← Written text essay

A technique toolkit worth having ready

Naming the RIGHT literary term, precisely, is worth marks on its own — a vague "the author uses good description" never scores as well as a named, specific device.

Technique	What it is	Why it usually matters
Metaphor / simile	An implicit or explicit comparison between two unlike things	Transfers the qualities of one thing onto another, shaping how the reader feels about it
Symbolism	An object, colour, or image standing for a larger idea	Lets an abstract theme recur concretely throughout the text without restating it directly
Structure (non-linear, cyclical, parallel plots)	How events are ORDERED, not just what happens	Controls what the reader knows and when, shaping suspense, irony, or thematic contrast
Contrast / juxtaposition	Placing two people, scenes or ideas side by side	Makes each side more visible by highlighting the difference between them
Motif	An image, phrase or idea that recurs across the text	Builds meaning cumulatively — each repetition adds weight the first instance did not have
Narrative voice / point of view	Who tells the story, and how much they know or reveal	Controls the reader's sympathy and what information is withheld or emphasised

Naming the technique is the floor, not the ceiling — every row above needs a specific quote or moment AND an explained effect to reach Merit or Excellence.

✕

"Imagery" and "language features" are not specific enough on their own

Broad umbrella terms like "imagery" or "language features" describe a CATEGORY, not a specific device. Naming the specific technique inside that category — visual imagery, a metaphor, sensory detail — and then discussing the actual words used is what separates analysis from a vague gesture at "good writing". If your sentence could apply to almost any well-written passage, the technique named was not specific enough. ℹ

Building your own toolkit from your studied text specifically

The table above is a starting checklist, not a finished list — the strongest essays name techniques that are genuinely distinctive to the studied text (a specific recurring image, a particular structural choice unique to that author) rather than only the six generic categories every student knows. Read back through your text once specifically hunting for a technique NOT on this list, and you often find the evidence that makes an essay stand out.

Practise just this