## **Learning Outcomes**

After working through this article, you will confidently analyse how non-fiction writers use imagery, tone, and connotation to convey their viewpoints (AO2). You will be able to explain how metaphor and simile function differently in non-fiction compared to fiction, identify and describe tone using precise vocabulary, and show how word-level connotations steer the reader's response. These skills are essential for AQA GCSE English Language Paper 2, Question 3.

## **AQA GCSE English Language 8700 Syllabus**

For AQA GCSE English Language 8700, this article helps you:

- Explain, comment on, and analyse how writers use language to achieve effects and influence readers (AO2)
- Identify how imagery, tone, and connotation work together to express a writer's viewpoint (AO2)
- Use relevant subject terminology accurately when discussing language choices (AO2)
- Select precise textual evidence to support your analysis of non-fiction language (AO1/AO2)

## **Test Your Knowledge**

_Attempt these questions before reading this article. If you find some difficult or cannot remember the answers, remember to look more closely at that area during your revision._

1. How does imagery in non-fiction differ from imagery in fiction?
2. True or false: Describing a writer's tone as "negative" is precise enough to earn high AO2 marks.
3. What is connotation, and why does it matter in viewpoint writing?
4. A writer describes a city as having "arteries clogged with traffic." What does this imagery suggest about the writer's viewpoint?

## **Introduction**

In non-fiction, writers do not simply state facts. They shape how the reader perceives a topic through carefully chosen language. Imagery makes abstract ideas vivid and concrete, tone reveals the writer's attitude, and connotation carries implied meaning beneath the surface of every word. For Paper 2 Question 3, you need to show how these elements work together to express and reinforce a writer's viewpoint.

The strongest responses go beyond identifying a technique. They explain what the language choice suggests, how it affects the reader, and why the writer has made that choice in the context of their argument.

> **Key Term: imagery**
> Language that creates a picture or sensory impression in the reader's mind, including metaphor, simile, and personification. In non-fiction, imagery is used to persuade and clarify, not just to describe.
>
> **Key Term: tone**
> The attitude or feeling conveyed by a writer's language choices. Tone can be described precisely using words such as scathing, celebratory, measured, indignant, or sardonic.
>
> **Key Term: connotation**
> The ideas, feelings, or associations a word suggests beyond its literal dictionary meaning. Connotations can be positive, negative, or neutral depending on context.

## Imagery in Non-Fiction Viewpoints (AO2)

Fiction writers use imagery to create atmosphere and bring characters to life. Non-fiction writers use imagery differently: their purpose is to make arguments vivid, to simplify complex ideas, and to direct the reader's emotional response toward a particular viewpoint.

A metaphor in a persuasive article is not decoration. It is a tool of argument. When a journalist describes a government policy as "a sticking plaster on a broken system," the metaphor implies that the solution is superficial, temporary, and inadequate. The reader absorbs the criticism through the image before consciously evaluating the argument.

Look for imagery that compares, exaggerates, or personifies. Then ask: what does this comparison suggest about the writer's attitude, and how does it position the reader?

### **Worked Example 1.1**

A travel writer describes a coastal town: "The seafront was a graveyard of shuttered shops and rusting railings, each empty window staring blankly at the retreating tide."

> **Answer:**
>
> The metaphor 'graveyard' suggests the town is dead or dying, creating an atmosphere of neglect and loss. The personification of the windows 'staring blankly' reinforces this sense of abandonment, as though the buildings themselves have given up hope. The imagery positions the reader to feel sympathy for the town and perhaps frustration at whoever allowed it to decline. The writer's viewpoint — that the town has been neglected — is conveyed entirely through the image rather than being stated directly, which makes the criticism more powerful.

### **Exam Warning**

> When analysing imagery in non-fiction, always connect it to the writer's viewpoint. A metaphor in a persuasive text is not just a description — it is part of the argument. Explain what the image implies about the writer's attitude and how it is designed to influence the reader.

