Analyzing Non-Fictional Texts: Structure and Techniques
When analyzing non-fictional texts, it's essential to follow a structured approach. This typically includes a summary, analysis, and potentially creative writing or commentary sections. The summary should provide general information about the article, including its title, author, publication date, and main topic. The analysis focuses on the line of argumentation, structure, and language used in the text.
Example: A summary might begin: "The article '...' written by ... and published on ... in the ..., deals with ..."
For creative writing or commentary tasks, the structure may vary depending on the specific requirements. However, a common approach for a comment includes:
- Introduction: Briefly introduce the article's main points
- Main part: Present arguments from strongest to weakest, including both pros and cons
- Conclusion: Summarize your opinion and directly address the task question
Highlight: When writing a comment, it's crucial to support your arguments with examples, facts, or relevant quotes from the text or other sources.
Describing Tone, Register, and Style
Understanding and describing the tone, register, and style of a text is crucial for non-fictional text analysis. These elements provide insight into the author's intentions and the text's impact on readers.
Register can range from slang and colloquial to formal written language. The choice of words, including keywords and their empathic or negative functions, contributes to the overall register.
Style can be described using adjectives such as plain, sober, natural, matter-of-fact, clear, precise, fluent, or elegant. It may also be characterized as humorous, playful, colloquial, depressive, serious, ironic, sarcastic, warm-hearted, or aggressive.
Tone refers to the overall attitude conveyed in the text, which can be formal, informal, colloquial, vulgar, academic, or vivid, among others.
Vocabulary: Register refers to the level of formality in language use, while style describes the overall manner of expression, and tone conveys the author's attitude towards the subject.
When writing about language and style, consider the following elements:
- Sentence complexity (simple or complex)
- Overall tone (serious, friendly, humorous, ironic, polite, rude, critical, optimistic)
- Style characteristics (plain, condensed, vivid, pompous, artificial)
Authors may employ various methods to engage readers, such as:
- Using personal pronouns "I" and "you" to create a sense of dialogue
- Directly addressing the reader to grab attention
- Using emotive adjectives or adverbs to appeal to emotions
- Employing informal or colloquial language to express ideas
- Associating concepts with positive or negative words to influence reader perception
Example: An author might use the phrase "our shared struggle" to create a sense of unity with the reader when discussing a social issue.
Understanding these elements of language, style, and authorial techniques is essential for conducting a thorough and insightful non-fictional text analysis.
