How do I evaluate how effective a writer's choices are?
Judge the success of language, structure and viewpoint using evidence and clear reasoning.
How to approach it
- State your judgement clearly.
- Support it with a short quotation or precise reference.
- Explain how the writer's choice creates that effect.
- Develop your answer by considering how strongly or subtly it works.
What to look for
- Moments that strongly affect the reader.
- Choices that make an idea convincing, memorable or unsettling.
- Alternative interpretations that could be weighed carefully.
- Evidence that supports your judgement, not just your opinion.
Worked example
Question
How effective is the writer's description of the empty street?
Short extract
The street stretched ahead, washed silver by the lamps, each doorway shut like a sealed mouth.
Model response
The description is highly effective because it makes the street feel silent and hostile. The simile "like a sealed mouth" suggests secrecy and refusal, as if the buildings are deliberately withholding help. This makes the emptiness feel more threatening than peaceful.
Study tip
Evaluation is not just saying whether something is good. It is a supported judgement about how and why a choice works.