How to be Successful on English Paper 1:



How to be Successful on English Paper 1:

Section A: How Writers Achieve Effects

Part 3: Understanding how Writers Achieve Effects - Language

How Writers Achieve Effects – Basic Principles

The final questions on English Paper 1 will usually ask you to demonstrate your understanding of how writers achieve effects in their writing. You need to be able to show that you are aware of how different audiences and purposes affect the linguistic and graphological (layout) choices that a writer and designer makes.

How Writers Achieve Effects

There are several key things that you need to be thinking about when you are trying to establish both the effects of the writer’s language, and how the effects are achieved.

1. Audience – who is the text written for?

2. Purpose – what is the text written for?

3. Tone – how is the writing expressed?

Then:

4. What are the linguistic patterns that are employed by the writer?

5. What are the key features of the text’s graphology?

And finally:

6. How do the linguistic and graphological choices reflect the audience, purpose and tone of the text?

Audience, Purpose and Tone

• Complete the table below to consider the audience, purpose and tone of the different texts.

|Audience, Purpose and Tone |

|Text |Audience |Purpose |Tone |

| | | | |

|The TV listings in the Radio Times | | | |

| | | | |

|An English Grammar | | | |

|Book | | | |

| | | | |

|An Article on Climate Change in National | | | |

|Geographic | | | |

| | | | |

|An OfSTED report | | | |

| | | | |

|‘SPAM’ e-mail about ‘stay-at-home’ jobs | | | |

| | | | |

|The ‘Comment’ section of The Guardian | | | |

Audience, Purpose and Tone

What is Audience?

Consideration of audience is crucial to the success of any text. When a writer begins the process of planning their writing, they have to think carefully about how their linguistic and graphological choices will suit their intended audience. If a writer is systematic in their linguistic choices the text they are writing will be successful.

• In the table below, write down some ideas about the types of language and graphological features that you might use to engage the different audiences.

|Audience |Linguistic Choices |Graphological Choices |

| | | |

|A Teenage Audience | | |

| | | |

| | | |

|The Head | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

|The Local Residents | | |

Audience, Purpose and Tone

What is Purpose?

You can categorise the purpose(s) of texts in the following ways:

1. To Inform – the text is written to convey some information on a particular topic.

2. To Persuade – the text is written to persuade the audience to think or do something.

3. To Advise – the text is written to give advice to the reader.

4. To entertain – the text is written to offer entertainment.

• Look at the list of texts in the table below and identify their purpose.

| Identifying Purpose |

|Text |Purpose |

| | |

|A Tourist Information guide to the North Yorkshire Dales | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

|A match report on Middlesbrough Vs. Arsenal | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

|A history text book on World War II | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

|A NHS leaflet on the Flu Jab. | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

|The listings for the local cinema | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

|A short story | |

| | |

Audience, Purpose and Tone

What is Tone?

The tone of a piece of writing is the how is comes across to the reader. In other words, think about attitude, consider if you were speaking how you would describe the way your attitude. The same is true of a piece of writing, when you look at the tone of the piece of writing you are thinking about the attitude that the writer has towards the reader.

Describing Tone

When you want to describe the tone of a piece of writing you need to think of an adjective that describes the writer’s attitude to the reader.

A good way to establish the tone of a piece of text is to establish its purpose. At a very simplistic level, if a text is designed to inform then its tone will probably be informative.

However, texts can have multiple purposes and, therefore, the tone of a text might be a combination of different things. Do not limit yourself to the obvious!

• Look at the list of texts described in the table below – try to identify their purpose and the tone(s) that they might adopt.

|Purpose & Tone |

|Text |Purpose |Tone |

| | | |

|An obituary in a newspaper | | |

| | | |

|A Letter to an MP demanding more | | |

|frequent rubbish collections | | |

| | | |

|A text book describing human | | |

|reproduction | | |

| | | |

|The questions on an Exam Paper. | | |

| | | |

Understanding the Link between AUDIENCE, PURPOSE and TONE

The diagram below shows you the cyclical relationship between audience, purpose and tone. You need to understand that the tone of a piece of writing is a direct result of its audience and purpose. If the writer fails to fully understand their audience and purpose, then the tone of the piece is ultimately compromised.

