…

STARTER
ACTIVITY
1. The word ‘pseudonym’ means what?
2. All the words used in a particular language or used to talk about a
particular subject are collectively called what?
3. What does a DOVE symbolize?
4. What do you call the speakers who are engaged in a debate?
5. Someone who has lost their memory is suffering from ______
6. A dictionary of synonyms (a book which lists the synonyms of words)
is called what?
7. A gothic story is essentially about _______
8. Silly joke, Ugly work, Wonderful children, Excellent effort, Great
leaders: The words in red are examples of what?
1. Fake name, alias, nickname.
2. Vocabulary
3. Peace, love.
4. Debaters
5. Amnesia
6. Thesaurus
7. Supernatural creatures, ghosts, magic, death.
8. Adjectives
L ANG UAG E
A NA L Y S I S
Learning Objectives
Define writer’s effect
Identify stylistic and linguistic elements in texts
Explain how writers use the stylistic/linguistic elements to create
meanings

Key words: imagery, figurative language, power words

WHY DO YOU NEED TO LEARN THIS TOPIC/CONCEPT?
The IGCSE First Language English (FLE) curriculum is built, largely,
around reading and writing, and for you to be able to explore this
curriculum effectively, you need to consciously invest plenty of time on
learning how writers use language in many creative ways to create
meaningful effects in the texts you READ. That knowledge will
immensely help you to know how you can use language in similarly
creative ways in creating meaningful effects in your own WRITING.
Paying so much attention during these lessons on language analysis,
asking as many questions as possible during the lessons, and practising
text analysis regularly on your own, are all what you need to master all
the necessary skills to excel!

Good Luck!!
A very good understanding of language analysis will help you in every aspect of the EFL
papers (papers 1 & 2) and most importantly, in the 15-mark language task question and
the 40-mark composition question.

IGCSE EFL Papers: Paper 1 (80 marks) Paper 2 (80 marks)

Text A: (Question 1a–1e) Reading
comprehension questions [15 marks] TEXT A Section A: TEXT B
Directed Writing
Text B: (Question 1f) A 120-word
summary/ continuous writing question [15 (40 marks)
marks]

Text C: (Question 2a–d) Short-answer Section B:

questions and language task [25 marks]
Composition
Text C: (Question 3) Extended response to (40 marks)
reading [25 marks]
Question 2 is based on Text C (500–650 words). This question is divided into
two separate parts:
• Short-answer questions
You respond to a series of sub-questions which require answers of different
lengths. These sub-questions test your understanding of the meaning of words
and phrases used in Text C, as well as the effect they have on the reader.
10 marks are available for reading

• Language task
You write 200–300 words in response to a question focused on certain
paragraphs in Text C. You must select three relevant examples of interesting
use of language from each of the paragraphs specified and analyse these
examples to show how the writer uses language to convey meaning and to
create effect.
15 marks are available for reading
 WRITER’S EFFECT
LANGUAGE ANALYSIS is based on the analysis of
writer’s effect. Writer’s effect is the powerful feeling
that writers intend to inspire in their readers,
through the use of special words or expressions or
some unique patterns of writing. A writer selects
words and shapes them in the same way that an
artist mixes particular hues of paint and applies them
to a canvas using brush strokes. So, to analyze
writer’s effect, pay attention to two broad things:
a. how language has been used in the text
b. how structure has been created in the text
 …
ANALYSING LANGUAGE
To analyse the language used in a text, pay attention to how the
following language / linguistic elements have been used:

Imagery
Words that appeal to our senses of hearing, feeling, seeing, taste & smell

Figurative Expressions
Expressions with metaphoric / idiomatic / figurative meanings

Power/Powerful/Strong words
Single words capable of showing stronger emotions than group words

Miscellaneous Devices
Arrangement of letters & words, synonymy, sounds, repetition, etc.
 STUDYING THE STRUCTURE
Look at the overall text to begin your annotation for structure.
Can you spot patterns in the structure? How has the writer
chosen to organise the text? How do they order ideas and
information? Look out for:
a. effective openings
b. headings and subheadings
c. focus and focus shifts
d. contrast
e. time and place
f. repetition and patterns
g. paragraph and sentence lengths
h. effective conclusions

It is useful to look at the opening, the middle and the ending.

