Analysing Structure

What "structure" means

How a writer orders and shapes a whole text to guide the reader — zoomed out, not single words.

Structural features to look for

• Opening – how does it hook the reader or set the scene?
• Shifts – changes in time, place, focus, or mood (calm → tense).
• Zooming – from a wide scene to a small detail (or the reverse).
• Perspective – whose viewpoint, and does it change?
• Repetition / motifs – recurring ideas.
• Ending – cyclical, cliffhanger, twist, or resolution.
• Sentence/paragraph length – short ones speed pace or build tension.

Useful sentence starters

• "The writer begins by… which immediately…"
• "The focus then shifts from… to…, creating…"
• "By ending with…, the writer leaves the reader…"

Worked idea

A passage opens with a wide description of a storm, then narrows to one frightened child. This shift in focus makes the reader feel the danger personally and builds sympathy.

Exam tip

Structure questions are about the whole text — track how the focus moves from beginning → middle → end, and explain the effect of each shift.