VCE English Exam Section C Prep

1. A N A L Y S I S O F L A N G U A G E U S E
VCE English 2014 Exam Prep
Section c

2. 2013 Exam Paper
 As we move through this PowerPoint, you will use
the source material from the 2013 exam to complete
the analysis.
 You should end up with an analysis piece that you
can use to help you with further practice.

3. Before you start writing
 Use part of the reading time to read the source
material carefully and identify the contention
 Look at any visual material and identify how it
supports the contention
Take 5 – 10 minutes to do this now.

4. Planning your response
 Take 5 or 10 minutes to make a plan
 Contention – What does the writer want you to agree
with?
 Write the contention in your own words
 What are the main reasons used to justify the
contention?
 Who is the writer and how does his/her job/political
orientation influence his/her view

5. Tone
 The tone of an article refers to the attitude of the
writer or his/her feelings about the issue.
 Some possibilities:
angry enthusiastic sarcastic
authoritative sad condescending
proud pleading fearful
There are many more – check your notes.
Note any changes of tone – writers often change tone more
than once in their piece

6. Audience
 Is any particular group being targeted? – eg
residents of a quiet suburb where someone wants to
establish a night club
 The audience may determine the approach, style and
language used by the writer. A large public audience
will require a different approach to an individual
reading a paper.
 Give some examples of issues and audiences and the
approach a writer/speaker may take.

7. Begin your plan now
 Background -
 Contention –
 Reasons –
 Writer -
 Tone -
 Audience -

8. Persuasive techniques
 Don’t just list them. The main part of your analysis
should be the effect the techniques will have on the
writer.
 There are two broad types of persuasive techniques
you should be aware of :
 Logic and reason
 Emotion

9. Logic techniques
 Expert opinion – using the opinion of someone who
is knowledgeable on the topic.
 Research – statistics, studies by reputable
institutions etc
 Anecdotes – short personal stories that may connect
with people’s experiences. (can also be emotional)
 Reputable sources – eg Australian Bureau of
statistics – independent. Think about whether the
source has an interest in the argument

10. Logic techniques (contd)
 Appeals to common sense or rationality
 Cause and effect statements and logical conclusions
– does the author show a clear link between cause of
a problem and the solution he/she is proposing
 Recognition of opposing viewpoints – does the
author give clear reasons to rebut any opposing
viewpoints

11. Emotive techniques
 Connotations – emotional meanings associated with
words. Eg what is the difference between killed,
slaughtered, euthanased
 Connotations have the effect of positioning the
reader to feel a certain way about a topic.

12. Short list of appeals to emotions
 Nostalgia – often used to justify a return to older,
simpler times.
 Guilt – Making an audience feel guilty about an issue
(especially not acting on an issue) can be very
persuasive.
 Sympathy/empathy – makes reader feel sorry for
someone (sympathy) or put themselves in another’s
shoes (empathy).

13. Colloquial language
 Slang or language used in everyday situations
 Persuasive because it is friendly and invites the
audience to see the speaker/writer as someone who
is on the same wavelength.

14. Generalisations
 A generalisation is something that can be said to be
true for all. A stereotype.
 Eg All teenagers are lazy.
 Can be persuasive because they often ‘seem’ true.
However their familiarity can lull the reader into
accepting a claim.

15. Hyperbole or exaggeration
 Sometimes used to make an idea seem ridiculous.
 But can be persuasive because it may emphasise the
writer’s point.

16. Inclusive language
 Use of pronouns such as: “you and me”, “we” and
“our”.
 Is effective because the writer is identifying as one of
us, implying that we are all equally affected by the
issue and that he/she speaks for our concerns.
Assumes that we will agree with him/her.

17. Rhetorical questions
 A question posed for effect without the expectation
of a reply.
 Positions the reader to agree by assuming that the
answer to the question is obvious and impossible to
disagree with.
 Make sure you are very specific about how the writer
wants you to answer.

18. Rhetorical questions (contd)
 Which of these two questions is rhetorical?
- What must we do to rid society of the fear of
terrorism?
- How long must we suffer in silence?

19. Annotate the text
 Highlight persuasive techniques you can find.
 Make sure you note how this technique will
affect/position the reader.
 Add the main ones to your plan

20. Writing the analysis
 Introduction
 Use some of the background material in your introduction, the
issue and why it has caused controversy.
 Include the author, purpose, where it was published and, most
importantly, the contention, and tone. Refer to any visual
material.

21. Example of an introduction
from 2010 exam
A speaker Chris Lee at the 2010 international Biodiversity
Conference speaks with conviction to his audience,
attendees involved in the area of nature conservation,
contending that action must be taken to safeguard the
variety of life, or, biodiversity. At times an accusatory and
disapproving tone is adopted, however alternates with an
alarmist tone, the two complementing each other and
utilised to successfully persuade the speaker’s powerful and
influential audience to take action to preserve biodiversity.
The use of a visual aid in the form of a slide presentation
assists the speaker, presenting the argument through a
different medium.
Note all of the important intro elements

22. Introduction
 Now take 10 minutes to write the introduction to
you own response from the 2013 exam.

23. Body Paragraphs
 The body of the analysis is made up of a series of
paragraphs in which you identify and explain how
persuasive techniques and language are used to
present a point of view, using examples (including
quotations) from the text.

24. Sentence starters
 References to … (experts/scientific
findings/statistics) lend credibility to the writer’s
argument.
 Highly emotive language, for example … influences
us to accept …
 The connotations of the word/phrase … have the
effect of …

25. Sentence starters contd.
 The rhetorical question … encourages readers to
answer … without considering any other alternative.
 By addressing us informally, the writer establishes a
sense of intimacy that …
 The use of inclusive language for example, …,
positions readers to …

26. Body paragraphs
 Write the body paragraphs of your response to the
2013 example.
 Take about 30 minutes.

27. Analysing visual material
 The impact of the graph is …
 The photograph of … emphasises the …
 The cartoon highlights the serious consequences of
failing to act on this important issue, by …

28. Visual material
 Now write your paragraph on the visual material.
(about 5 minutes)

29. Conclusion
 Your conclusion should summarise the text’s
contention and the main ways in which it tries to
persuade readers to agree. It only needs to be a short
paragraph.

30. Conclusion sentence starters
 In conclusion …
 By concluding with the phrase … the writer leaves
the reader feeling …
 In summary, the writer argues …

31. Conclusion
 Now write the conclusion to the 2013 example.
(about 5 minutes)
 Proof read it carefully by reading aloud in your
head.