How to Spot Language Features in an English Text (and Why They Matter)

When you’re preparing for GCSE English, one of the most important skills is being able to spot language features in a text and explain the effect they have on the reader. Whether you’re analysing a novel, a poem, or a non-fiction extract, examiners want to see that you can move beyond “what is written” to how the writer’s choices shape meaning.

This guide will give you a clear step-by-step approach to identifying language features, with examples and tips for both students and parents supporting revision.

What Are Language Features?

Language features are techniques that writers use to create a particular effect. They might make a description more vivid, add emotional impact, or persuade the reader.

Some common ones you’ll see in GCSE English include:

• Similes – comparing one thing to another using like or as.

• Metaphors – describing something as if it is something else.

• Personification – giving human qualities to objects or ideas.

• Alliteration – repetition of the same sound at the start of words.

• Rhetorical questions – questions asked to make the reader think.

• Repetition – emphasising an idea by stating it more than once.

• Emotive language – words that stir strong feelings.

• Imagery – language that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell).

How to Spot Them in a Text

1. Read Slowly and Carefully

   Don’t rush. Look for words or phrases that stand out as unusual or deliberate.

   
   

2. Underline Key Phrases

   If a description feels particularly vivid or persuasive, highlight it.

   
   

3. Ask: Why Did the Writer Choose This?

   Writers rarely choose words by accident. Think about what effect the choice has.

   
   

4. Use the “Feature + Evidence + Effect” Formula

   
   

   A clear way to write about language features is:

   
   

   • Identify the feature (e.g. metaphor).

   • Give the evidence (the quote).

   • Explain the effect (how it makes the reader think or feel).

Example

Here’s a short extract:

“The storm was a wild beast, clawing at the fragile houses.”

• Feature: Metaphor and personification.

• Evidence: “The storm was a wild beast, clawing.”

• Effect: This makes the storm seem violent, threatening and alive, which creates a sense of fear and danger for the reader.

Why This Matters in Exams

GCSE examiners award higher marks when you:

• Show you can spot techniques accurately.

• Explain the impact on the reader.

• Link the feature to themes or ideas in the text.

For example, instead of saying:

“The writer uses a metaphor.”

Say:

“The metaphor of the storm as a ‘wild beast’ makes the weather feel aggressive and unstoppable, creating tension and making the reader sympathise with the people in the houses.”

That’s the difference between a grade 4 response and a grade 7+.

Tips for Parents Supporting Revision

• Ask questions while reading: “Why do you think the writer described it that way?”

• Encourage spotting games: challenge your child to find three examples of imagery in a newspaper article or novel chapter.

• Model explanations: Talk through what you notice and how it makes you feel as a reader.

Final Thoughts

Spotting language features isn’t about ticking off a list of techniques—it’s about showing you understand the writer’s craft and how words influence meaning. With practice, students can move from simply spotting to analysing, which is exactly what examiners want to see.

By using the Feature + Evidence + Effect formula, both students and parents can feel more confident approaching any text, whether it’s Dickens, Shakespeare, or a modern newspaper article.