## Identifying and Analysing Tone (AO2)

Tone is the attitude a writer conveys through their language choices. Describing tone precisely is one of the most effective ways to demonstrate understanding of a writer's viewpoint. Vague descriptions such as "positive" or "negative" earn little credit. Instead, use specific vocabulary:

- _Anger or frustration_: furious, indignant, exasperated, scathing
- _Approval or optimism_: celebratory, admiring, enthusiastic, hopeful
- _Doubt or criticism_: sceptical, mocking, sardonic, dismissive
- _Seriousness or urgency_: solemn, earnest, impassioned, grave

Tone can also shift within a single text. A writer might begin with a measured, factual tone and then shift to an impassioned, emotional tone to build toward a call to action. Identifying and explaining these shifts shows sophisticated understanding.

### **Worked Example 1.2**

A columnist writes: "The proposal sounds reasonable enough on paper. Affordable housing, green spaces, community facilities — who could object? But step outside the glossy brochure and the reality is rather different. What we are actually being offered is a concrete wasteland dressed up in promises."

> **Answer:**
>
> The writer's tone shifts from apparently balanced ('sounds reasonable enough') to sharply critical ('concrete wasteland dressed up in promises'). The initial measured tone lulls the reader into agreement before the contrast exposes the writer's true viewpoint: that the proposal is misleading. The phrase 'dressed up in promises' personifies the development as deceptive, while 'concrete wasteland' strips away the positive language of the brochure. The tonal shift is a deliberate strategy to make the reader feel that they, too, have been misled.

## Connotation and Reader Response (AO2)

Every word carries connotations — associations that go beyond the dictionary definition. Writers select words for their connotative power because connotation shapes how the reader feels about a subject without the writer needing to state their opinion directly.

Consider the difference between calling someone "determined" and calling them "stubborn." Both describe persistence, but "determined" carries positive connotations of strength and focus, while "stubborn" implies unreasonable inflexibility. A writer's choice between these words reveals their attitude and steers the reader's judgment.

To analyse connotation effectively, zoom in on a single word, explain what it suggests, and show how it supports the writer's viewpoint.

### **Worked Example 1.3**

Two writers describe the same protest. Writer A: "Hundreds of passionate campaigners gathered to demand change." Writer B: "A mob of agitators descended on the streets to cause disruption."

> **Answer:**
>
> Writer A's diction carries positive connotations: 'passionate' suggests genuine feeling and commitment, 'campaigners' implies people working for a cause, and 'gathered' suggests an orderly, purposeful meeting. Writer B's diction is hostile: 'mob' connotes chaos and danger, 'agitators' implies troublemaking rather than principled action, and 'descended' suggests an invasion. Both writers describe the same event, but their word choices create entirely opposite impressions. This demonstrates how connotation is the primary tool writers use to embed their viewpoint in apparently factual reporting.

### **Revision Tip**

> Build a vocabulary bank of tone words grouped by feeling. For example: anger (furious, indignant, scathing), approval (admiring, celebratory, optimistic), doubt (sceptical, dismissive, sardonic). Having precise vocabulary ready will help you describe tone accurately under exam pressure.

## **Summary**

Non-fiction writers use imagery to make arguments vivid and emotionally engaging, tone to reveal their attitude toward a subject, and connotation to embed viewpoint in individual word choices. In Paper 2 Question 3, always connect these language features to the writer's purpose: explain what the imagery suggests, describe the tone precisely, and show how connotations steer the reader's response. Moving beyond feature spotting to effect analysis is what separates strong answers from average ones.

## **Key Point Checklist**

_This article has covered the following key knowledge points:_

- Analyse how imagery functions as a tool of argument in non-fiction, not just description
- Identify and describe tone using precise vocabulary rather than vague terms
- Recognise and explain tonal shifts within a text and their persuasive purpose
- Zoom in on individual words to analyse connotation and its effect on the reader
- Connect imagery, tone, and connotation to the writer's viewpoint and purpose

## **Key Terms and Concepts**

- imagery
- metaphor
- simile
- personification
- tone
- tonal shift
- connotation
- viewpoint
- diction
- emotive language


Language analysis (non-fiction) - Imagery, tone, and connotation in viewpoints