In exams you will often analyse an extract you have never seen before. Start by reading for the gist: who, where, what happens and what mood is created. Then reread, annotating language and structure.
Writers create mystery by withholding information, introducing strange details and leaving questions unanswered. In a story where a bus has silent passengers in old-fashioned clothes and a phone clock that will not move, each odd detail builds unease.
Structure matters as much as language: openings that drop us into action, shifts in focus, short paragraphs and open endings all shape the reader's experience. Always link the method to its effect.
Worked example
Why might a writer end a ghost story with the bus vanishing and the time suddenly jumping?
- The ending gives no explanation.
- Unanswered questions keep the reader thinking.
Answer:To leave the mystery unresolved and create a lingering, unsettling effect.
Key words
- unseen text
- an extract you have not studied before
- annotate
- make notes on a text
- withhold
- keep information back from the reader
New questions every time.
Common Core-referenced: RL.9-10.3, RL.9-10.5