LanguageAnalysis

IdentifyingElementsforAnalysis

Achecklist

Thefollowingisachecklistofimportantelementsyouneedtoidentifyinthe
persuasivewritingpieceinthelanguageanalysissectionoftheexam:

Authorwhowrotethepiece?

Texttypeisthisaletter,opinioncolumn,speechoreditorial?

Publicationwheredidthisopinionpieceappear?

Audiencewhoistheaudienceofthepublication?Whoistheopinion
pieceappealingto?Howwouldtheycurrentlyfeelabouttheissue?

Contentionwhatisthemainpointofviewoftheopinionpiece?

Argumentssupportingcontentionwhatarethemainargumentsthe
authorisusing?

Titlehowisthetitlepersuasiveorengaging?

Persuasivetechniqueswhatareatleast10examplesofpersuasive
techniques?Docertaintechniquesrecurthroughouttheentirepiece?

Visualshowdoestheaccompanyingpicturelinktotheauthorspointof
view?

Tonewhatarethemainpersuasivetechniquesusedinthispiece,what
tonebestdescribesthesetechniques?

WrittenPersuasiveTechniques

Techniquestoemphasizethemessagerhetoricaldevices

repetition
similes
exaggeration

Techniquestomaketheaudiencefeelsomethingaboutthemessage
emotivetechniques

appealtofear
appealtogreed
LanguageAnalysisRevisionNotes 1

appealtofairness
emotivelanguage
inclusivelanguage

Techniquestomaketheaudiencefeelthemessageisreasonable
logicdevices

statistics
examples
expertopinion

Techniquestomaketheaudiencetrustthepersondeliveringthe
message

personalanecdotes
inclusivelanguage

VisualPersuasiveTechniques

Image

Whoorwhatistheimage?Howisitrelatedtotheissue?

Focus

Whatisourattentiondrawntointhepicture?Isitbecauseofsize?
Position?Language?Whyisthiselementimportant?

Emphasisandpurpose

Whatisthemainsubjectofthepicture?Whatattributeorcharacteristic
ofthissubjectisbeingemphasized?Forwhatpurpose?Howareweasan
audiencemeanttofeel?Howdoesthislinktothecontentionofthe
writtenpiece?

WritingIntroduction

Identify:

Issue
Author
Texttype
Publication
Contention
Titleanditssignificance
Audience
2 LanguageAnalysisRevisionNotes

Tone

Phrasesandwordstouse

Isentitled
Contendsthat..
Arguesthat..
Writteninresponseto
Respondstotheissueof
Maintainsatonethroughout
Isdirectedatan...audience

WritingBodyofAnalysis

Therearetwowaysthebodyofyouranalysiscanbestructured:

1. Identifykeypersuasivetechniquesusedinthepiecesuchasemotive
techniquesorreasontechniques.Baseyourparagraphsonthetechniques
used.
2. Identifymainpointsandsectionsoftheopinionpiecestructureyour
paragraphsaroundananalysisofeachofthesectionsi.ethe
opening/introduction,themiddlepartoftheopinionpiece,the
conclusion.

Analysiswithinyourparagraphs:

Inordertoprovidequalityanalysisyoumust

1. Identifyanddescribethetechniquebeingused
2. Provideexamples
3. Analysetheintendedpersuasiveimpactoftheexamplesontheaudience
andhowtheyarebeingusedtosupporttheauthorsargumentsor
contention.

Identifytechnique:AtthebeginningofheropinionpieceVoxicreatesaseriesof
similesandcomparisonsthataredesignedtomaketheaudiencelinkdigital
technologytothingsthatweconsidergreatandingenious.

Provideexamples:Voxisaysthatpeoplewhohavemovedhistoryforwardhave
beenlikethegritinanoyster.Grittypeopleproducepearls.Shegivesthe
exampleofCopernicus,GalileoandDarwinaspeoplewhohavemovedforward
history.

Analyseexamples:BycomparingtheinventionofdigitaltechnologytoDarwin
andGalileoVoxiwantstheaudiencetofeelthatdigitaltechnologywillhavea
greatandlastingimpactonuslikethediscoveriesofthesegreatscientists.
Further,whenshedescribespeoplewhohavemovedhistoryforwardasbeing
LanguageAnalysisRevisionNotes 3

likegritintheoystershewantstheaudiencetoseethatmarvelousthingscan
comefromwhatmightfirstappearasnotspecial.

AnalysingVisuals

Whatistheimage?
Whatisourattentiondrawnto?
Whatcharacteristicisbeingemphasized?
Howdoesitlinktheauthorscontention?

Intheaccompanyingpictureweseeanimageofatransparentheadwithdigital
likecomponentsfloatinginastackfromwithinit.Ourfocusisdrawntothe
digitaltechnologyfloatingfromthehead.Thepurposeofthepictureisforthe
audiencetoassociatedigitaltechnologywithamazingideasthatcanbeproduced
oneafteranother.ThissupportsVoxiscontentionthatdigitaltechnologywill
revolutionisethewaywelearnandthink.

WritingTheConclusion

Conclusionscanbemosteffectivewhentheyfocusontheconclusionofthe
opinionpieceyouhavebeenaskedtoanalyse:

Voxiconcludesheropinionpiecebydescribingthetwopositionsthatcanbe
takenondigitaltechnology.Someonewhodoesntwanttoembraceitisaloser.
Tonotembracechangemeanswecouldstillbeswinginginthetrees.Onthe
otherhandembracingdigitaltechnologyisaboutbeingexcitedandinformed,
theexperienceofdiscoveryandbeingintouchandconnected.Voxiwantsto
overwhelmthataudiencewithhowmuchofapositiveexperiencedigital
technologyis,whileatthesametimemakingthemfearbeingaloseristheydo
notembraceit.

4 LanguageAnalysisRevisionNotes