Gobbet (language analysis, thematic analysis, genre analysis, concept analysis)

A gobbet is a text passage or quotation from, for example, a book, article or scientific text. You can use the gobbet for an exercise, test question, analysis or discussion on the language, style and meaning of the passage. You can use the gobbet as an example to illustrate a particular literary technique or historical context, or as a starting point for a broader discussion on the themes and motifs of the work as a whole. Gobbets are also used in other disciplines such as history, law and medicine. Besides text, you can also use other forms such as video or audio. It is an important tool for students to understand the context and topic, you can use it as a way to stimulate critical thinking and encourage students to work with it independently and reach their own understanding.

To use a gobbet as a form of test, you could, for example, select some passages from a book or an article and give them to students. Ask them to analyse or discuss the meaning or context of the text, or to answer specific questions related to the gobbet. Some examples:

• A quote from a novel - ask students to analyse the meaning of the text and the relationship between the text and the themes in the novel.
• A scientific paper on climate change - ask students to analyse specific parts of the text, such as the methods used in the study, or the findings and conclusions presented.
• An excerpt from a historical document - ask students to describe the context in which the document was written and its significance for events at the time.

Want to know more?

• Faculty of classics: guidance on commentaries and gobbets (pdf) - University of Oxford

See also: Case assignment of Case exam with open-ended questions.

See also: FeedbackFruits Comprehension, FeedbackFruits Interactive document, FeedbackFruits Interactive video.