Analysing Articles

What do we look for in an article?

Issue When you read an article, it’s important to clarify the issue being debated. When you’re identifying the issue, phrasing something as a question can often help clearly state what is being argued over. Examples: – Should teens have the right to private medical appointments? – Should euthanasia be legalised? – Should fox poisoning be banned? – Should heroin be decriminalised? – Should pill testing be allowed at music festivals?

Contention Contention is simply another word for point-of-view or opinion. Read the piece of persuasive writing carefully. What does the writer believe? Starting a sentence with the word ‘that’ can help you identify the writer’s contention. Examples: – That reality television is a waste of time – That teens should have access to private medical appointments – That fox baiting should be banned – That pill testing at music festivals is ‘unworkable’

Tone Tone refers to the overall feeling of a piece of writing, or how it would sound if read out loud. Here are some useful words to help you describe tone. For more see PowerPoint on Moodle. Examples: Logical: rational, reasonable, analytical, cogent. Neutral: impartial, balanced, objective, unbiased. Informed: knowledgeable, well-read. Passionate: emotional, emotive, ardent, vehement. Witty: humorous, satirical, light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek.

Writing the essay

The essay In English, you will often be asked to write an essay about how writers or speakers have used language to persuade This is called a language analysis essay Similar in structure to a text response essay, this essay consists of an introduction, three (or four) paragraphs and a conclusion

Introduction Describe the issue generally and give some background Mention the article’s title, it’s author, the date and publication (cite the article) Identify the audience the article is aimed at Identify the author’s contention (point of view) on the topic

Introduction E.g. Vaccinations have become a widely accepted part of disease prevention in the 20th century, however there are people who object to this for a variety of reasons, and this number is increasing. In her article ‘Don’t let any more babies die because of anti-vaccination lobby’ appearing in the Herald Sun March 25 2015, journalist Susie O’Brien passionately argues that people who are not getting their children vaccinated are ‘murderers’. In O’Brien uses a variety of persuasive techniques in order to convince her audience of everyday Australian parents to accept her point of view.

Body Identify a range of techniques and explain how they are used to persuade the audience Always make reference to how different techniques make the reader feel or react How you should structure your body paragraphs: 1. Identify a key argument the author gives to support their contention 2. Identify techniques used to make the arguments 3. Give examples of these techniques 4. Explain how the language makes the reader feel and how support for the writer’s contention has been built

Conclusion Summarise the main techniques that the writer has used to persuade the reader Restate authors contention E.g. Through the use of repetition, alliteration and attacks on ‘negligent parents’, the author has encouraged their audience to believe that all children must be vaccinated. Her angry, outraged tone suggests that those who object are putting lives in danger.