Briefly note the effect of that feature on the reader – what is
the writer prioritizing or emphasizing through their use of
structure?
IMAGERY
Imagery is the use of words to create images in our minds, so as to
help us imagine seeing, hearing, smelling, touching and tasting
what is being described. Imagery works in these five ways:
a. Visual Imagery: Using words that appeal to readers’ sense of
sight to help them imagine seeing what’s being described.
b. Auditory Imagery: Using words that appeal to readers’ sense
of hearing to help them imagine hearing sounds being
described.
c. Olfactory Imagery: Using words that appeal to readers’ sense
of smell to help them imagine smelling things being described.
d. Gustatory Imagery: Using words that appeal to readers’ sense
of taste to help them imagine tasting things being described.
e. Tactile Imagery: Using words that appeal to readers’ sense of
touch to help them imagine feeling the touch of things being
described
Writer’s Effect
 VISUAL IMAGERY
VISUAL IMAGERY OLFACTORY IMAGERY
OLFACTORY IMAGERY
(visuals)
(visuals)
Study the short texts in the five boxes below and (smell)
(smell)
The night was black as ever, but bright stars She smelled the scent of sweet hibiscus
pay attention to the highlighted words. Say which
lit up the sky in beautiful and different wafting through the air; its tropical smell
constellations which were sprinkledbox contains:
across was a reminder that she was on vacation in
the astronomical landscape. a beautiful place.
Visual imagery (sight)
AUDITORY GUSTATORY
IMAGERY Olfactory
AUDITORY IMAGERY IMAGERY
GUSTATORY IMAGERY TACTILE IMAGERY
imagery (smell) TACTILE IMAGERY
(sound) (taste) (touch)
(touch)
Auditory imagery (hearing)
Gustatory
The candyimagery
melted (taste)
in her
The silence was broken After the long run, he
Tactile
by the peal of piano keys imagery
mouth and (touch/feel)
swirls of
collapsed in the grass,
bittersweet chocolate and
as Shannon began panting heavily. The grass
slightly sweet but salty
practicing her concerto. tickled his skin and sweat
caramel blended together
cooled on his brow.
on her tongue.
 Power/Powerful
… words
Power or powerful words are persuasive, descriptive or action words that trigger a
See powerful verbs, adjectives & adverbs in action
positive or negative emotional response; words that could make us feel scared,
encouraged, aroused, angry, or curious. Such power words could be verbs, adverbs or
As and
adjectives our they
team eagerly
carry approached
more force thewords
than ordinary city gate,
do. we suddenly
heard a deafening blast coming from within the city. We became
Powerful Verbs
jittery and had to scamper Powerful Adjectives
for safety. Soon, we sawPowerful
some menAdverbs
assault,
andendanger,
womenhorrify, astounding,from
running frantically breathtaking, Menacingly,
within the city towards theblatantly,
plunge, ascend, imperil, colossal, mind-blowing, cowardly, swiftly,
city gate, scurrying for cover. A severely bruised man was being
vanquish, debase, perverse, phenomenal, sensational grudgingly, impatiently,
liftedrepel,
saunter, in arevolt
fireman’s carry. When indelible
spectacular, they got to thebriskly,
gate,ambitiously
they
narrated it was a horrific attack by a terrorist group. The injured
Chew continuously:
man groaned chomp, gnaw, munchpain. That devastating news of
in excruciating As her nostrils flared, she
another terrorist
Close loudly:  bang, slamattack made our heart sink; even the valiant
ones among
Hold gently:  us swiftly
cradle,
stormed out
lost the courage to proceed.
cuddle, cushion
of the room and
Eat hurriedly:  bolt, gobble, wolf slammed the door shut.
 Simile: Indirect comparison between two…dissimilar things, using ‘as’ or ‘like’.
a. She is just like a leopard; she can’t change her spots.
b. I am as certain as death is.FIGURATIVE EXPRESSIONS
Figurative expressions are expressions which carry meanings that
Personification: Giving animate qualities to inanimate things.
are not ordinary or literal; they have idiomatic or metaphoric
a. Shanghai College gave birth to those highly decorated athletes.
meanings which mean more than what they seem to mean.
b. Sick cars shouldn’t be allowed on major roads.
Metaphor: Direct comparison created between two or more oddly related things.
Carefully
a. Ensure study
this Judas isn’t the pairs
nearby whenof examples
you discussin the blue boxes
confidential below and
matters.
b. Sorry, I’ve gottell which pair
no strength canwork
for any be called anyfuelled
until I’ve of themyfollowing:
tank (referring to eating).
Hyperbole: Exaggerating or overblowingPersonification
expressions.
a. Oh my God! The whole city was at CliffordIrony
and Christine’s wedding!
b. He’s nice to a fault; he’d give you hisMetaphor
eyes.

