AQA Paper 2 Source B: Two Letters about Cotherstone Academy
Links to previous posts:
Analysis of AQA Paper 2 Source A.
This is my analysis of the second source from the AQA Specimen Insert for Paper 2: Two Letters about Cotherstone Academy. I am trying to identify the prior knowledge needed for comprehension of the text. To analyse the vocabulary used I have identified the Tier Two words (for more information about Tier Two words see Bringing Words to Life by Beck, McKeowan, Kucan).
There were 76 Tier Two words in the source, compared to 60 in Source A – so perhaps unsurprisingly more Tier Two words overall in this, the older, source.
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76 Tier Two words
|
|
|
|
|
|
academy |
additional |
advisable |
approve |
ascertain |
|
assure |
attention |
barley meal |
bear |
cause |
|
chaff |
Christians |
complain |
confidentially |
contents |
|
convenience |
course |
Dear |
desire |
earliest |
|
education |
endeavour |
endure |
esteem |
examined |
|
excuse |
favour |
flog |
fortnight |
God |
|
guided |
honorable |
improved |
induced |
injunction |
|
intend |
interview |
Laid |
lately |
liberty |
|
Master |
meek |
mention |
Mr |
nor |
|
notice |
object |
obliged |
office |
opportunity |
|
opposite |
particularly |
permit |
pray |
principal |
|
public |
recollect |
Rely |
request |
respectful |
|
respectfully |
servant |
several |
Sir |
sly |
|
stuffed |
system |
therefore |
thus |
treatment |
|
troubling |
upon |
whether |
worship |
X |
|
Xmas |
|
|
|
|
|
Tier Two words – common across both sources:
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attention |
whether |
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|
|
|
|
|
|
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I searched for the Tier Two words from Source B in the British National Corpus (BNC) to see how frequently these words occurred and in what kind of texts.
Importance of fiction as prior context
The most prominent context, where these Tier Two words occurred most frequently, were academic texts (23), with fiction texts a close second (21). I find it slightly surprising that, like for source A, fiction scores so highly as a context for the Tier Two words in a non-fiction source. Of the 22 least frequently occurring words in the corpus, 12 had fiction as their dominant context. The reading of fiction seems to be a good preparation for gaining knowledge of the vocabulary that appears in non-fiction texts.
Academic texts as prior context
Academic texts are even more prominent as a context for these words than they were for Source A Tier Two words. I was sceptical about the amount for Source A, thinking it might have something to do with the topic being homework, but their prominence for Source B may indicate their importance as a resource for encountering Tier Two words in general. In which case the question is – how often are secondary school students exposed to academic writing? (Would text books count?) I have always recommended the reading of good quality newspapers as a way of encountering different words but newspapers are not showing up as often as I had expected as a context in the corpus searches. I suppose the advice still holds good for performance in English in general, as newspapers provide good models for opinion writing, but maybe they are not doing the job with vocabulary that I assumed they were.
Verbs
Out of the 22 least frequently occurring words in the corpus – 9 were verbs (flog, recollect, troubling, esteem, endure, ascertain, endeavour, stuffed, assure). This ratio of verbs is higher than in Source A. ‘Flog’ might be particularly problematic as it has a different meaning (sell) that might be more familiar to students than its meaning in the source (to beat or hit).
Other useful knowledge
In order to understand the letters I think that it is probably useful to realise how far apart Yorkshire and Islington are (220 miles) and that in 1822, before railways, it would have taken several days to make the journey (about 30 hours of actual travelling plus any stops/overnight stays). This might explain why the father would ask a friend to find out more, rather than visiting the school himself, before making a decision about whether or not the brothers should be allowed to come home.
William Heritage finishes his letter to his friend by signing ‘Your obliged honourable servant’ which could cause a bit of confusion if ‘servant’ was taken to mean that he was literally the man’s employee.
Next Step
Design some vocabulary tests to test students’ knowledge of these Tier Two words to see how far their familiarity with the words correlates to the corpus frequency rates.
