National 5

Reading for Understanding,Analysis and Evaluation(close reading)

In order to analyse a piece of writing successfully, you must consider four key questions:

• Why has the author written the piece?• What is the writer saying?• How is he or she saying it?• How effective is the piece?

Purpose

Why has the author written the piece?

Writing has many purposes, e.g.:• To give information• To entertain• To record/share experiences• To express feelings• To complain/disagree with something• To explain something• To promote a product or service• To analyse/comment on a topic• To present a balanced view of two sides of an argument

Register

• A writer will use a register that is appropriate to his or her purpose.

• The word ‘register’ describes a form of language used in particular circumstances.

• Sentence structures and word choice make up a register.

• E.g. A piece of writing containing many Scottish words would be appropriate for a Scottish newspaper, but would be unlikely to appear in a paper read throughout the UK.

• Depending on the purpose of the text, the register might comprise formal academic language.

• E.g. Legal language, medical terminology.• For other purposes, informal and slang words

might be used.

Slang

• colloquial expression that is unacceptable in formal language.

• E.g. ‘loads of stuff’ instead of ‘many things’.• Slang is often particular to a an age group or

period of time.

Tone

• One important aspect of register is tone.• Tone refers to the manner in which a piece is

written, and the attitude of the writer that this reveals.

• The tone can be personal or impersonal.

If the tone is personal:

• The writer’s personality and personal experiences may come over strongly.

• The word ‘I’ is likely to appear frequently.• The writer’s thoughts and feelings will be

expressed.

• For example:

4 Main StreetAnytown10th July

Dear Julie,

How’re you? I just have to tell you about my holiday! What a disaster! I though it’d never end!

If the tone is impersonal:

• The writer will not reveal anything about the writer.

• The writing is likely to concentrate on facts and information.

• Ideas will be expressed without revealing the writer’s own feelings.

• For example:

The Ming dynasty of China was established in 1368 by Chu Yuan Chang. It lasted until 1644 when it was superseded by the rule of the Manchus.

• You must consider if the writer is being serious, or is subtly commenting on the subject by using humour or irony. Look for techniques such as:– the juxtaposition (placing side by side) of

formal and informal expression– the use of sound effects such as alliteration.

Humour

• funny quality: the quality or content of something such as a story, performance, or joke that elicits amusement and laughter

• ability to see something as funny: the ability to see that something is funny, or the enjoyment of things that are funny

• funny things as genre: writings and other material created to make people laugh

Irony

• saying the opposite of what you really mean for humorous effect or mockery;

• a twist of fate in events, such as an unexpected coincidence.

E.g.:• The name of Britain’s biggest dog is ‘Tiny’.• If someone steps into a puddle and you make fun of

them and then, next thing you know, YOU step in one.

Tone bank

• If a question asks you to focus on tone, you could select one or more of the adjectives from the list below to describe the tone.

angry questioning persuasive ironicserious sarcastic humorous pleading

mock-serious disappointed playfulfrightened resentful thoughtful shocked

tongue-in-cheek

Tone exercise

• In groups of two or three, select a tone from the tone bank.

• Without telling anyone what it is, say: “You ate the last piece of chocolate cake.”

• The others in the group should guess which tone you are using.

Readership

Readership

• Closely tied in with the writers’ aims is the readership they have in mind.

• Most of the pieces you will be given to analyse will have been written for the non-specialist, general adult reader.

• However, writing might also be directed at:– small children– teenagers– members of a profession or people with expert knowledge– people with special interest in a topic.

• Writers adopt different styles and registers according to the readership they are aiming for, but will occasionally move into a different one to achieve a particular effect.

• For example, a writer might adopt a childish register to achieve a humorous or mocking effect.

A universal aim

• Writers all have one universal aim – to be read! All writers aim to attract and hold their readers’ attention, and you will be asked to analyse the tricks of the trade they use to achieve this.

For practice

• The following pieces of writing are written in different registers to fulfil different purposes. For each one explain:

• a) the purpose of the piece• b) the intended readership• c) two or more features of the register used.

1

• This Last Will and Testament is made by me, William James McDonald of 20 Park Road, Glasgow, G46 2PW. I revoke all previous wills and codicils. I appoint as executors and trustees of my will Peter William McDonald and Jennifer Rachel McDonald, both of 20 Park Road, Glasgow, G46 2PW.

2

• Irish Sea: Southwesterly backing easterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 later in south. Slight or moderate. Rain or showers. Good, occasionally poor.

• Shannon: South 5 or 6, becoming cyclonic the northwest 5 to 7, perhaps gale 8 later. Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough later. Rain then squally showers. Good, occasionally poor.

3

• The little pig built a house of sticks. Just after the house was finished, along came a wolf. He knocked at the door of the little pig’s house and said, ‘Little pig, little pig, let me come in.’ The pig answered, ‘No, no, by the hair of my chinny chin chin, I’ll not let you in.’ Then the wolf said, ‘Then I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house down.’ So he huffed and he puffed and he blew the house down and he ate up the little pig.

4

• My w/e wz CWOT Had 2 stay @ hm coz my bro n 3 aaah kdz wr dwn frm Ldn. LOL. Dd U C d nu Bond flm? Hurd its gr8.

5

• Researchers in Germany have moved one step closer to closing the ‘quantum metrology triangle’, by fabricating a proof-of-principle circuit that links two quantum electrical devices in series, for the first time. A closed triangle – something scientists have been chasing for more that 20 years – would finally allow standardised units of voltage, current and resistance to be defined solely in terms of fundamental constants of nature.

Multipurpose writing

• Many pieces of writing have more than one purpose. For example, war reporters in newspapers usually write impersonally and aim only to give information.

• However, travel writers often choose a personal, humorous style, and aim to amuse their readers as much as to inform.

• Writers of textbooks must instruct readers on a subject, but most try to present the material in an entertaining way.

• However, their main purpose is to give information, while entertaining the reader is a secondary purpose.

• One of your tasks will be to identify the writer’s various purposes and rank them in this way.