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Language Features

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Sarvesh Sabale
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6 views

Language Features

Uploaded by

Sarvesh Sabale
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Useful Language features to look out for:

Rhetorical Questions
- questions that are asked without the expectation of a reply.
o Usually used to encourage the listener to think about what the (often obvious) answer to
the question must be.

e.g. How could anyone not like Justin Bieber? (with the intention of persuading the reader that Justin
Bieber is great)

Your own example:

Lists
o can be used to convince readers of the writer’s expertise
o can just be used to include a lot of information quickly

e.g. The kinds of dogs I like are: Border Collies, Flat-coated retrievers, Labradors, Rhodesian Ridgeback, and
German Short-haired Pointer.

Your own example:

Opinion as fact
o makes the writer’s opinion seem like it’s the absolute truth
o you can usually tell this by asking whether the statement makes more sense if you put, “I think”
in front of it
e.g. Manchester United is in decline (after a loss, which is the only evidence)

Your own example

Person (the perspective from which a text is written)


- 1st person: I, we, us.
o This is used to make the reader identify with the speaker and see their point of view
 E.g. I immediately knew the dog was hungry

Your own example:

- 2nd person: you


o This is used to make the reader feel like they are being spoken to directly
 E.g. You must have known the dog was hungry

Your own example:


- 3rd person: he/she/it, they, them
o This is used to make the reader feel more detached from the action, and to make the writer seem
like they know everything/are speaking the truth
 E.g. The dog was hungry

Your own example:

Hyperbole:
- Exaggerating (going over the top) for effect
o Usually used to convince someone of something or for comic effect

e.g. Rihanna’s forehead is the biggest thing that I have ever seen in my life

Your own example

Litotes:
- Understatement (downplaying something) for effect
o Usually used to convince someone of something or for comic effect

e.g. It hasn’t been the best day (to describe a really awful day)

Your own example

Imagery:
- Painting a picture in words. Using description to allow the reader to imagine something clearly
o Usually used to make the reader understand what the writer’s message is more clearly

e.g. The cannibal slit his victim’s throat and smiled ecstatically as the shower of blood rained down on him,
with his forked tongue flicking out now and then for a taste of the warm liquid

Your own example:

Jargon:
- Technical language that belongs to a certain profession or group.
o Usually used to communicate to a particular audience and/or to show that the author is an
expert or member of that group

e.g. The striker rounded the keeper before sliding the ball into the back of the net. (football jargon)
Language Feature Example(s) What effect does this have for
the reader?
Questions:

1. What is the subject/topic of the text?

2. What does the author think about the subject/topic? List as many ideas as you can.

3. What do you think the author’s purpose was in writing this?

4. Who do you think the target audience might be?


Presentational Features

Colours: What colours are used? What do they make the audience think of/feel? Why might the colours be
suitable for the purpose and audience?

Fonts: What size fonts are used? Are there different sizes and why are some things written in larger fonts than
others? What font styles are used? What effect do these have on the reader/viewer? Why might these have
been chosen for this particular purpose and audience?

Images: What images have been used? What do they mean to the reader/viewer? Why might these have been
chosen for this particular purpose and audience?

Placement/Layout: Where is everything positioned on the page? Why do you think things have been
positioned in this way? Where is most attention drawn to and why might this be the case?

Mood: What mood is created by all of the above techniques? Why do you think such a mood has been used for
this audience and purpose?

Attitude: What is the attitude created towards the subject of the advertisement by all of the above techniques?
Why has this attitude been created for this audience and purpose?

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