Appendices
Tier 2 Words – Alphabetical order
|
Tier 2 Word |
Type of word – in context |
British National Corpus Frequency |
Largest context |
|
Academy |
Noun |
1367 |
Magazine |
|
Additional |
Adjective |
7232 |
Academic/misc |
|
Advisable |
Adjective |
529 |
Misc/magazine |
|
Approve |
Verb |
1022 |
Fiction |
|
Ascertain |
Verb |
529 |
Academic |
|
assure |
Verb |
916 |
Fiction |
|
attention |
Noun |
13186 |
Academic |
|
Barley Meal |
Noun |
1 |
Fiction |
|
Bear |
Noun |
5536 |
Fiction |
|
Cause |
Noun |
12889 |
Academic |
|
Chaff |
Noun – defined in glossary |
75 |
Spoken |
|
Christians |
Noun |
1580 |
Misc |
|
complain |
Verb |
1299 |
Magazine/newspaper – pretty even |
|
confidentially |
Adverb |
72 |
Fiction (by far) |
|
contents |
Noun |
2829 |
Misc/academic |
|
convenience |
Noun |
902 |
Misc |
|
course |
Noun |
48654 |
7866 spoken – which might be ‘of course’ |
|
Dear |
Adjective |
8411 |
Spoken/Fiction |
|
desire |
Noun |
5282 |
Academic |
|
earliest |
Adjective |
1944 |
Non-academic |
|
Education |
Noun |
25683 |
Academic |
|
endeavour |
Verb |
679 |
Misc/non-academic |
|
endure |
Verb |
511 |
Fiction |
|
esteem |
Verb |
407 |
Non-academic |
|
examined |
Verb |
3465 |
Academic |
|
excuse |
Verb |
2904 |
Spoken/fiction |
|
Favour |
Noun |
6681 |
Academic |
|
Flog |
Verb |
71 |
Spoken/magazine |
|
fortnight, |
Noun |
1408 |
Newspaper/spoken |
|
God |
Noun |
22658 |
Spoken/misc/fiction |
|
guided |
Verb |
1221 |
Misc |
|
honorable |
Adjective |
5 |
Newspaper (honourable, 858 – spoken of which 312 were in parliament) |
|
improved |
Verb |
4734 |
Non academic/misc |
|
induced |
Verb |
1362 |
Academic |
|
injunction |
Noun |
788 |
Academic |
|
intend |
Verb |
2010 |
Fiction/misc |
|
interview |
Noun |
4522 |
Newspaper – non fiction pretty even |
|
laid |
Verb |
5717 |
Fiction |
|
lately |
Adverb |
800 |
Fiction |
|
Liberty |
Noun |
1359 |
Academic |
|
Master |
Noun |
6280 |
Fiction |
|
meek |
Adjective |
152 |
Newspaper/Fiction |
|
mention |
Verb |
4456 |
Fiction/Spoken |
|
Mr |
Abbreviation |
50446 |
Newspaper |
|
nor |
Conjunction |
11879 |
Academic |
|
notice |
Noun |
8801 |
Academic |
|
object |
Noun |
6133 |
Non-academic/academic |
|
obliged |
Verb |
1969 |
Academic |
|
October |
Noun |
10356 |
Non-academic |
|
Office |
Noun |
24397 |
Newspaper |
|
opportunity |
Noun |
10026 |
Misc |
|
opposite |
Adjective |
5747 |
Fiction |
|
particularly |
Adverb |
21506 |
Academic |
|
permit |
Verb |
1613 |
Academic |
|
pray |
Interjection |
1418 |
Misc/fiction |
|
principal |
Adjective |
4790 |
Non-academic |
|
Public |
Adjective |
38032 |
Academic |
|
recollect |
Verb |
113 |
Fiction/spoken |
|
rely |
Verb |
2661 |
Academic |
|
request |
Verb |
4338 |
Misc |
|
respectful |
Adjective |
212 |
Fiction |
|
respectfully |
Adverb |
161 |
Fiction |
|
servant |
Noun |
1674 |
Fiction |
|
several |
Determiner |
23130 |
Non-academic |
|
Sir |
Noun |
18232 |
Fiction |
|
sly |
Adjective |
301 |
Fiction |
|
stuffed |
Verb |
872 |
Fiction |
|
System |
Noun |
43583 |
Non-academic |
|
therefore |
Connector |
22840 |
Academic |
|
thus |
Adverb |
20054 |
Academic |
|
Treatment |
Noun |
12051 |
Academic |
|
Troubling |
Verb |
150 |
Fiction |
|
Upon |
Preposition |
22628 |
Academic |
|
whether |
Conjunction |
35155 |
Academic/spoken |
|
Worship |
Proper noun |
1583 |
Misc |
|
Xmas |
Noun |
39 |
Misc |
Tier 2 Words – in order of BNC frequency
|
Tier 2 Word |
