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Original poster

Which writing techniques are used in these two sentences?

40 replies

SweetMarmalade · 23/02/2020 11:19

Just looking at some past review papers of Ds, he didn’t answer these correctly. Can anyone help?

Q1. Which writing technique is used here: “His fingers shook slightly”?
Out of all the techniques I can find I can only think of descriptive?

Q2. Which two writing techniques are used here: “McInturf coughed, once, twice; a hideous, gurgling, strangling sound”?

Any help greatly appreciated.

OP posts:
Piggywaspushed · 23/02/2020 17:34

It doesn't come from the most jolly of texts. The next sentence is 'Then he died.' Grin

There was a debate raging on Twitter last week about whether the incessant desire to label grammatical techniques and parts of speech was stifling creativity. Yup.

Hirsutefirs · 23/02/2020 17:31

I think the semicolon should be a colon, because it’s followed by an explanation or qualification of what went before.

Piggywaspushed · 23/02/2020 17:25

Don't lost : I'm hyperventilating!

lostinleaves · 23/02/2020 17:23

PIggy and horror of horrors, expanded noun phrases.

lostinleaves · 23/02/2020 17:22

Sibilance is alliteration with sounds which give a hissing type sounds, like the selling seashells rhyme.

Piggywaspushed · 23/02/2020 17:14

Fronted adverbials are a nonsense KS2 SATS coinage... as are noun phrases.

Students being taught fronted adverbials has led to years worth of students writing the most mangled (non) sentences you could ever imagine.

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 23/02/2020 16:47

Jeezo, I don't know and I'm a professional writer!

Onomatopoeia for the second one.

The first is probably a fronted adverb but I only know of the existence of this phrase from MN and have no idea of its meaning!

rmack19 · 23/02/2020 16:44

I'd want my class to analyse 'slightly' in the first one which is an adverb

emmaclare83 · 23/02/2020 16:41

I'd say sibilance for the first question.

Second question, I would agree with a triple. Also, onomatopoeia with "gurgling".

Piggywaspushed · 23/02/2020 16:25

What on earth is this exam??

Original poster
SweetMarmalade · 23/02/2020 13:46

But differing views on the answers.

OP posts:
Original poster
SweetMarmalade · 23/02/2020 13:43

And thanks for taking the time to reply.

OP posts:
Original poster
SweetMarmalade · 23/02/2020 13:43

Oh gosh Blush I’m not good at this!

This was on Ds first Y8 English review, his next review is due in a few wks so just going through his past paper. I’m still not sure he’d get this right.

OP posts:
Blueemeraldagain · 23/02/2020 13:20

I would say sibilance in the first sentence.

The second has a triple but it could also be hyperbole?

swlondontutor · 23/02/2020 13:16

With Q2, I assume that the examiner is looking for tricolon in reference to "hideous, gurgling, strangling..."

As for "McInturf coughed once, twice. ..", the answer might be ellipsis as there is no use of the word "then" to connect the adverbs.

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