Irony: An expression intended to mean theSimile

opposite of the speaker’s original intention.
a. Great mother! I heard you abandonedHyperbole
your two kids when they were just 2 months old.
.
b. My country cares slimly for its teeming youth. Such a great country to die for!
Arrangement of letters & words, sounds, repetition, etc.

Carefully study the three short poem extracts below.

Pay keen attention to how (capital and small) letters
have been written, how colours have been used, etc.
Discuss with your teacher what you think the writers
might be trying to say with those different things
you observed.
 …
SAMPLE LANGUAGE ANALYSIS

Read the short text on the next slide and answer

this question:

How did the writer create the mood of

happiness and the mood of sadness in the
text?
There, where I laid… feebly on the bed, still being drip fed, my face wore a frail beam,
and simultaneously, affectionate tears danced down my cheeks. The feeling was
indescribable, looking at the tiny adorable creature I had just brought into being.
Its thrilling tiny cries overwhelmed me with indefinable joy. I fell deeply in love with
it the moment I saw it, and when the genial nurse informed me, “It’s a boy,” my
smile broadened, and I managed to utter, “Thank you, nurse Sasha.” I couldn’t
take my wary eyes off him, as I felt I had finally found a real purpose for my
Sample Text Analysis of Writers’
existence. He looked so tiny and fragile in his cot. So innocent, so pure, so cute; he
held his two miniature hands together close to his mouth, yearning for a taste of
Use of Language
his first food. I was still too weak to breastfeed him.
As a nurse took him away to be fed, my eyes weakly trailed her, until my vision
suddenly dimmed, and dark memories of the last seven years resurged in my mind
– memories of pains, of prolonged torture, of abuse, of betrayal of trust. I, the
credulous victim; and the creatures I banked on the most in life – my father, my
uncle, my brother – were the predatory abusers.
 SAMPLE RESPONSE
Mood refers to the internal feelings and emotions of an individual, while atmosphere is always
associated with the general conditions or setting of a place. In the text, obviously set in a hospital and
spotlighting the arrival of the writer’s new baby, the mood of happiness is evoked with expressions
like “…my face beamed with pleasure…”, “affectionate tears dance down my cheeks”, “The feeling
was indescribable”, “Its tiny cries overwhelmed me with indefinable joy”, “I fell deeply in love with
it…” and “my smile broadened.” Through these words, one sees and feels that, in spite of the writer’s
weakness, caused, perhaps, by some birth complications, she was still very elated. The mood of
happiness is conjured with the warm interaction between the doctor who announced the sex of the
newborn as ‘male’ and the new mother who captured her joy with a smile and a “thank you”. Her
admiration for the new child is so glaring and profound.
However, there is a swift switch from elation to dejection, as a sudden terrifying memory reared its
ugly head in the mind of the writer. The memory opened up an old injury, an incident of sexual abuse,
suffered sometime ago, by the writer, in the hands of the relatives she trusted.
The contrast is very balanced, with the presentation of the different events in two separate
paragraphs and with the use of two sets of opposing expressions: “Indefinable joy” and “prolonged
torture”, “affectionate tears danced…” and “dark memories resurged in my mind”, “my face beamed
with joy” and “…my vision suddenly dimmed,” etc.
SAMPLE 2
 Read the text below and discuss how the writer uses language and
structure to make the text appealing.
In her traditional mourning dress, Ozoemena’s beauty still screamed. Her
creamy skin seemed like that of an angel, rarely seen only in one’s dream. She
had remained so stunning, despite her age – two scores and a dozen; despite
her ill luck – recently losing an insanely loved husband of three decades.
Ozoemena adored her genius hubby and owed all her successes in life to him, a
husband like no other. She would say if not for him, she would never have
attended university; if not for him, she would still be walking barefoot in the
village; if not for him, she would never have lived in a duplex with a high fence
and large compound; if not for him, she would never have been on a plane; if
not for him, she would never have had the privilege to sit and chat with the
esteemed prince of Edinburgh; if not for him, she would never have had a
charming son, who, like his father, now chose to settle down with a simple,
smashing, dimpled girl; if not for him… … Ozoemena deified Paulinus.
In her traditional mourning dress, Ozoemena’s
beauty still screamed. Her creamy skin seemed Can you attempt this analysis?
like that of an angel, rarely seen only in one’s
dream. She had remained so stunning, despite her Let’s see how much and how
age – two scores and a dozen; despite her ill luck –
recently losing an insanely loved husband of three well you have learnt.
decades. Ozoemena adored her genius hubby and
owed all her successes in life to him, a husband
like no other. She would say if not for him, she
would never have attended university; if not for Let’s Go!
him, she would still be walking barefoot in the
village; if not for him, she would never have lived
in a duplex with a high fence and large compound;
if not for him, she would never have been on a Discuss how the writer
plane; if not for him, she would never have had
the privilege to sit and chat with the esteemed
uses language and
prince of Edinburgh; if not for him, she would
never have had a charming son, who, like his
structure to make the
father, now chose to settle down with a simple,
