How do we begin?

Read the article. This is what you should be

spending most of your reading time doing.

Read the article again, and start underlining

and making notes. Use an assortment of
colours.

Youve read the article carefully, at LEAST

twice. What are you looking for?

Contention
How do you correctly identify the writers
contention?

Contention
How do you correctly identify the writers
contention?
Ask yourself

Contention
How do you correctly identify the writers
contention?
Ask yourself

What are they critical of, or against?

Contention
How do you correctly identify the writers
contention?
Ask yourself

What are they critical of, or against?

What are they calling for? What do they
want?

Contention
How do you correctly identify the writers
contention?
Ask yourself

What are they critical of, or against?

What are they calling for? What do they
want?
Put this in one or two sentences of your own
words. Dont quote large phrases when
paraphrasing the authors contention.

Contention
How do you correctly identify the writers contention?
Ask yourself

What are they critical of, or against?

What are they calling for? What do they want?
Put this in one or two sentences of your own words.
Dont quote large phrases when paraphrasing the
authors contention.
What makes it difficult to identify the writers
contention?

Intro paragraph
What should your intro paragraph include?

Intro paragraph
What should your intro paragraph include?
Title of article
Author(s) name
Source of piece
Date of piece
Contention
Tone
A one line background to the issue, particularly

if you are asked to analyse more than one piece

Form, and Audience

Intro paragraph
With sales of bottled water skyrocketing in
recent years, the environmental impact of
the booming industry has become an issue
of debate.

Intro paragraph
With sales of bottled water skyrocketing in
recent years, the environmental impact of
the booming industry has become an issue
of debate. In his opinion article Water,
water everywhere (The Age, 12/4/11)
ex-Greens leader Bob Brown argues
soberly for tighter regulation on the
exploitation of natural water systems for
corporate gain.

Form
Be aware of online forms (blogs, online
journals, posts) as well as traditional print
forms

Tone
How does it sound?
As you are reading it to yourself,
think about what your voice would
sound like if you were reading it
aloud.
Look for clues like italics and
exclamation marks!!!!
Know synonyms. Other words for
ethusiastic?

What about serious?

dignified
sober

imploring
urgent

What about serious?

impassioned
heartfelt

Your analysis
Look at the article holistically. What does
this mean?

Your analysis
Look at the article holistically. What does
this mean?

Questions marks, percentage symbols and

numbers What not to do!

Your analysis
Look at the article holistically. What does
this mean?

Questions marks, percentage symbols and

numbers What not to do!

What is the task? What are we supposed to

be doing?

A Good Argument?
Research has found that people accept an
argument for one of four reasons:
1. They perceive the writer or speaker as having
credibility
2. They are won over by evidence
3. They are convinced by sound reasoning - logic
4. They are moved by emotional appeals.
(Lucas, 1998)

A Good Argument?
BEGINS BY ATTACKING ..

A Good Argument?
BEGINS BY ATTACKING ..

hyperbole

connotations
appeals to
justice/common-sense

generalisations
charged words

A Good Argument?
ESTABLISHES HIS/HER CREDIBILITY

A Good Argument?
ESTABLISHES HIS/HER CREDIBILITY
Tone authoritative,
common-sense, jargon?

appealing to specific
audiences concerns

evidence, experts
anecdote
inclusive language

Writing about
persuasive techniques
Youve identified what you think are the
most
important, obvious and effective
techniques.
What now?

Writing about
persuasive techniques
Youve identified what you think are the
most
important, obvious and effective
techniques.
What now?
Identify the technique

Writing about
persuasive techniques
Youve identified what you think are the
most
important, obvious and effective
techniques.
What now?
Identify the technique
Provide the most obvious, effective
example (or examples) of the technique

Writing about
persuasive techniques
Youve identified what you think are the
most
important, obvious and effective techniques.
What now?
Identify the technique
Provide the most obvious, effective
example (or examples) of the technique
Explain how these examples work why
they have been included and are effective

Writing about
persuasive techniques
Youve identified what you think are the
most
important, obvious and effective techniques.
What now?

Technique

Identify the technique

Provide the most obvious, effective

example (or examples) of the technique
Explain how these examples work why
they have been included and are effective

Writing about
persuasive techniques
Youve identified what you think are the
most
important, obvious and effective techniques.
What now?

Technique
Provide the most obvious, effective
example (or examples) E
of x
the
amtechnique
ple
Identify the technique

Explain how these examples work why

they have been included and are effective

Writing about
persuasive techniques
Youve identified what you think are the
most
important, obvious and effective techniques.
What now?

Technique
Provide the most obvious, effective
example (or examples) E
of x
the
amtechnique
ple
Identify the technique

Explain how these examples work why

they have been included and are effective

EFFECT!

Which of these shows the

most understanding?

Which of these shows the

most understanding?

EFFECT.

Which of these shows the

most understanding?

EFFECT!!!

Which of these shows the

most understanding?

EFFECT!!
!

Which of these shows the

most understanding?

EFFECT!

In general
Avoid talking generally about how that
technique can be used to persuade i.e.

The writer refers to 64%. That is a

statistic. Statistics persuade because they
sound authoritative and are difficult to
refute.

