Okay thanks For one of them, i can't really identify any link to his contention in his anecdote. It does still relate to the issue though. Can i still talk about how he is propositioning the readers to feel about the issue for when he does reveal his contention? It might not make sense without the article here, but thanks for the help anyway. I had that PDF last year and i used it all the time, so thanks for showing me that again
Coffee is right, so long as you can link the technique to the contention, you're fine. Language Analysis isn't just about pointing out the devices that the author is using; in fact the examiners have recently been *subtly* reminding students that they have to do more than just state 'the author uses a rhetorical question as seen in this quote: "_____".' It's
way more important that you make an attempt to talk about how this language is used to persuade.
On their own, techniques aren't persuasive. So, an 'analysis' that does nothing but point out a list of techniques with no concept of the overall arguments is going to be literally pointless
Let's take a sample bit of mediocre analysis as an example:
In order to further his contention that the government's proposal is a bad idea, the author uses inclusive language like "we don't want this" to make readers agree with his argument and reject the proposal.The reason this wouldn't score well is because it's just too broad. For starters:
In order to further his contention that the government's proposal is a bad 'bad' in what way? What part of the contention are we talking about here? Is the proposal inefficient? Costly? Misguided? Exploitative? Useless? You should never just use generic words like 'bad,' because no technique can support an entire contention - it might help you argue a single point, but you can't say 'the author's contention can be seen in this technique' idea, the author uses inclusive language like "we don't want this" this might be similar to what you're talking about; yes, it's inclusive language, but there's more to say about this language (much like how there's more to say about anecdotes than just 'this is an anecdote.') For instance, what group is the author including the audience in? Why might this be important? If you know something about the audience (eg. local community, group of schoolkids, parents, etc.) then how might they, in particular, be affected by this? to make readers agree with his argument ALWAYS avoid this sort of thing. If you're ever writing something that's so plain, it could fit into any language analysis essay; YOU NEED TO BE MORE SPECIFIC! Expressions like 'thus making the readers agree with him' or 'thereby strengthening his contention and making the audience see his point of view' are worth nothing! and reject the proposal. Why??? What has this language done to bring about this result? I've stated the author includes the reader... but I haven't done anything with that fact.Instead, something like:
The author's use of inclusive language, as seen in the phrase "we don't want this," seeks to encompass readers in his own disapproval of the proposal. Furthermore, the sharp, laconic sentence acts as a matter-of-fact assertion, intended to compel readers to agree with the idea of the proposal being unwanted and harmful to the community.is way more likely to be looked upon favourably because it takes you through a thought process, step by step.
Don't assume your marker will do the thinking and fill in the gaps for you, because they won't.
Hey literally Lauren.
Just wondering what will you be covering in the unit 4 headstart lectures for english.
We're still working out the time-breakdown so I don't know how long I'll be spending on different areas (most likely 3x45 minute sessions, but idk) so at the moment it's looking like:
- One session dealing with 'sophisticated' interpretations of Section A texts and how to better your analysis (in both Sections A and C) in order to increase your understanding beyond the surface-level stuff.
- One session about what makes a good contention, incl. how to write proper topic sentences and get a reliable essay structure for all three Sections (though less of Section B since not everyone will be writing a conventional essay with topic sentences; I'll touch on it briefly since I recommend writing a few normal essays even if you do plan to write creatively/persuasively/hybrid-ly, but the focus will again be on A&C primarily)
- On session on improving expression and essay flow; making your writing 'better' regardless of what level you're at and how confident you feel. This'll be geared more so towards Sec. B since 'quality of writing' is a fairly major part of the marking scheme, but it'll have trickle-down effects for the other sections too.
I've been trying to incorporate all of the suggestions people have been sending me,
and I'd welcome any more recommendations you have! There'll be time for questions and queries on the day, of course, but judging by the February lectures, I probably won't get a chance to address everyone's concerns - so the more I know beforehand, the more I can cover.
And please don't hesitate to shoot me a message if you think 'oh, it's only a problem for
me' or 'she'll probably think this is a stupid question.'
Because a) if you're having trouble with something, chances are, someone else is too. And they're going to be so grateful to know that someone else brought it up and that they're not alone :p Also, you may be aware of a problem that others are experiencing without realising it - so I don't consider it 'time wasted' even if we're dealing with a seemingly small concern.
And b) I spent the first half of Year 12 English in a state of 'meh, this is fine, I'll get by' before caving and asking my teacher 'how the hell do I do any of this??' Then I just spent the next few months asking as many questions, stupid and otherwise, until I reached a point where I felt like I understood the task and how I could best meet the requirements. Self-study can get you far, but unless you know what to do and how to do it, you'll end up kicking yourself at the end of the year - trust me.