smashing, dimpled girl; if not for him… …
text appealing.
Ozoemena deified Paulinus.
In her traditional mourning dress, Ozoemena’s Sound: The writer’s use of the rhyming long vowel / I: / in
beauty still screamed. Her creamy skin seemed ‘screamed’, ‘creamy’, ‘seemed’, ‘seen’ and ‘dream’
like that of an angel, rarely seen only in one’s (assonance) creates an appealing auditory feel in the
dream. She had remained so stunning, despite her
reader’s mind. These words might have been used to
age – two scores and a dozen; despite her ill luck –
suggest the depth and smoothness of Ozoemena’s
recently losing an insanely loved husband of three
beauty.
decades. Ozoemena adored her genius hubby and
owed all her successes in life to him, a husband The same auditory appeal is created with the repeated
like no other. She would say if not for him, she use of /s/ in ‘simple’ and ‘smashing’ (alliteration), which
would never have attended university; if not for sounds like the ‘psst’ sound made by people when trying
him, she would still be walking barefoot in the to attract somebody’s attention. Here, the writer seems
village; if not for him, she would never have lived to be drawing the reader’s attention to the beauty of the
in a duplex with a high fence and large compound; other lady.
if not for him, she would never have been on a The writer also uses a simile ‘…like that of an angel rarely
plane; if not for him, she would never have had seen in one’s dream’ perhaps to enable the reader to see
the privilege to sit and chat with the esteemed Ozoemena’s beauty as something rare and exceptional.
prince of Edinburgh; if not for him, she would
never have had a charming son, who, like his Also, the writer uses dashes to provide some extra
father, now chose to settle down with a simple, information about Ozoemena’s age ( - two scores and a
smashing, dimpled girl; if not for him… … dozen) and the nature of the tragedy that recently befell
Ozoemena deified Paulinus. her - ‘…losing an insanely loved husband of three decades’
In her traditional mourning dress, Ozoemena’s Through the use of a kind of repetition called
beauty still screamed. Her creamy skin seemed parallelism (‘despite her age’ and ‘despite her ill luck),
like that of an angel, rarely seen only in one’s the writer creates some appealing effect. I feel that by
dream. She had remained so stunning, despite using those repeated structures, the writer might
her age – two scores and a dozen; despite her ill succeed in making the reader see that those real life
luck – recently losing an insanely loved husband realities that could affect people’s beauty, ‘ageing’
of three decades. Ozoemena adored her genius (despite her age) and ‘agony’ (despite her ill luck) had
hubby and owed all her successes in life to him, a not affected Ozoemena’s beauty. This creates the
husband like no other. She would say if not for impression that Ozoemena is a strong woman, added to
her being pretty.
him, she would never have attended university; if
not for him, she would still be walking barefoot Another parallelism example, in the form of ‘if not for
in the village; if not for him, she would never him…’, gives us an idea of the huge impact Ozoemena’s
have lived in a duplex with a high fence and large late husband must have had, while alive, in her life. This
compound; if not for him, she would never have creates an awesome feeling about the grandness and
been on a plane; if not for him, she would never uniqueness of the man.
have had the privilege to sit and chat with the Furthermore, the writer’s choice of mathematical terms
esteemed prince of Edinburgh; if not for him, she such as ‘scores’ (20s), ‘dozen’ (12), and ‘decades’ (10s),
would never have had a charming son, who, like in describing Ozoemena’s age might be an attempt to
his father, now chose to settle down with a make readers pause to ponder about the sum of the
simple, smashing, dimpled girl; if not for him… … numbers, thereby getting them more engaged in the
Ozoemena deified Paulinus. reading.
In her traditional mourning dress, Ozoemena’s In conclusion, it is appealing to see that the
beauty still screamed. Her creamy skin seemed
like that of an angel, rarely seen only in one’s
writer creates some suspense through the
dream. She had remained so stunning, despite her deliberate delay in mentioning the name of
age – two scores and a dozen; despite her ill luck – Ozoemena’s late husband. That information is
recently losing an insanely loved husband of three so well withheld till the end of the text. In the
decades. Ozoemena adored her genius hubby and
course of the text, our attention moves from
owed all her successes in life to him, a husband
like no other. She would say if not for him, she seeing the deep beauty of Ozoemena to
would never have attended university; if not for getting to know the immense impact the late
him, she would still be walking barefoot in the husband had in her life, before we finally get to
village; if not for him, she would never have lived know the actual identity of the man being
in a duplex with a high fence and large compound;
if not for him, she would never have been on a
described so glowingly. It’s also beautiful to
plane; if not for him, she would never have had see that the writer uses a simple sentence
the privilege to sit and chat with the esteemed (made up of just three words: “Ozoemena
prince of Edinburgh; if not for him, she would deified Paulinus” to reveal the man’s identity –
never have had a charming son, who, like his
Paulinus. The withholding of the name might
father, now chose to settle down with a simple,
smashing, dimpled girl; if not for him… … be a way of attesting to how Ozoemena truly
Ozoemena deified Paulinus. really idolized the husband, even in death.
 …