Understanding Linguistic Choices

Word Choice & Vocabulary

Word Choice & Vocabulary

When a writer sets out to produce a text, they make a series of linguistic choices. One of the most obvious decisions that they have to make is to think about the types of words that will be included in their text. The word choices that they make can be varied throughout a text.

THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING A WRITER’S WORD CHOICE IS TO LOOK FOR PATTERNS ACROSS THE TEXT.

Subject Specific Vocabulary

A writer might choose to use a range of words drawn from the same ‘subject area’. For example, if they are writing about medicine or medical conditions, then many of the words may come from this field. In real terms, you might expect to find words like ‘syringe’, ‘symptom’, ‘prescription’, and ‘diagnosis’, for example.

This is called subject specific vocabulary.

Alternatively, you might refer to the vocabulary as being drawn from the same semantic field. Semantics is concerned with the meanings of words; the ‘field’ simply denotes that all of the words belong to the same topic.

Why do Writer’s use Subject Specific Vocabulary or language from the same Semantic Field?

The effect of using subject specific vocabulary is to imbue the text with authority. That is, when the writer uses these words they demonstrate knowledge of their topic area that is both informed and extensive.

As readers this has a very clear effect: we are much more inclined to accept the writer’s authority, this is based on our assumption that they clearly understand their topic area, and therefore are qualified to write about it. In turn, we accept more readily the ideas that they propose in the text.

Writing about Subject Specific Vocabulary or Semantic Fields

When writing about this in an exam answer you might use phrases like:

1. The writer draws on language from the semantic field of…

2. The writer exemplifies their knowledge of the topic by using language from the semantic field of…

3. Vocabulary from the semantic field of [area] is effective in conveying the writer’s knowledge and understanding about [area], this is effective because it establishes their authority over the reader

Subject Specific Vocabulary & Semantic Fields

Complete the table below including examples of subject specific vocabulary that you might find in a text on the given topic. Then give each semantic field a title that could be used to group all of the words.

|Subject Specific Vocabulary & Semantic Fields |

|Text Topic |Examples of Subject Specific Vocabulary |Name of Semantic Field |

| | | |

|A football match report | | |

| | | |

|A recipe | | |

| | | |

|An online medical encyclopaedia | | |

| | | |

|The market pages of the Financial Times | | |

| | | |

|An advert for the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 | | |

Word Choice & Vocabulary

NOUNS

*LEARN THE DEFINTITIONS BELOW*

A NOUN – a naming word

A CONCRETE NOUN – a noun that refers to an object that we can see or touch.

AN ABSTRACT NOUN – a noun that refers to a CONCEPT or EMOTION.

A PROPER NOUN – a noun that gives the name of a PERSON or PLACE.

A PRONOUN – a noun that is used in place of a PROPER NOUN.

|EXAMPLES OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF NOUN |

|NOUN |RULE |EXAMPLES |

| | | |

|Concrete Noun |Refers to something we can see or |Table, chair, car, wall, box, pencil, pen, calculator, |

| |touch |mobile phone, engine, wheel, needle, window. |

| | |Concepts |

| | |Justice, honour, redemption, atonement, forgiveness, |

| | |loss, growth. |

|Abstract Noun |Refers to a concept or emotion | |

| | |Emotions |

| | |Love, anger, rage, jealousy, happiness, contentment, |

| | |loneliness. |

| | |Place |

| | |England, London, Wales, Germany, Dublin, Ireland, |

|Proper Noun |Gives the name of a person or place |Richmond |

| | | |

| | |Person |

| | |Jack, John, Matthew, Mark, Barry, Rebecca, Bryony. |

| | | |

|Pronoun |A noun that is used in place of a |He, she, they, I, we, them, us, our. |

| |proper noun | |

These are the main types of noun that you need to know and understand. Depending on the text that is being written, the writer will employ different types of noun. The writer’s choice will have a very clear impact on the text.