In general
Try instead

Citing that 64% of Australians support

same-sex marriage, the author adds
statistical credibility to her claims for national
support, whilst authoritatively dismissing her
opponents references to Australian values
as being unfounded and out of touch.

In general
Definitely avoid redundant comments
i.e.

The writer refers to 64%. This supports

her contention, showing us that a lot of
people agree with her.

Dont forget about

tone

Lyle Shelton's Australian Christian Lobby had this

to say in a statement following Kevin Rudd's
repositioning on the subject of same-sex marriage:
''The prime minister who rightly gave an apology
to the stolen generation has sadly not thought
through the fact that [Mr Rudd's] new position on
redefining marriage will create another.''
Pardon? Creating another generation of stolen
children? Are the Christians going to come in,
again, and steal our kids? Hello? Is anyone home?
Breathtaking in its stupidity, overwhelming in its
tastelessness.

Dont forget about

tone
Sweeny attacks Lyle Shelton and the Australian
Christian Lobby by using rhetorical questions, such
as Creating another generation of stolen children?
and Are the Christians going to come in, again,
and steal our kids? This makes Shelton seem
insensitive and discredits his argument.

Dont forget about

tone

In a furious, scathing barrage of sarcastic

rhetorical questions, Sweeny voices her outrage
at Lyle Shletons comparison. The incredulous
Pardon? is followed by a pointed attack on the
Australian Christian Lobbys hypocrisy, the
emphatic Again? reminding readers of the
Churchs involvement in the original Stolen
Generation. The effect is not just to completely
discredit Sheltons ideas, but to make it seem
that his kind of criticism of same-sex parenting
has no place in public discussion.

Dont forget about

tone
Sweeny sarcastically attacks Lyle Shelton and the
Australian Christian Lobby by using an outraged series
of rhetorical questions, such as Creating another
generation of stolen children? and Are the Christians
going to come in, again, and steal our kids? This
makes Shelton seem extremely insensitive and
immediately discredits his argument.

Quoting
October's horrific toll prompts
Thanuja Gunatillake to ask: How
can we save lives on our roads?
VICTORIA'S horrific road toll for
October has seen 20 lives lost in 15
days, leaving families and friends
grieving and many wondering what
can be done to halt the carnage.

Quoting
October's horrific toll prompts
Thanuja Gunatillake to ask: How
can we save lives on our roads?
VICTORIA'S horrific road toll for
October has seen 20 lives lost in 15
days, leaving families and friends
grieving and many wondering what
can be done to halt the carnage.

Quoting
But at its elite levels, sport is an industry
worth billions of dollars, for athletes and
those involved in training, coaching,
marketing and selling.
And when serious money is involved, the
potential for corruption arises.
That's why it is so important for sport to
be corruption-free. And let's be clear:
athletes who take performance-enhancing
drugs are corrupting their sport.

Quoting
But at its elite levels, sport is an industry
worth billions of dollars, for athletes and
those involved in training, coaching,
marketing and selling.
And when serious money is involved, the
potential for corruption arises.
That's why it is so important for sport to
be corruption-free. And let's be clear:
athletes who take performance-enhancing
drugs are corrupting their sport.

Structure
TEEL What was that again?

Structure
TEEL What was that again?
It all depends on how many pieces you
have to analyse

Structure
TEEL What was that again?
It all depends on how many pieces you have to
analyse
Assessors like to see comparison and synthesis.
Therefore you may consider the structure:
Introduction, A, B, AB, AB, Conclusion
If an image is included you may think about:
Introduction, A, B, AB, AB, ABC, Conclusion
Or: Introduction, A, B, C, ABC, Conclusion

Structure
For long pieces see if you can mentally
break them up into sections, in which the
writer/speaker
(a) uses different types of techinques
(b) changes tone
(c) attempts to affect the reader in different
ways

There is nothing wrong with moving through

the piece from start to finish as long as you
dont end up repeating yourself.

Synthesis
After analysing the first (or longest) piece,
you can continually compare back to it
when analysing the other piece(s). Use
phrases such as
Unlike AUTHOR A, AUTHOR B
In contrast to AUTHOR A, AUTHOR B
Much like AUTHOR A, AUTHOR B
In the same way as AUTHOR A, AUTHOR B

Linking Words

Visuals
Determine whether the visual accompanies a text or
is stand alone
Words to compare and contrast written and visual
texts.

Photos
Everything is information. Everything in the
picture speaks to those who know the
language.

Cartoons
... explore thought-provoking perspectives
through imagery
... are a catalyst for dialogue
... offer serious political and cultural
commentary with punch and humour

Cartoons
Describe What/who is depicted in the
cartoon?

Analyse What/who do the different

elements of the cartoon represent?

Explain effect How do these elements work

together to affect us? How do they relate to
the cartoonists intention?

Cartoons
Consider
Scale (size)
Colour
Foreground and background
Perspective
Facial expressions
Clothing of the caricatures

Cartoons

scale?

colour?

foreground and
background?

perspective, facial
expression?

other details?

In conclusion
The conclusion brings it all together
You may comment on how effective
the writer has been in their attempts
to persuade. Be objective!
Summarise main techniques used
DO NOT include your point of view
this is not a piece of persuasive
writing. The task is to ANALYSE
someone elses writing

A WORD OF ADVICE
From the examiners