Type of word – in context |
British National Corpus Frequency |
Largest context |
|
Mr |
Abbreviation |
50446 |
Newspaper |
|
course |
Noun |
48654 |
7866 spoken – which might be ‘of course’. No results for collocations of ‘course’ and ‘of’ where ‘of’ comes afterwards. |
|
System |
Noun |
43583 |
Non-academic |
|
Public |
Adjective |
38032 |
Academic |
|
whether |
Conjunction |
35155 |
Academic/spoken |
|
Education |
Noun |
25683 |
Academic |
|
Office |
Noun |
24397 |
Newspaper |
|
several |
Determiner |
23130 |
Non-academic |
|
therefore |
Connector |
22840 |
Academic |
|
God |
Noun |
22658 |
Spoken/misc/fiction |
|
Upon |
Preposition |
22628 |
Academic |
|
particularly |
Adverb |
21506 |
Academic |
|
thus |
Adverb |
20054 |
Academic |
|
Sir |
Noun |
18232 |
Fiction |
|
attention |
Noun |
13186 |
Academic |
|
Cause |
Noun |
12889 |
Academic |
|
Treatment |
Noun |
12051 |
Academic |
|
nor |
Conjunction |
11879 |
Academic |
|
opportunity |
Noun |
10026 |
Misc |
|
notice |
Noun |
8801 |
Academic |
|
Dear |
Adjective |
8411 |
Spoken/Fiction |
|
additional |
Adjective |
7232 |
Academic/misc |
|
Favour |
Noun |
6681 |
Academic |
|
Master |
Noun |
6280 |
Fiction |
|
object |
Noun |
6133 |
Non-academic/academic |
|
opposite |
Adjective |
5747 |
Fiction |
|
laid |
Verb |
5717 |
Fiction |
|
Bear |
Noun |
5536 |
Fiction |
|
desire |
Noun |
5282 |
Academic |
|
principal |
Adjective |
4790 |
Non-academic |
|
improved |
Verb |
4734 |
Non academic/misc |
|
interview |
Noun |
4522 |
Newspaper – non fiction pretty even |
|
mention |
Verb |
4456 |
Fiction/Spoken |
|
request |
Verb |
4338 |
Misc |
|
examined |
Verb |
3465 |
Academic |
|
excuse |
Verb |
2904 |
Spoken/fiction |
|
contents |
Noun |
2829 |
Misc/academic |
|
Rely |
Verb |
2661 |
Academic |
|
Intend |
Verb |
2010 |
Fiction/misc |
|
Obliged |
Verb |
1969 |
Academic |
|
Earliest |
Adjective |
1944 |
Non-academic |
|
Servant |
Noun |
1674 |
Fiction |
|
Permit |
Verb |
1613 |
Academic |
|
Worship |
Proper noun |
1583 |
Misc |
|
Christians |
Noun |
1580 |
Misc |
|
Pray |
Interjection |
1418 |
Misc/fiction |
|
fortnight, |
Noun |
1408 |
Newspaper/spoken |
|
Academy |
Noun |
1367 |
Magazine |
|
Induced |
Verb |
1362 |
Academic |
|
Liberty |
Noun |
1359 |
Academic |
|
complain |
Verb |
1299 |
Magazine/newspaper – pretty even |
|
Guided |
Verb |
1221 |
Misc |
|
approve |
Verb |
1022 |
Fiction |
|
Assure |
Verb |
916 |
Fiction |
|
convenience |
Noun |
902 |
Misc |
|
Stuffed |
Verb |
872 |
Fiction |
|
Lately |
Adverb |
800 |
Fiction |
|
injunction |
Noun |
788 |
Academic |
|
endeavour |
Verb |
679 |
Misc/non-academic |
|
advisable |
Adjective |
529 |
Misc/magazine |
|
ascertain |
Verb |
529 |
Academic |
|
Endure |
Verb |
511 |
Fiction |
|
Esteem |
Verb |
407 |
Non-academic |
|
Sly |
Adjective |
301 |
Fiction |
|
respectful |
Adjective |
212 |
Fiction |
|
respectfully |
Adverb |
161 |
Fiction |
|
Meek |
Adjective |
152 |
Newspaper/Fiction |
|
Troubling |
Verb |
150 |
Fiction |
|
recollect |
Verb |
113 |
Fiction/spoken |
|
Chaff |
Noun – defined in glossary |
75 |
Spoken |
|
confidentially |
Adverb |
72 |
Fiction (by far) |
|
Flog |
Verb |
71 |
Spoken/magazine |
|
Xmas |
Noun |
39 |
Misc |
|
honorable |
Adjective |
5 |
Newspaper (honourable, 858 – spoken of which 312 were in parliament and 35 written were Hansard. Remaining 511 – misc and fiction) |
|
Barley Meal |
Noun |
1 |
Fiction |
