AICE LANG PAPER 1 (AS LEVEL)

aice lang bc our teachers suck

context

situation in which the text was constructed

audience

general group or category of people who might read an article or hear a speech, or a specific single individual at whom the text is directed

purpose

to persuade or to describe

hybrid purposes in texts

texts that have several purposes

form

type of genre of text , kind of writing, why it exists (diary, letter, narrative, etc)

structure

the organization and layout of the text, how its built, how ideas are arranged and how the reader moves through it. (chronological order, hook, climax, resolution, etc)

prose

the actual style and flow of the writing itself (tone, diction, rhythm, etc)

lexis (lexical choice)

the way certain words in a text relate to each other

simile (figurative language) (linguistic device)

when one thing is compared to another, using ‘like’ or ‘as’

metaphor (figurative language) (linguistic device)

it assumes a comparison without using ‘like’ or ‘as’

personification (figurative language) (linguistic device)

when a thing, idea, or animal is given human attributes

symbolism (linguistic device)

strong form of a metaphor, when a particular event, image, or even person represents a larger idea

omniscient 3rd person narrator (points of view)

a narrator who sees or understands everything

limited 3rd person narrator (points of view)

a narrator who has some knowledge of events, thoughts, and feelings, but not complete understanding

fallible 3rd person narrator (points of view)

a narrator whose account might be seen as unreliable

unusual 3rd person narrator (points of view)

a narrator that does not fall into the other categories

direct speech

use of actual words spoken in a conversation which are enclosed in speech marks

indirect/reported speech

gist of what has been said but not precisely

tone

attitude of a writer towards a subject

connotations

the emotional or sensory associations that a word has

pathetic fallacy (figurative language) (linguistic device)

more specific type of personification where an aspect of nature is given emotions that reflect the mood of the text or a character

alliteration (sound) (figurative language) (linguistic device)

repeated consonant sounds in a sequence of words. (peter piper picked a peck of pickled pepper:)

sibilance (sound) (linguistic device)

repeated ss and sh sounds in a sequence of words (sally sells seashells on the seashore)

assonance (sound) (linguistic device)

repeated vowel sounds in a sequence of words (how now brown cow?)

onomatopoeia (sound) (linguistic device)

words that create a sound which they are trying to describe (BANG! WHOOSH!)

rhyme (sound) (linguistic device)

matching sounds at the ends of words (twinkle twinkle little star how i wonder what you are)

Types of journalistic forms

• editorials
• news stories
• articles and columns
• reviews
• investigative journalism.

editorial (form)

• Address current news or topical events

• Persuades, but in an exploratory manner

• Demonstrates authority on the subject

• Provides explanatory background material to inform general reader

• Shift between present tense to discuss ideas and past tense to provide background information an context

• Written in first-person, but has an objective/authoritative voice

news story (form)

-describes the news events
-varies by publication but often neutral
- many complex sentences to fit in a lot of information

-headline/title

-subheadings

-pull out quotes
-quotations, foreshadowing, imagery

-hyperbole, metaphors, contrast

-inverted pyramid style (Most important details at the top)

-headline

-”Breaking News: Massive Earthquake Rocks the City”

article (form)

• Headlines/subheadings

• Short sentences and paragraphs

• Written in 3rd person (he, she, it, they) - not "I"

• Objective/balanced voice, presents information without opinion

• Includes quotations from interviews

• Includes facts and evidence

• Includes anecdotes (little stories) to illustrate ideas

• Structure: Overview (who, what, when, where); background and context on issue; key points with facts; quotations and discussion; future/consequences.

investigative journalism (form)

-gives in-depth information about a topical issue that the journalist has discovered

-investigative techniques

-usually detached and formal; avoids sensationalist and emotional comment
-includes statistics, dates and times, images of documents and so on, as evidence

-headline/title

-subheadings

-pull out quotes

-clear and concise intro to set the scene and topic

-chronological structure

-formal language

review (form)

• Write an argument with your opinion as the claim. Offer multiple reasons (points).

• Support your opinion through descriptive details of the material/experience of review subject. 

• Ethos: Speaker should be knowledgeable, well-informed on the topic. 

• Tone and voice: Informal, chatty language designed to engage with the reader. 

• Positive and negative adjectives

• Vivid imagery to appeal to the senses

• Vibrant, suggestive diction

• Figurative language comparisons such as similes, metaphors, or analogies.

• loaded language

commercial forms (form)

advertisements, brochures, flyers, leaflets

advertisements (form)

• Strong single point-of-view - no balance on topic.

• Directly appeals to the reader - we want your help. 

• Highly-charged language "absolutely fantastic"

• Vivid imagery to appeal to reader/listener

• Varied sentence structure - short sentences to command or appeal, longer sentences to describe

• Rhetorical devices - repetition or words or phrases, rhetorical questions, or lists of three. 

• Headings/slogans/captions/logos

• Provides numerical data to persuade reader

• Uses customer reviews/expert advice.

• Include call to action - act now, buy now, don't wait.

brochures/leaflet (form)

• The text is usually either informative or persuasive and may be a combination of both.

