Lesson Objective

• To investigate some of the implicit ways

writers reveal information

What can we
infer about
these two
people
based on the
image?
 Just as we infer
meaning from
images, writers use
words to create an
idea in our head,
giving us clues about
what they want us to
think, leaving most of
the interpretation up
to us.

Jessica looked at her daughter, exasperated. She brought her hands

slowly up to her temple, her brow furrowing with frustration. She
gently massaged her temples, slowing her breathing down while
she did so.
How does the writer use language to show us how Jessica
is feeling?
Choose one of these
images. Write a few
sentences which ‘show
not tell’ how the
person shown is
feeling.
Did you make use of
any of the following?
Adjectives
Adverbs
Simile
Metaphor
Personification
If so, why?
Writers use a variety of techniques and literary devices to create
implicit meaning, such as similes, metaphors and personification.

Your job is to identify when these techniques are being used and
comment on the effect they have on your understanding.

Mma
Mma Ramotswe’s
Ramotswe’s van
van had
had served
served her
her well,
well, and
and she
she loved
loved it.
it. Its
Its life,
life,

though,
though, had
had been
been aa hard
hard one.
one. Not
Not only
only had
had itit been
been obliged
obliged to
to cope
cope

with
with dust,
dust, which,
which, as
as anybody
anybody who
who lives
lives in
in aa dry
dry country
country will
will know,
know, can
can

choke
choke aa vehicle
vehicle to
to death,
death, but
but its
its long
long suffering
suffering suspension
suspension had
had been
been

required
required to
to deal
deal with
with persistent
persistent overload,
overload, at
at least
least on
on the
the driver’s
driver’s side.
side.

Consider how personification has been used here.

When analysing implicit meaning, you will
usually be putting forward your own ideas based
on what you’ve read. Useful sentence starters
include:
• This shows…
• This suggests…
• This implies…
• This gives the impression that…
• The writer may have been inferring…
 How does the narrator feel about the nursing home she lives in?
[5 marks]
You must refer to the language used in the text to support your answer
Extract
Extract from
from ‘Faith
‘Faith and
and Hope
Hope go
go shopping’
shopping’ by
by Joanne
Joanne Harris
Harris

I’m
I’m not
not saying
saying it’s
it’s aa bad
bad place
place here.
here. It’s
It’s just
just so
so ordinary
ordinary –– not
not the
the comfortable
comfortable ordinariness
ordinariness

of
of home,
home, with
with its
its familiar
familiar grime
grime and
and clutter,
clutter, but
but that
that of
of waiting-rooms
waiting-rooms and
and hospitals,
hospitals, aa

pastel-detergent
pastel-detergent place
place with
with aa smell
smell of
of air
air freshener
freshener and
and distant
distant bedpans.
bedpans. We
We don’t
don’t get
get

many
many visits,
visits, as
as aa rule.
rule. I’m
I’m one
one of
of the
the lucky
lucky ones;
ones; my
my son
son Tom
Tom calls
calls every
every fortnight
fortnight with
with my
my

magazines
magazines and
and aa bunch
bunch of
of chrsyanths
chrsyanths –– the
the last
last ones
ones were
were yellow
yellow –– and
and any
any news
news he
he

thinks
thinks won’t
won’t upset
upset me.
me. But
But he
he isn’t
isn’t much
much of
of aa conversationalist.
conversationalist. Are
Are you
you keeping
keeping well
well then,
then,

Mam?
Mam? and
and aa comment
comment or
or two
two about
about the
the garden
garden isis about
about all
all he
he can
can manage,
manage, but
but he
he means
means

well.
well. As
As for
for Hope,
Hope, she’s
she’s been
been here
here five
five years,
years, even
even longer
longer than
than me
me –– and
and she
she hasn’t
hasn’t had
had aa

visitor
visitor yet.
yet.
How does the narrator feel about the nursing home she lives in?
[5 marks]
You must refer to the language used in the text to support your answer

Continue writing a response to the question. The first two points

have been made for you. You should make at least 3 more.

The narrator feels that the nursing home is ‘not a bad place’,
which suggests that it’s okay, but it’s not perfect. She suggests
that it’s ‘ordinary’, and uses italics to emphasise that ‘ordinary’
probably means boring and plain.

P: Make a point The narrator feels…

E: Use evidence (a quote)
E: Explain the inference This shows…; this suggests… ; this
implies…; this gives the impression that…; the writer may have
been inferring…
Swap books
Read
Consider whether or not all three criteria have been
used.
Provide a target, if necessary

P: Make a point The narrator feels…

E: Use evidence (a quote)
E: Explain the inference This shows…; this
suggests… ; this implies…; this gives the
impression that…; the writer may have
been inferring…
Read through the rest of the extract from The Saturday Tent Wedding Party by
Alexander McCall Smith

Respond to the following questions. Make sure you use evidence from the text to
support your points. Write in full sentences.

1. Why has Mma Ramotswe’s van had a hard life?

The van’s life was hard because…
2. Can you explain how Mma Ramotswe contributed towards the van’s problems?
3. What do you think the writer means by saying that the van ‘permanently listed
to starboard’?
4. What do you think Mma Ramotswe is feeling when her heard is described as ‘a
stone of fear’?
5. What literary technique has the author used in the description ‘a stone of
fear’?
6. What is the effect on Mr J.L.B Matekoni raising his finger?
7. Why does Mr J.L.B Matekoni explain the difference between a miracle-worker
and a mechanic?
8. What do you think M J.L.B Matekoni is about to tell Mma Ramotswe at the
end?
Why do writers create implicit ideas?