Word Choice & Vocabulary

Why do Writers use Different Types of Nouns?

It is highly unlikely that you would ever find a text that uses only one type of noun, and this would be an unhelpful way of thinking about text. Instead you should think about combinations of nouns.

Proper Nouns Vs. Pronouns

The use of Proper/Pronouns in a text helps us to work out who is being addressed and how the writer wants to address them.

So, for example, a writer is most likely to use a greater range of pronouns in a text that is designed for a mass-audience. This is because pronouns afford the writer the chance to seemingly address the audience individually without using individual names, which they would not know. Although the writer cannot refer directly to the individual, the perception on the reader’s part is that the writer is doing just that.

Concrete Vs. Abstract

The distinction between these two types of noun is much easier to understand. A writer is most likely to use concrete nouns when they are writing about topics that involve physical objects, while in a text that is about concepts and emotions, the writer is more likely to use abstract nouns.

For example, in a recipe book you would expect the writer to use concrete nouns predominantly because they are writing about a topic that involves objects. The writer of the recipe has to identify specific objects for the reader so that they can successfully make a cake, for example.

Alternatively, in Machiavelli’s The Prince, we might expect to find significantly more abstract nouns. This is because he is dealing in concepts rather than concrete objects. Therefore, logic dictates that his word choice will suit this style.

REMEMBER

No single text employs only one type of noun; such is the way that English is constructed that there will inevitably be a blend of noun usage. However, what you need to think about are the patterns of noun use: which type dominates the text?

Once you have identified the type of nouns that are being used, you then need to explain how this links to the writer’s audience and purpose.

The writer’s choice of nouns will be appropriate to the type of text that they are writing, and the audience that they are trying to engage.

Word Choice & Vocabulary

• Complete the table below identifying the types of noun that you would expect the writer to use and give reasons why.

|Noun Usage |

|Text |Noun Use |Examples |Reason |

| | | | |

|A car manual | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

|The book of common prayer | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

|A weather forecast in the local newspaper | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

|A text book on quantum physics | | | |

| | | | |

Word Choice & Vocabulary

• Read the text below

A NEWSPAPER REPORT

Police are looking for three men in connection with the brutal murder of a three-year old in East London. Callie Jones was at home with her mother when three men broke into their ground-floor flat and shot them at point blank range.

Det. Supt John Carrow said that ‘this is one of the most brutal murders I’ve investigated in my twenty five year career’. The local community is united in its outrage. Police say that three men were seen leaving the scene in a red Volkswagen Golf which was found burnt out hours later close to West Ham United’s Upton Park.

Forensic teams have been combing the victims’ flat and the surrounding area since the killing late on Tuesday evening. Det. Supt. Carrow said the search had been ‘positive’ and that one of the perpetrators appears to have left a series of fibres at the scene which could prove vital to identifying him.

1. Highlight the different nouns in the passage.

2. Write the name of each noun next to where you have highlighted it.

3. Which type of noun is most commonly used in the text?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Explain why this is appropriate to this text type – refer to audience and purpose.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Word Choice & Vocabulary

• Read the text below

GORDON BROWN’S SPEECH TO THE LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE 2007

My father and my mother taught me about family and the great virtues of hard work, doing your duty and always trying to do the right thing. And I have never forgotten my father telling me to “treat everyone equally with respect”.

His optimism led him to find goodness in everyone.

My father was a minister of the church, and his favourite story was the parable of the talents because he believed – and I do too – that each and everyone of us has a talent and each and everyone of us should be able to use that talent.

And the values I was brought up with are not just what I learned; they are part of the fabric of the life I have led. Not just where I come from but the experiences that have shaped me.

I attended the local state primary school in Kirkcaldy a few streets away from where I lived - and then I took the school bus to the local secondary school up the hill. And I have school friends I have kept in touch with all my life who have shared the good times and comforted me in the bad times.

Today I have the greatest privilege of all - to have been chosen by them to represent in Parliament the place where we all grew up together. The office where I hold my constituency surgeries is just across the road – a few yards from the house where I lived as a child.