YOUR CLASS TASK

Worksheet
In the attached worksheet, read the text about
mosquitoes and man
 …

Only for the teacher’s view

SAMPLE RESPONSE TO THE

QUESTION
How can something so small cause so much trouble, making the killer instinct arise in us all? Weighing no more
than a speck of dust, it strikes before we are even aware of its presence, then wafts off in drunken flight,
carrying its precious load and singing its high-pitched song of victory. Man’s public enemy number-one – the
mosquito.
With its long, streaming legs, the mosquito floats in the air, prowling for a bare arm or leg to bite and feed
upon. Even in the darkness, the insect is surrounded by an aura of evil as it seeks to take advantage of the
sleeping innocent. And yet, its malice goes further, for it not only steals a person’s blood and leaves an itchy red
bump, but sometimes it also injects malaria – a feared and often fatal disease.
Consider the time, trouble and money we spend on fighting this monster. We drape mosquito nets over the
bed, we burn mosquito coils, we rub insect repellent into our exposed flesh, we spray aerosol and we swallow
anti-malaria pills. We even hunt the creatures all over the room, throwing shoes, pillows and magazines in a
barrage of anti-mosquito fire so that we might put an end to the torment brought about by its infuriating
buzzing about our ears. Sometimes we get lucky and spot one of the intruders hovering in the turbulence
created by our frantic movements and, as it desperately tries to gain a safe altitude, we manage to squash the
hated speck in a stinging clap of execution. Our sense of achievement is short-lived though. As we gaze at the
bright smear on our hand, we realize that we are looking at our own blood, recently plundered.
How do we put an end to this menace? Perhaps we should learn a lesson from this fiend and, in addition to
putting up screens and defences, we should move into the attack and invade the mosquito’s home. If we spray
the stagnant pools of water where the mosquitos breed and make sure than no containers are left around to
collect rain water and so provide them with a new home, perhaps we will be able to outwit the mosquito and
sleep soundly in our beds at night without fear of an air raid.
 …

Question

Explain how the writer used language in

the text to express his feelings towards
the mosquito.
How can something so small cause so much trouble, making the killer instinct arise in us all? Weighing no more
than a speck of dust, it strikes before we are even aware of its presence, then wafts off in drunken flight,
carrying its precious load and singing its high-pitched song of victory. Man’s public enemy number-one – the
mosquito.
With its long, streaming legs, the mosquito floats in the air, prowling for a bare arm or leg to bite and feed
upon. Even in the darkness, the insect is surrounded by an aura of evil as it seeks to take advantage of the

