How do I write about the form and structure of a text?

When you're asked to write about a text's form and structure, it is always important to have the main themes of the text at the back of your mind. This is because form and structure can be thought of as tools that the author uses to present themes/ideas about the text to the reader or audience. 'Form' is what kind of text it is that you're writing about. This could be a novel, a short story (or novella), a play, or a type of poem, such as a sonnet. When we talk about 'structure' we mean the way that the text is organised. For example, you might want to think about the order in which events take place or, if talking about a piece of prose, who is the narrator? Is it the same narrator all the way through the text?Once you've pinpointed the aspects of form and structure that you want to write about, it's really important to think back to the themes of the text and explain how each formal and structural choice the author has made makes it easier to recognise these themes. For example, one of the central themes of 'An Inspector Calls' is guilt and innocence. You might make the point that because it takes the form of a play, the audience serve as a kind of jury, judging whether or not they think the characters on stage are innocent or guilty as they tell their story. In terms of structure, you might want to argue that the ordering of events in the play means that we don't find out what happened to Eva Smith before her death until the very end. In this way, the structure of the play helps to build suspense and present another important theme: mystery.