I benefited from great and dedicated teachers.

5. Highlight the different nouns in the passage.

6. Write the name of each noun next to where you have highlighted it.

7. Which type of noun is most commonly used in the text?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Word Choice & Vocabulary

8. Explain why this is appropriate to this text type – refer to audience and purpose.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. Compare the use of nouns in both passages explaining how they suit the different audiences and purposes of the texts.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Word Choice & Vocabulary

VERBS

*LEARN THE DEFINITIONS BELOW*

A VERB - a word that identifies an action

A DYNAMIC VERB – a verb that relates to a specific action that takes place in

definite time frame.

A STATIVE VERB – a verb that relates to a state of being.

|EXAMPLES OF DIFFERENT VERB TYPES |

|VERB |RULE |EXAMPLE |

| | | |

| |Relates to a specific action that takes |Run, walk, fly, shout, draw, shoot, cry, |

|Dynamic Verb |place within a definite time frame |scream, stir, attach, write |

| | | |

| | |Love, hate, learn, think, admire, feel, |

|Stative Verb |Relates to a state of being |believe, see, hope. |

How to tell the difference…

The best way to determine the difference between the two types of verbs is to use the following rule:

If the can establish when the action began and when it ended the verb is dynamic.

If the action takes place over a much longer period – and you cannot determine the precise moment when it begins and ends – the verb is stative.

Verbs are crucial to understanding any text because they help us to understand whether the writer is writing about concrete or abstract ideas. If a writer is writing about concepts and emotions then they are likely to use stative verbs, whereas if they are writing about concrete things they will tend to use dynamic verbs.

Again, like with different noun types, the writer will probably use a combination, but you should try to establish which verbs are most prevalent in the text.

REMEMBER YOU ARE TRYING TO IDENTIFY PATTERNS OF USE

Word Choice & Vocabulary

• Complete the table below and include the types of nouns that you would expect to find in the different types of text and give reasons.

|VERB USAGE |

|Text |Verb Use |Examples |Reason |

| | | | |

|A recipe book | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

|A meditation on the meaning of life by the Dalai Lama | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

|A guide to passing the driving theory test | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

|The assembly instructions for an IKEA wardrobe. | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

|A self-help book on improving your self-esteem | | | |

Word Choice & Vocabulary

• Read the text below

A RECIPE

1. Cook the pasta according to the packet directions. Drain in a colander, rinse with cold water and drain again.

2. Mix the mayonnaise with the curry powder or paste and the baked beans. Add the pasta, chicken and green pepper and lift and stir gently.

3. Pile the salad on to a bed of lettuce leaves.

4. Scatter the tomato over the salad. Sprinkle with the coconut, if using, and serve.

1. Highlight the different verbs in the passage.

2. Next to each highlighted verb, write down its type (dynamic or stative)

3. Which type of verb is most commonly used in the text?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Explain why this is appropriate to this text type – refer to audience and purpose.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Word Choice & Vocabulary

• Read the text below

THE AXIS OF EVIL – GEORGE W. BUSH

Our second goal is to prevent regimes that sponsor terror from threatening America or our friends and allies with weapons of mass destruction.  Some of these regimes have been pretty quiet since September the 11th.  But we know their true nature.  North Korea is a regime arming with missiles and weapons of mass destruction, while starving its citizens.

Iran aggressively pursues these weapons and exports terror, while an unelected few repress the Iranian people's hope for freedom.

Iraq continues to flaunt its hostility toward America and to support terror.  The Iraqi regime has plotted to develop anthrax, and nerve gas, and nuclear weapons for over a decade.  This is a regime that has already used poison gas to murder thousands of its own citizens -- leaving the bodies of mothers huddled over their dead children.  This is a regime that agreed to international inspections -- then kicked out the inspectors. This is a regime that has something to hide from the civilized world.

States like these, and their terrorist allies, constitute an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world.  By seeking weapons of mass destruction, these regimes pose a grave and growing danger.  They could provide these arms to terrorists, giving them the means to match their hatred.  They could attack our allies or attempt to blackmail the United States.  In any of these cases, the price of indifference would be catastrophic.

