English Writing Techniques To look For

Look at the

• font?
• colour?
• bold?
• size?
• pun?
• funny?
• emotive?

If you spot any of these in the title then the effect is that the writer is trying to catch the reader's eye.

Look out for:

• font?
• colour?
• size?
• bold?
• more information?
• comparison to heading?

If you spot any of the first four then the writer is trying to attract your attention. Whilst the next two (more information, comparison to heading) are meant to enlighten the reader more about what the article/ piece of writing is about. 

Look out for:

• position?
• aim?
• size?
• number?
• context?
• compliments text?

The position, depending on whether it's up at the top where everyone can see will impact you as a reader. If it's at the top it has more signifcance.

Aim? What is the picture meant to do? A picture of a tiny crying baby may mean the writer wants you to sympathise with the baby or it's family?

Size? Is the picture large? If so it must be very important or must be there to catch your eye.

Number? Is there more than one picture? If so how are they positioned. Next to each other, is it meant to compare both the photos? Or apart showing that they don't have much of a connection.

Context? Is there writing underneath? What does it say? Is it a sarcastic comment, or a statistic? 

Compliments text? Similar to context does the picture match the article or is it making fun of someone?

Look out for:

• colloquial language e.g. wassup? etc
• negatives e.g. not, isn't
• qualative e.g. best or worst
• quantative e.g. most of least
• irony/comical
• power of three
• listing
• rhetorical question
• alliteration
• use of punctuation
• statistics
• ellipses
• hyphons

• Colloquial language would suggeest that the writer is trying to sympathise or reach out to the audience. Or suggests that the audience is of a younger generation.
•  Negatives would suggest that the articles is of a negative perspective? Depending on where the negative is used.
• Qualative words would suggest a strong opinion from the writer.
• Quantative words would suggest that the writer is trying to emphasis the size of whatever he is writing about.
• Irony/comical this can be percieved as trying to attract a younger audience or meant to make a reader laugh and listen. Sarcasm is a more negative form of comedy, and would suggest that the writer is a writing of criticism.
• Power of three, has the effect that the reader is trying to summarize something as a general and make it sound more catchy.
• Listing, is listing to make us realise how much of something there is. It makes us, the readers, feel guilty depending on what the piece of writing is about.
• Similies/metaphors are used to compare two items together more closely.
• Rhetorical questions, are questions that are posed but not meant to be answered. The questions isn't meant to be answered but it does impact on the reader and causes us to think.
• Alliteration is the occurence of a repeated first letter in several words that are close or next to each other. Alliteration is meant to draw attention to some words, additionally these words are meant to stay in our head. The alliteration helps it stick in our brain.
• Use of punctuation such as an exclaimation mark would suggest the that the writer is trying to convey anger or excitement etc
• Statistics are a means of trying to convice the reader to favour the cause that is being written usually. Or information such as an adress etc would mean that they want you to write to or visit dpeneding on what the article is about.
• Ellipses are these little dots ........... used usually as a pause. That suggest something that can't be said or to allow the reader to think about what could have followed.
• Hyphons is usually used in names to a double name e.g. Dalton-Morgan. It also would suggest that the writer is trying to attatch words together so that when they are read out they sound detached.

Look out for:

• the type of word that is used e.g. are the words scientific?

Depending on the article diffrent language would be used. Scientific language would suggest that the piece is aboutsomething to do with a recent scientific discovery  etc An example are using the words adaptive to write about a koala

Look out for:

• which audience is this piece writing for?

Depending on the audience the tone created will change. For example for a younger audience, a more optimistic tone i.e using comical and ironic puns.Additionally if it is a more negative piece aimed at adults more complex language will be used, more statistics and probably less pictures and less comical.