AICE English Language Paper One Review

Personal Writing

* Genres:

- Diaries/Journals

- Autobiographies

- Blogs

- Personal Letters

*Key Conventions:

- First person point of view (in most cases)

-Non-fiction

-Expresses an individual's point of view

-Usually informal register

*Key Terms:

-Jargon

-Anecdote

-List of Three

Conventions of Diary Writing

*Describes recent experiences, shares private thoughts and

and feelings

*Limited audience (usually just the writer)

*Explores reasons and motives for behaving in a particular way or feeling particular emotions

*Witnesses characters and events from the point of view of the narrator

Conventions of Blogs

*Accessed online

*Generally designed to be read by a specific audience

*Often give advice or sell/promote ideas or items

*Interactive features like hyperlinks

*Might use jargon

*Often feature audio component

Conventions of Autobiographies and Memoirs

*Written for a broader audience (not just the writer)

*Usually written in the first person

*May focus on key dates/facts related to the author's life

*Record significant moments or experiences

*Describe significant places or settings in the writer's life

*Often reflect on people who have been important to the writer, or have influenced their lives, usually written in past tense but may include current reflections

Writing to Review and Comment

*Genres:

- Reviews

-Commentary

-Essays/Articles

*Key Conventions:

- First-person

-Demonstrates expertise/authority on the subject

-Provides key information about the subject

-Nonfiction

-Expresses the author's opinion on a subject

Conventions of Reviews

*Provides overview of the key facts

*Conveys writer's expertise

*Expresses an opinion about the subject

*Makes comparisons with related texts/performances

*Adopts informal, chatty language

Conventions of Commentary Essays/Articles

*Explores ideas arising from newsworthy events or topical issues

*Similar to argumentative/persuasive texts, but is more explanatory in nature

*Shows authority about the topic

*Provides explanatory background information

*Present-tense

*First-person

Persuasive Writing

*Genres:

-Advertisements

-Brochures

-Leaflets

-Editorials/Letters to the Editor

-Essays

-Articles

-Campaign Literature

*Key Conventions:

-Promotes a viewpoint

-Nonfiction

-Purpose is to convince the audience

-Will utilize rhetorical appeals to convince audience

*Related Terms:

-Intensifier

-Rhetorical Question

-Slogan

-Logo

-Narrative

-Noun Phrase

-Soft-Sell

-Hard-Sell

- Rhetorical Appeals (pathos, logos, ethos, kairos)

Conventions of Persuasive Writing

*Promotes a strong, single point of view

*Makes direct appeals

*Uses vivid imagery or examples

*Uses varied sentence structure

*Uses rhetorical devices

*Uses headings, captions, slogans, or logos

*Provides statistics, data, or other numerical measures

*Uses expert evidence or customer reviews

*Includes call to action

Writing to Argue and Discuss

*Genres:

- Speeches

-Articles

*Key Conventions:

-Expresses a viewpoint

-Provides opposing viewpoint

-First-person

-Purpose is to convince

-Also utilizes rhetorical appeals to accomplish purpose

*Related Terms:

-Discursive

-Counter Argument

-Evidentiary Logic

Conventions of Argumentative/Discursive Writing

*Expresses a strong viewpoint but discusses both sides of an argument

*First-person

*Uses vivid imagery, anecdotes, or examples

*Uses varied structures

*Uses discourse markers

*Uses rhetorical devices

*Uses statistics, data, or other numerical measures

*Uses expert evidence

Writing to Narrate and Describe

*Genres:

- Narratives

-Descriptive Writing

*Key Conventions:

-Uses description/detail

-Conveys settings, characters, experiences, etc.

-Uses structure to help provide more detail, create impact, create interest, etc.

*Related Terms:

-Characterization

-Descriptive

-Alliteration

-Assonance

-Protagonist

-In media res

-In ultima res

-Antagonist

Freytag model:

*Exposition

*Rising Action

*Climax

*Falling Action

*Denouement

Characterization can be accomplished through providing details about...

*physical appearance

*behavior towards others

*what the character says

*what others say about the character

*how others behave towards the character

*the location the character is in

*the character's personal circumstances

Conventions of Narratives

*Has a compelling plot

*Effectively establishes interesting characters

*Includes dialogue

*Conveys powerfully and atmospherically at least one or two of the main settings

*Sustains the readers interest through vivid description, a variety of sentence/paragraph structures, and relevant linguistic devices

*Uses structure to surprise or create impact

*Opens and ends in interesting ways

Conventions of Descriptive Texts

*Vividly convey what a specific person, setting, or experience is like

*Uses a variety of sensory detail

*Uses language to zoom in/out

*Uses sentence/paragraph structure and organization to convey different elements of description

*Uses well-chosen lexis

*Uses linguistic devices

Comparative Commentary

*Provide a succinct overview of both texts (includes tone, approach, and style)

*Comment on diff forms and styles of both passages

*Explain the effects of diff linguistic and structural features (also explain how diffs affect tone and their effect on the reader)

*Refer to evidence/quotations from each texts

Conventions of Editorials

*Presents the official opinion of the publication

*Detached and formal

*3rd Person

Conventions of News Story

*Describes the news story

*Neutral

*Many complex sentences

*No hook or satisfying conclusion

Conventions of Feature Article

*Explains the writer's opinions or discusses a topical issue

*Personal and often chatty

Investigative Journalism

*Gives in-depth info about a topical issue that the journalist has discovered

*Usually detached and formal; avoids sensationalist and emotional comment

*Includes statistics, dates, times, etc. as evidence

Travel Writing

*Genres:

-Blogs: inform, advise, personal writing

- Article: inform, narrate, usually in 1st person, more formal than blog

- Brochures: persuade and describe

*All genres use descriptive writing

*Note narrative structures

Essays

*Have a formal structure- an intro and a conclusion, surrounding a detailed discussion of a topic

*Usually require clear evidence and a strong sense of logic, which can be clearly indicated through discourse markers

Scripted Speech

*Follow formalities such as acknowledging the institution and/or context in which the speech is being given by making appropriate thanks or greetings

*Contains repetition and formal rhetorical devices, as the audience is listening to the words rather than reading them

Podcasts

*Online

*Personal Writing

*Themed around a central topic

*Some tell a story, most provide information and/or opinions on a range of sub-topics around the core topic

*Often feature interviews with guests

*May include jingles/sound effects

*Often have more than one host

*May address regular audience directly

Letters

*Greet

Brochures/Leaflets

* Persuasive and descriptive

*Layout

CC Structure

Paragraph 1 - Introduction

· Provides a succinct overview of both pieces of writing. (tone, audience, purposes, etc.)

· Sums up overall focus of both articles. Use transition terms (our textbook uses the term "lexis for comparison") to highlight similarities and differences.

Paragraph 2 - Conventions of Text Type

o Deals with the use of conventions of each genre, provide some comparison. Again, address conventions that are integral to understanding and/or appreciating each text.

Paragraph 3 - Structure

o Explores the use of structure in both texts, drawing comparisons when relevant.

Paragraph 4 - Language

o Explores language and lexis in both texts, drawing comparisons when relevant.

Paragraph 5 and beyond

o Explores additional structural and linguistic techniques that don't directly compare

o You may use different paragraphs for each text

o Use as many paragraphs as necessary

o Use transition terms with moving to next, or from previous, paragraph

Rhetorical Devices

*Allusion

*Connotation

*Repetition

*Rhetorical Questions

*List of three

*etc.

Literary Devices

-Irony

-Idioms

-etc.