5. Highlight the different verbs in the passage.

6. Next to each highlighted verb, write down its type (dynamic or stative)

7. Which type of verb is most commonly used in the text?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Word Choice & Vocabulary

8. Explain why this is appropriate to this text type – refer to audience and purpose.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. Compare the use of verbs in both passages explaining how they suit the different audiences and purposes of the texts.

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Word Choice & Vocabulary

Adjectives

*LEARN THE DEFINITIONS BELOW*

AN ADJECTIVE – a word that describes a noun

PRE-MODIFICATION – when the adjective comes before the noun.

POST-MODIFICATION – when the adjective comes after the noun.

SUPERLATIVE – an adjective that describes the highest degree of a particular

quality or attribute

|EXAMPLES OF ADJECTIVE USE |

|ADJECTIVE |RULE |EXAMPLE |

| | | |

|Adjective |Word describing a noun |The black cat |

| | | |

|Pre-modification |When an adjective comes before a noun |The vast ocean. |

| | | |

| | | |

|Post-modification |When an adjective comes after the noun |The ocean was vast |

| | | |

| | |It was the greatest day of my life. |

| |An adjective that describes the highest| |

|Superlative |degree of a particular quality of |Jack is the eldest of all the children. |

| |attribute | |

| | |The Pacific Ocean is the deepest of them all. |

Adjectives are an important element of any text. Where they are used, very often they are designed to appeal to the reader’s imagination of emotions. They are a frequently used part of a writer’s armoury because they play such a key role in controlling how we think in relation to a particular topic.

REMEMBER YOU ARE LOOKING FOR PATTERNS OF USE IN A TEXT

Word Choice & Vocabulary

• Read the passages below

THE OPENING OF A NOVEL

Standing in the doorway to the grand chapel, Lucrezia was dwarfed by the imposing figure of Mary. She looked closely at the crafted marble figure that looked down impassively on both Lucrezia and the many before her who had come to pay their penance.

Lucrezia had always been told that Mary was the greatest of all women. However Lucrezia couldn’t help but be distracted by the image of another Mary gleaming from the window to her left. Mary Magdalene had pierced the periphery of Lucrezia’s view ever since she had dared to approach the formidable chapel.

1. Highlight the adjectives in the passage.

2. Annotate each adjective to show whether it pre or post modifies a noun.

3. Identify the superlative in the text.

SPEECH ON ANIMAL RIGHTS

We must take clear and deliberate action now! The proliferation of barbaric and inhuman treatment of animals across the cosmetic industry is outrageous. In the name of increased profits, the cosmetic firms are prepared to compromise standards of decency and scientific etiquette to inflict agonising and relentless pain on animals.

Each time you purchase lipstick, eyeliner, or any of the plethora of other products from one of the industry giants, you give your consent to the greatest crime man has committed against the animal world. We, yes we, extract these defenceless animals from their natural habitats and imprison them in the worst kind of conditions.

The only time these animals are freed from the torture that they endure, is the moment that their weak bodies relent to their inevitable, and agonising, death.

4. Highlight the adjectives in the passage.

5. Annotate each adjective to show whether it pre or post modifies a noun.

6. Identify the superlative in the text.

Word Choice & Vocabulary

10. Compare the use of adjectives in both passages explaining how they suit the different audiences and purposes of the texts.

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Word Choice & Vocabulary

Register

*LEARN THE DEFINITION BELOW*

REGISTER - the level of formality that is adopted by a writer

It is important to look at the formality of a text. Different levels of formality are appropriate to different audiences. For example, a letter to parents from a school will have to adopt a very formal register. However, a teenage magazine article would adopt a much more relaxed register.

By identifying the register that the writer had adopted in a piece of writing, you can discern some very useful ideas about how they are trying to engage the audience.

What to look for when trying to identify Register

Colloquialism

If a writer chooses to adopt a very informal register to engage their audience, they might use colloquial language (slang). This is effective because it helps to build a rapport with the reader by using language that they might use in everyday conversation.