Tier 2 words – in order of largest context
|
Tier 2 Word |
Type of word – in context |
British National Corpus Frequency |
Largest context |
|
permit |
Verb |
1613 |
Academic |
|
additional |
Adjective |
7232 |
Academic/misc |
|
whether |
Conjunction |
35155 |
Academic/spoken |
|
obliged |
Verb |
1969 |
Academic |
|
notice |
Noun |
8801 |
Academic |
|
nor |
Conjunction |
11879 |
Academic |
|
Liberty |
Noun |
1359 |
Academic |
|
injunction |
Noun |
788 |
Academic |
|
induced |
Verb |
1362 |
Academic |
|
Favour |
Noun |
6681 |
Academic |
|
examined |
Verb |
3465 |
Academic |
|
Education |
Noun |
25683 |
Academic |
|
Desire |
Noun |
5282 |
Academic |
|
Cause |
Noun |
12889 |
Academic |
|
attention |
Noun |
13186 |
Academic |
|
Ascertain |
Verb |
529 |
Academic |
|
Upon |
Preposition |
22628 |
Academic |
|
Treatment |
Noun |
12051 |
Academic |
|
Thus |
Adverb |
20054 |
Academic |
|
Therefore |
Connector |
22840 |
Academic |
|
Rely |
Verb |
2661 |
Academic |
|
Public |
Adjective |
38032 |
Academic |
|
particularly |
Adverb |
21506 |
Academic |
|
confidentially |
Adverb |
72 |
Fiction (by far) |
|
Intend |
Verb |
2010 |
Fiction/misc |
|
Recollect |
Verb |
113 |
Fiction/spoken |
|
Mention |
Verb |
4456 |
Fiction/Spoken |
|
respectfully |
Adverb |
161 |
Fiction |
|
respectful |
Adjective |
212 |
Fiction |
|
Opposite |
Adjective |
5747 |
Fiction |
|
Master |
Noun |
6280 |
Fiction |
|
Lately |
Adverb |
800 |
Fiction |
|
Laid |
Verb |
5717 |
Fiction |
|
Endure |
Verb |
511 |
Fiction |
|
Bear |
Noun |
5536 |
Fiction |
|
Barley Meal |
Noun |
1 |
Fiction |
|
assure |
Verb |
916 |
Fiction |
|
approve |
Verb |
1022 |
Fiction |
|
Troubling |
Verb |
150 |
Fiction |
|
stuffed |
Verb |
872 |
Fiction |
|
sly |
Adjective |
301 |
Fiction |
|
Sir |
Noun |
18232 |
Fiction |
|
servant |
Noun |
1674 |
Fiction |
|
Academy |
Noun |
1367 |
Magazine |
|
complain |
Verb |
1299 |
Magazine/newspaper – pretty even |
|
Christians |
Noun |
1580 |
Misc |
|
convenience |
Noun |
902 |
Misc |
|
guided |
verb |
1221 |
Misc |
|
opportunity |
Noun |
10026 |
Misc |
|
request |
Verb |
4338 |
Misc |
|
Worship |
Proper noun |
1583 |
Misc |
|
Xmas |
Noun |
39 |
Misc |
|
contents |
Noun |
2829 |
Misc/academic |
|
pray |
Interjection |
1418 |
Misc/fiction |
|
advisable |
Adjective |
529 |
Misc/magazine |
|
endeavour |
Verb |
679 |
Misc/non-academic |
|
Mr |
Abbreviation |
50446 |
Newspaper |
|
Office |
Noun |
24397 |
Newspaper |
|
interview |
Noun |
4522 |
Newspaper – non fiction pretty even |
|
honorable |
Adjective |
5 |
Newspaper (honourable, 858 – spoken of which 312 were in parliament) |
|
meek |
Adjective |
152 |
Newspaper/Fiction |
|
fortnight, |
Noun |
1408 |
Newspaper/spoken |
|
improved |
Verb |
4734 |
Non academic/misc |
|
August/Aug |
Noun |
7826 |
Non-academic |
|
earliest |
Adjective |
1944 |
Non-academic |
|
esteem |
Verb |
407 |
Non-academic |
|
October |
Noun |
10356 |
Non-academic |
|
principal |
Adjective |
4790 |
Non-academic |
|
several |
Determiner |
23130 |
Non-academic |
|
System |
Noun |
43583 |
Non-academic |
|
object |
Noun |
6133 |
Non-academic/academic |
|
chaff |
Noun – defined in glossary |
75 |
Spoken |
|
Course |
Noun |
48654 |
spoken 7866 – which might be ‘of course’ |
|
Dear |
Adjective |
8411 |
Spoken/Fiction |
|
excuse |
verb |
2904 |
Spoken/fiction |
|
flog |
Verb |
71 |
Spoken/magazine |
|
God |
Noun |
22658 |
Spoken/misc/fiction |
BJM English Teacher 