Wider reading – exploring article writing – ranking task

Read the three articles you have been given. For each article, rank it according to the writer’s use of a range of methods, purpose and engagement with
audience. I have included an example to guide you. There are no right / wrong answers!

Criteria
Arresting headline
Engagement with audience
Focus on purpose
Article 1 -Family WhatsApp Groups
2. ‘ugly truth’ hints at possible
humour and descriptions of family
disputes in article. Curious – will
depiction of writer’s family match
my own experiences?
2. Does make use of pronouns
‘you’ but mostly a reflection of
personal experience.
Article 2 – Star Wars Fitness
3. Have only watched one of the SW
movies. Headline suggests I might need
be lacking in prior knowledge to fully
engage with article content.
3.Mostly tells a personal story and
terminologies of Star Wars may not
engage with readers who have
never read it.
Article 3 – Brain mush
1. Appeals as ‘mush’ is an apt way to describe my
mind on occasions. Second sentence offers hope
that I will be given useful guidance.
1. Advice the reader constantly and uses
pronouns such as ‘you’ and ‘us’ frequently.
This makes the audience feel a part of the
article.

Use of narrative / anecdotal
lead
1. Writer gives us her own
opinion of the family group chat
and snippets from the group
chat but still connects and
relates with audience.
2. Article is completely personal, 3. Just states fact and does not give a
and the writer shows us through personal account of any such event
their perspective of events in their happening to them or someone they know.
class. However, does not connect
with reader personally although an
interesting story.
Structure of writing – 1. 2. 3.
beginning, ending, speech,
repetition of image, idea

Varied punctuation
for effect

Use of SCARED features

Vocabulary 2. Makes use of ambitious 1. Uses ambitious vocabulary in a 3.Does not use ambitious vocabulary in their
vocabulary but in a way that way that intrigues the audience writing.
just intensifies other things and makes them seem for
rather than show intellect. sophisticated and intellectual.