Complexity of Word Choice

A writer might choose to adopt a particularly complex register. This might mean that they are writing about a particular topic that has a degree of theoretical complexity, or that it is necessary to engage their audience. You might find that words in this kind of text are from a specific semantic field or are polysyllabic (contain numerous syllables). Alternatively, a writer might choose to use relatively simplistic words in order to engage their audience. This might be the case in a public health leaflet, for example, where the writer is trying to explain a complicated medical idea with clarity for their audience.

Culturally Referential Word Choice

If a writer is producing a text about a particular genre of music, or a specific brand of car for example, they may use words and terminology that are familiar only to people who know about that sub-culture.

A sub-culture is a group of people who are united by a common interest.

In different sub-cultures, a particular way of using language might exist. They may have coined words to describe different things, or have a specific vocabulary required to understand particular elements of that culture. This is why they are called culturally referential, because they assume a shared knowledge amongst members of the group that the writer –by using that terminology in their text – is trying to engage.

Sentence Structure

Sentence Structure

The ways that the writer uses sentences is centrally important to understanding how they are trying to engage their audience and achieve their purpose. The types of sentences that a writer uses are key to establishing the tone and register of the text that they are writing. In turn, you need to try and identify – in the same way you would with the writer’s word choice – the types of sentences that are being used in the text and the reasons why.

Types of Sentence

*LEARN THE DEFINITIONS BELOW*

A SENTENCE – a unit of language that contains both a subject and a verb.

A MINOR SENTENCE – a sentence without a verb.

A SIMPLE SENTENCE – a sentence with a subject, verb and an object – KNOWN

AS A CLAUSE or MAIN CLAUSE in a COMPLEX

SENTENCE.

A COMPOUND SENTENCE - two SIMPLE CLAUSES joined by a conjunction or

punctuation.

A COMPLEX SENTENCE – a sentence with a MAIN CLAUSE and a SUBORDINATE CLAUSE.

PARATACTIC – a word to describe a text that has predominantly simple sentencing.

HYPOTACTIC – a word to describe a text that has predominantly complex (heavily subordinated) sentencing.

Why do I need to know about Sentences?

Sentences control the way that information is presented in a text. Equally, the types of sentences that a writer uses also help to establish the tone and register of the piece. As well as looking at the way that information is presented in the sentences, you need to look closely at the rhythm achieved by the sentences. If a writer produces a text that is predominantly using simple sentences, it would create a particularly rigid rhythm and a direct tone. Alternatively, if a writer uses a more complex style, the tone would be much more explanatory and the rhythm more fluent.

REMEMBER TO LOOK FOR PATTERNS OF SENTENCE USE; A WRITER IS MOST LIKELY TO USE A BLEND OF SENTENCES, BUT TRY TO IDENTIFY WHICH TYPE IS THE MOST DOMINANT.

Sentence Structure

|SENTENCE TYPES |

|SENTENCE TYPE |RULE |EXAMPLE |

| | | |

|A minor sentence |A sentence without a verb |Help! |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | |Jack was a good man. |

|A simple sentence |A sentence with a subject, verb and an | |

| |object. |Subject: Jack |

| | |Verb: was |

| | |Object: man |

| | | |

| | | |

|A compound sentence |Two simple sentences joined by a |Jack was a good man and he was a good |

| |conjunction |husband. |

| | | |

| | |Subjects: Jack/he |

| | |Verbs: was/was |

| | |Objects: man/husband |

| | | |

| | | |

| |A sentence with a main clause and a |I was sad, the day that you broke my heart. |

|A complex sentence |subordinate clause. | |

| | |Main clause: I was sad |

| | |Sub.Clause: the day that you broke my heart. |

KEY TO IDENTIFYING COMPLEX SENTENCES

An easy rule to apply when trying to identify a complex sentence is to look at both clauses and ask ‘which one makes sense on its own?’ The clause that makes sense when it is written on its own is the main clause.