See the annotated

sleeping innocent. And yet, its malice goes further, for it not only steals a person’s blood and leaves an itchy red
bump, but sometimes it also injects malaria – a feared and often fatal disease.
Consider the time, trouble and money we spend on fighting this monster. We drape mosquito nets over the

version of the
bed, we burn mosquito coils, we rub insect repellent into our exposed flesh, we spray aerosol and we swallow
anti-malaria pills. We even hunt the creatures all over the room, throwing shoes, pillows and magazines in a
barrage of anti-mosquito fire so that we might put an end to the torment brought about by its infuriating
buzzing about our ears. Sometimes, we get lucky and spot one of the intruders hovering in the turbulence

text
created by our frantic movements and, as it desperately tries to gain a safe altitude, we manage to squash the
hated speck in a stinging clap of execution. Our sense of achievement is short-lived though. As we gaze at the
bright smear on our hand, we realize that we are looking at our own blood, recently plundered.
How do we put an end to this menace? Perhaps we should learn a lesson from this fiend and, in addition to
putting up screens and defences, we should move into the attack and invade the mosquito’s home. If we spray
the stagnant pools of water where the mosquitos breed and make sure than no containers are left around to
collect rain water and so provide them with a new home, perhaps we will be able to outwit the mosquito and
sleep soundly in our beds at night without fear of an air raid.
 SAMPLE RESPONSE
The writer makes his feeling towards the mosquito so compelling through language devices like
powerful words (nouns, verbs, adjectives), figurative language, rhetorical question, multiple
adjectives, personal pronouns, etc. Starting the text with a rhetorical question (How can something so

See the
small cause so much trouble…?) is one of the ways the writer captures his anger towards the mosquito and his
confusion about how something of such small size could have such big influence on people. In the opening
sentence, the writer refers to ‘killer instinct’ to reveal to the readers the depth of the anger that

SAMPLE
the writer nurses towards the insect. The writer might have been pushed to the wall to bear such
intense vengeful feeling for the insect, which, interestingly is referred to as ‘a speck of dust’ -
something so small yet powerful. The metaphor ‘’wafts off in drunken flight’ gives the
impression of a mosquito which has drawn so much blood from its victim that it finds it difficult

RESPONSE
to even fly right. In fact, ‘singing its high pitched song of victory’ presents the mosquito to us as
wickedly arrogant, hurting people and excited doing so. The predominance of hatred-related
words and expressions (malice, an aura of evil, infuriating buzzing, hated speck, and fiend)
affirms the writer’s disgust and fury towards the insect. The mosquito is portrayed
metaphorically and negatively as different things: a thief (“steals a person’s blood” and
“plundered”) a bad doctor (“sometimes injects malaria”), a horrible singer (“its infuriating
buzzing around our ears”), an invading soldier (“the intruders hovering”, “air raid”), etc.
Also, the use of the 1st person pronouns (we, our…) all through could be a way
intended by the writer to make readers personalize the ugly experience of mosquito
attack, since the issue is something affecting the general society, and not a peculiar
problem. In addition, the writer uses parenthetical expressions twice (“Man’s public
enemy number one – the mosquito” and “but it also injects malaria – a feared and
often fatal disease”) to emphasize certain very important pieces of information:
‘mosquito’ and ’malaria’. Then, parallelism is used to capture the series of tedious
actions people take to curb the actions of mosquitoes: “We drape…, we burn…, we
rub…, we spray…, we swallow…” Finally, on the endless problem of mosquito
attack, the writer uses a conditional statement, “if we spray the stagnant pools…” to
suggest there are solutions to the problem but the use of ‘perhaps’ seems to show
that the suggested solutions cannot be totally trusted to work.

In all, the writer uses language powerfully well to express his feelings of confusion,
disgust and vengeance towards the mosquito
 …

HOMEWORK
Read the next text carefully. Then, identify
TEN words or phrases and explain/analyze
how the writer has used them to create effect
in the text.
 …
He attempted to push the door open but the smarter door slid open, unaided. Then, the first
sign that his probing eyes perched on as he lumbered through the automated door into an
anteroom was a screaming inscription on the adjacent wall: “The walls of hospitals have heard
more sincere prayers than religious houses.” He halted, sighed and started pondering over
those uncanny words. But again, his attention was abruptly arrested by something else – an
illuminated signboard on which was etched the images of medical tools: a stethoscope, a
microscope, an ultrasound scan machine, and pharmaceutical drugs. He abandoned the earlier
thought and the latter sight and moved on.
He shambled into the capacious lounge, where a fair number of people were seated, with
diverse emotions plastered on their faces – gleam and gloom. He had nursed a protracted
phobia for hospitals – a condition known as nosocomephobia – and only recently was he able
to slough off that unexplainable dread. His chain of thoughts got interrupted by a soft voice
calling out his name and a gentle touch on his shoulder.
“Garry?”
He turned to see a sexagenarian woman, whose eyes were widened in surprise.
“Garry in my hospital?” She said, chuckling. “History is made today!”