Edexcel IGCSE English Language A style Question 4 (12 marks) based on A Game of Polo with a Headless Goat:
📄 Past Paper Style Question
Text: A Game of Polo with a Headless Goat by Emma Levine
Question 4 (12 marks)
In this extract, how does the writer use language and structure to create a sense of excitement and danger?
You should write about:
- the words and phrases she uses
- the techniques she uses
- how she structures her description
- how all of this makes the reader feel.
Support your answer with examples from the text.
✅ Exam Tip
- Spend about 15–20 minutes on this question.
- Use PEE paragraphs (Point–Evidence–Explain).
- Focus on how the writer’s choices affect the reader.
- Cover both language and structure.
Here’s a bullet point writing plan to tackle this Edexcel IGCSE Language A Question 4 (12 marks) for A Game of Polo with a Headless Goat:
✅ Bullet Point Writing Plan
Intro
- Briefly mention what the extract is about (a donkey race in Pakistan).
- State that the writer uses language and structure to create excitement and danger.
Main Body (3–4 clear points)
1️⃣ Start with the build-up
- How does she create anticipation before the race?
- Look for suspense, short sentences, phrases like “We waited in suspense…”
- Effect: makes reader feel on edge, waiting for action.
2️⃣ Describe the action
- Pick exciting or chaotic language:
- Similes/metaphors: “like a Formula One race”
- Vivid verbs: “swerved”, “horns tooting”, “quick glance”
- Explain how these make it lively and risky.
3️⃣ Show how structure adds to the chaos
- Note any short paragraphs, fast pace, or listing.
- Example: rapid events in quick succession.
- Effect: mirrors speed and confusion of the race.
4️⃣ Add the danger/tension element
- Highlight language showing danger:
- “Voices were raised, fists were out…”
- Change in tone from excitement to tension.
- How it makes reader feel anxious.
Conclusion
- Briefly wrap up:
- Restate that vivid words, fast structure and tone shift build excitement and show risk.
- Link back to reader impact — feeling thrilled but worried.
Extra Guidance
✅ Use short quotes in each point.
✅ Always say how each quote creates excitement or danger.
✅ Focus equally on language and structure.
✅ Keep it focused on the question — don’t retell the story.
Model Answer
In this extract, the writer uses language and structure very effectively to create a sense of excitement and danger as she describes the donkey race.
At the start, she builds up suspense by describing how they “waited in suspense” and how she “was beginning to get bored” before the carts arrived. This shows the sudden shift from calm to chaos, which makes the action feel even more dramatic when it starts.
She uses vivid similes to show how fast and chaotic the race is. For example, she compares it to a “Formula One race” and later calls it “Formula One without rules”. This exaggeration makes the donkey race seem unexpectedly wild and dangerous, surprising the reader and adding humour at the same time.
The writer’s choice of verbs like “swerved”, “tooting”, and “hooted” gives a sense of frantic movement and noise, making the reader feel as if they are in the middle of the action. The listing of sounds — “horns tooting, bells ringing, and special rattles” — helps to create a chaotic atmosphere.
Structurally, she uses short sentences and quick shifts between events to keep up the pace. For example, she jumps from describing the race to a sudden fight breaking out: “Voices were raised, fists were out and tempers rising.” This abrupt change in tone shows how the excitement turns into tension and potential violence, which highlights the danger for both the participants and the narrator.
Overall, the lively language, vivid imagery, and fast-paced structure all work together to make the reader feel the excitement and the risk of the donkey race, helping us to understand how thrilling but also dangerous this unusual event is.
✅ Key Features
- Covers language (similes, verbs, sensory description)
- Covers structure (shift in tone, short sentences)
- Explains reader effect clearly
- Uses short, relevant quotes
- Written in clear exam style
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