case you're wondering, "Atmosphere" is composed of "Tone" or "Mood". These elements answer the question "What is the author's attitude towards what (s)he is writing that translates into your attitude?" or "What is the feeling of the text?" For example, a text could be joyful, melancholic, pensive, mysterious, etc...

- Giselle D.