Peña, Gabriel G.

BSEd-English 3C Stylistics and Discourse Analysis

Lesson 6: Activity

Research on the steps in doing Genre Analysis. Find one genre (any example or type)
and be able analyze it by applying the steps you have learned. (20 points)

I am choosing editorial news for my genre analysis. First of all editorial’s purpose is to
persuade, inform and argue by giving a viewpoint on recent incidents and issues.
Furthermore, editorials are meant to influence public opinion, promote critical thinking,
and sometimes cause people to take action on an issue. This sometimes or
occasionally rocks the boat when such is the need which makes the target readers think
on certain issues. The target audience for this type of text is ranging from students to
professionals or even commoners who usually participate in political whereabouts or for
that type of reader who wants to find the other side of the coin of certain issues from the
other perspectives, in this case, the side of the author.

As belong to some sort of argumentative and persuasive text, this cause an indirect
move or response to the reader because of its strong, explicit, argumentative,
persuasive and informative tone. The responses vary that it takes effect on opposing
more on the claim of the author or supporting more on author’s claim. This can also
leave a question behind the readers what the author is trying to say with all its claims
and arguments. The language use in this type of text is in professional manner and not
stooping on the level of using petty tactics for persuasion and name-calling among
others. This does not only aim to constructively criticize on the issues tackled but to
provide solutions on them because of its professionalism.

On that note, how it is convened is in this move pattern: Firstly, the introduction on the
first paragraph where it contains the background of the issue and the author’s claim in a
fashion just like a thesis statement. The proceeding paragraphs are the different
argument the author wanted to support his claim or thesis statement on the introductory
part. Usually this 2nd move can be composed of 3 paragraphs to provide details and
facts on the author’s claim. Last move is the conclusion. Since on previous paragraphs,
the author aims to present arguments about the problem being presented, on the last
part are the possible solutions or recommendations from the author to the problems
mentioned because according to the first paragraph in this analysis, “editorial does not
only criticize but also provide solutions”. In other words, the move pattern of this text is
INTRODUCITON-ARGUMENT-ARGUMENT-ARGUMENT-SOLUTION.

From the presented data above, it can be generalize that an editorial is a constructive
criticism on certain issues based from the viewpoint of the author. It can affect how a
reader thinks based on how strong and founded are the arguments presented. Further,
it’s convention are mostly the same for most essays but yes, it is what it is.