The subordinate clause is sometimes known as a dependent clause because it relies on the main clause in order for it to make sense. So when you want to work out which is the subordinate clause, you look for the one that does not make sense on its own.

In the example above the main clause is ‘I was sad’ because it makes sense on its own, whereas ‘the day that you broke my heart’ needs the preceding phrase in order for it to make sense to the reader.

Sentence Structure

Syntactical Purpose

Syntax is another way of referring to sentences. As well as being categorised by their types, sentences can be group according to their syntactical purpose. The main syntactical purposes are described below.

*LEARN THE DEFINITIONS BELOW*

A DECLARATIVE – a statement or declaration

AN INTERROGATIVE – a question

AN IMPERATIVE – a command

AN EXCLAMATORY – an emphatic statement

|SYNTACTICAL FUNCTIONS |

|FUNCTION |RULE |EXAMPLE |

| | | |

|A declarative |A statement or declaration |The sky is blue. |

| | |It is cold today. |

| | |The best car on the market. |

| | | |

| | |What time is it? |

|An interrogative |A question |Where did the coffee go? |

| | |How much is a packet of cigarettes? |

| | | |

| | | |

|An imperative |A command |Don’t do that. |

| | |Go and tidy your room. |

| | |Fetch me the paper. |

| | | |

| | |I love the summer! |

|An exclamatory |An emphatic statement |You make me so happy! |

| | |I hate people like you! |

The Importance of Syntactical Functions

Syntactical functions are crucial when it comes to achieving a particular tone and conveying different types of information. If you think about the tones that different syntactical functions create then it becomes clear how important they are. Imagine the tone created by a text written entirely in declarative sentences compared with one that is entirely exclamatory.

Therefore, it is important to think carefully about how writers employ the different types of sentences in their texts.

REMEMBER YOU ARE LOOKING FOR PATTERNS

Sentence Structure

• Read the passage below

TEXT 1 – A UTILITY BILL

Dear Customer,

You may have heard about the recent increase in energy prices that are having a major impact on the cost of sourcing the power that you use. Here at N-Power we try to limit the cost to our consumers in times of high energy prices.

However, at this time, I must inform you that N-Power has taken the decision to increase its energy prices for consumers. You will find enclosed a copy of the price increases and how they will affect you in the coming months.

N-Power regret any increase in charges. However, in the current climate, and so that we can continue to deliver our high level of service to you, we must pass on these increases to our customers.

I think you will find that N-Power continues to be a competitive supplier of energy to your home.

If you have any concerns regarding your new calculation, do not hesitate to contact us.

1. In each paragraph choose one sentence and try to identify what type of sentence it is.

2. Now take a different sentence in each paragraph and try to identify its syntactical function.

3. Explain which types of sentences and functions the writer has predominantly used in the text and explain why it is appropriate to this audience and purpose.

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Sentence Structure

• Read the passage below

Text 2 – ADVERT FOR A PC

Top brand, top features! The Compaq A910 includes an Intel Pentium Dual Core Processor T2330 and Genuine Windows Vista (R) Home Premium. Also features a large 17" widescreen display and a huge 2 GB memory to run even the most demanding applications with ease. The 160 GB hard drive is capable of storing up to 45,000 songs or 100,000 photos.

4. Within the paragraph, try to identify what types of sentences are used.

5. Now try to identify their syntactical function.

6. Explain which types of sentences and functions the writer has predominantly used in the text and explain why it is appropriate to this audience and purpose.

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Sentence Structure

7. Compare the writers’ use of sentence structure in both texts explaining how their respective choices help the writers to engage their audience and meet their purposes.

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The Purpose

• What is the text trying to do?

• What language choices need to be made to meet this purpose?

• How can layout enhance the linguistic choices?

The Audience

• Who is the text for?

• What knowledge and understanding do they bring to the text?

• What linguistic choices need to be made to engage them?

The Relationship between Audience, Purpose and Tone

The Tone

• What is the appropriate attitude for the writer to adopt to fulfil their purpose and engage the audience?

• What linguistic choices need to be made for the writer to achieve the right tone?

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