Analyse Non-fictional text PDF

Preview

Summary

ZuFa für Abitur...

Description

Englisch Zusammenfassung Non-fictional text •

Expository (summary, news story, essay)

→ provides info in a comprehensive / detailed way •

Descriptive (police report, biography)

→ neutral, based on observations •

Argumentative (essay, letter to the editor, editorial, review, speech)

→ about problems / ideas, clear line of thought, personal opinion •

Persuasive (speech, ad, pamphlets)

→ wants to persuade the reader /listener, one-sided •

Instructive (manual, recipe)

→ gives clear instructions, provides help Mögliche Aufgabenstellungen: 1. Analyse how the text is structured. •

Text type: ◦ Quality paper: Separation of fact and opinion, geared for an educated and informed readership, complex language ◦ Popular papers: Mix of fact and opinion, simple syntax and colloquial language

•

Types of articles: ◦ News report (only facts, avoids additional information) ◦ News story (longer dan news report, includes background information) ◦ Human interest story (presents a general problem from the perspective of one individual) ◦ Editorial (views and opinions on current events, represents the newspapers‘ position) ◦ Column (represents one journalist‘s view or opinion on a current event → Use of „I“)

•

E.g. Non-fictional, quality paper, expository, news story

•

Structure: ◦ inverted pyramid shape (most important information first, then less important) ◦ first paragraph: answers of all the „wh“-questions

•

Sum up each paragraph

The article is structured in the form of an inverted pyramid. The headlines and first two paragraphs answer the important ‘wh’-questions, giving the reader the most relevant details about the case: A security guard wants Washington DC’s gun control laws revoked as he considers it his personal right to own a gun. The next paragraph contains an explanation of the case’s relevance for the nation. The fourth paragraph supplies information on deaths by firearms in the US and the issue of gun control. Paragraphs 5, 6 and 7 present more arguments in favour of and against gun ownership. The last paragraph deals with possible repercussions for the Democratic Party. 2. What are the typical features of this article? •

Include following aspects: ◦ the form of the inverted pyramid ◦ headline and sub-headline ▪ What‘s the goal of them? Allusive, curious, emotional, informative, short… ◦ strict separation between fact and opinion ▪ How does the author provides information? (objective, subjective) ▪ How does the author avoids his/her own opinion? ▪ Direct speech: greater authenticity and immediacy, reader has the chance to draw his/her own conclusions ▪ Reported speech: Interpretation of the direct speech → often bias ◦ writing for a specific readership ▪ language (formal, informal) ▪ sentence structure (complex, simple) ▪ argumentation (both sides, one-sided)

A typical news article feature is that the headline and the sub-headline are informative, precise and succinct, and the most important facts are given at the beginning by answering the relevant ‘wh’-questions. The structure of the inverted pyramid is typical of news articles because the readers get the most important information at the beginning and can then decide when they want to stop reading because they feel that they have had enough details. This news article carefully avoids being biased. It remains neutral, strictly separating facts from opinion. Both sides in the court case are presented and their arguments are given. Providing more information on an event than

in a report, including background information, is typical of a news story. The language is formal and the sentence structure is complex. The information is given in an objective way. This kind of language and argumentation is usually found in quality newspapers.

3. Analyse the language of this article. •

Quality newspapers: formal and precise language, also everyday English, complex syntax, rhetorical devices, consistent with the level of their readership, avoids emotional language

•

Popular papers: colloquial, emotionally charged language, simpler syntax, play with words or expressions to entertain their readership, use of rhetorical devices is consistent with the type of readership they have

•

Different terms: ◦ legal terminology („landmark decision“)

→ adds professionalism ◦ formal, standard Ennglish („the most important firearms ruling“) → adds professionalism ◦ emotionally charged language („massacre“) → influence / provoke

◦ metaphor („floodgates“) → vivid way of conveying information ◦ spoken English („I have the right to do that“) → in a quote: adds authenticity •

Use of various synonyms

•

Sentence structures: ◦ subordinate clauses („Since he was the boss,…“) ◦ participle constructions („The man sitting…“) → (non-) define ◦ infinitive constructions („He hailed a taxi in order to get a ride.“)

•

Structure of your text:

STATEMENTS → REASONS → EXAMPLES/EVIDENCE (→ EXEPTIONS) The overall language of the article is typical of a news story in a quality paper because most of the English is formal and precise, the sentences are complex, which means subordinate clauses as well as participle constructions are used, e. g. “the US supreme court was set to begin hearing a case” (ll. 1–2), “rules limiting gun ownership” (ll. 7–8), and there is hardly any emotionally charged language (exception: “massacres” in l. 20). There are no colloquial expressions but some legal terms, e. g. “landmark decision” (l. 11), “precedents” (l. 13) and very rarely metaphors, like “floodgates” (l. 7). Most arguments are introduced by directly quoting people involved in the case or experts....