• Campaign ads, travel brochures, product or company brochures, college or event brochures.

• Structure: Sectioned by titles and subtitles. Short paragraphs organize information in digestible chunks on related topics.

• Pictures and highlighted information will be integrated into the text to persuade the reader and make the ideas more vivid. When writing them on the test, you cannot add pictures. You can only use section breaks, subtitles to honor the form.

• Varied sentence structure. May use sentence fragments, questions, and commands to get audience's attention or instruct audience. 

• Catchy subtitles. May use alliteration or rhyme to make ideas exciting and inviting.

• Random capitalization to emphasize important ideas.

• Tone will vary, depending on the brochure's purpose and audience.

flyers(form)

leaflet (form)

Types of online forms

-blogs

-podcasts

blog (Form)

-website that displays articles on a central topic

-begins with heading and date

-essentially diaries

-1st person

-direct statement to audience

-casual tone

podcast (form)

• Written in a natural, speaking voice

• Create vivid descriptions of key topics (help your reader visualize)

• Write concisely so that you can improvise

• Structural suggestions

  • Introduce topic or theme of podcast

  • Topic one and details - Point, data, quotations to develop idea

  • [Could have music break - What song will play?]

  • Topic two and details - Point, data, quotations to develop idea

  • Topic three and details - Point, data, quotations to develop idea

  • Optional - Call to action for the audience

  • Summarize and comment on themes and topics in conclusion

allusion (figurative language) (linguistic device)

reference to a well known statement, well-known person, etc.

analogy (linguistic device)

comparison between persons, places, objects, or ideas for the purposes of explanation.

antithesis (linguistic device)

opposition, contrast. it also means the rhetorical contrast of ideas by means of parallel arrangement of words, clauses, or sentences.

diction

word choice

ellipsis and dash

indicate a pause or missing information

euphemism (linguistic device)

a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt.

foreshadowing (linguistic device)

a writers use of hints or clues to suggest events that will occur later in the plot

hyperbole (figurative language) (linguistic device)

a figure of speech where the truth is exaggerated

idiom (figurative language) (linguistic device)

a group of words that are common to the language but would not make sense if directly translated

irony (linguistic device)

a literary device that conveys a meaning opposite to what is expected, often for humorous or emphatic effect.

listing (linguistic device)

the act of arranging items in a series or sequence, often used to emphasize a point or create a rhythm in writing.

juxtaposition/contrast (linguistic device)

the placement of two or more ideas, characters, or settings side by side to highlight their differences and create contrast. (another word for contrast)

imagery (linguistic device)

the use of descriptive language to create vivid mental pictures and appeal to the senses in writing.

types of imagery (linguistic device)

include visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, and tactile imagery, each appealing to different senses to enhance the reader's experience.

visual imagery (imagery) (linguistic device)

sight, what is to be seen. usually colors and other visuals.

auditory imagery (imagery) (linguistic device)

what is heard. usually noises, sounds, music, etc

olfactory imagery (imagery) (linguistic device)

what is smelled. typically includes scents, aromas, and odors that evoke a sensory response.

gustatory imagery (imagery) (linguistic device)

what is tasted, usually flavors and food sensations.

tactile imagery (imagery) (linguistic device)

what is felt through touch, including sensations like texture, temperature, and pain.

organic imagery (imagery) (linguistic device)

Descriptive language that appeals to the internal sensations of the body, often related to emotions and feelings.

kinesthetic imagery (imagery) (linguistic device)

Descriptive language that evokes the sense of movement and bodily action, such as motion and physical activity.

metaphor (imagery) (linguistic device)

A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unrelated things, suggesting they are alike in a significant way.

onomatopoeia (imagery) (linguistic device)

A word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound it describes, enhancing sensory experience in writing. (boom, clap, wow)

oxymoron (imagery) (linguistic device)

A figure of speech that juxtaposes contradictory terms, creating a self-contained contradiction that reveals a deeper meaning or insight (e.g., bittersweet, deafening silence).

parallel structure (linguistic device)

The repetition of a chosen grammatical form within a sentence or for a series of sentences, enhancing clarity and rhythm in writing.

personification (figurative language) (linguistic device)

A literary device that attributes human qualities or characteristics to non-human entities, enhancing relatability and emotion in writing.

polysyndeton (linguistic device)

A rhetorical device that employs the repetition of conjunctions in close succession for emphasis or to create a sense of urgency in a list.

repetition (linguistic device)

The act of using a word, phrase, or structure multiple times in a text for emphasis, clarity, or rhythm.

rhetorical questioning (linguistic device)

A technique where a question is posed for effect rather than to elicit an answer, often used to engage the audience and provoke thought.

satire

A genre of literature or film that uses humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to criticize or mock social, political, or moral issues.

symbol (linguistic device)

A thing that represents or stands for something else, often an idea or concept, used in literature and art to convey deeper meanings.

theme

The central topic or underlying message within a literary work, often exploring universal ideas or moral lessons.

tone

The attitude or emotional quality expressed in a piece of writing, often conveyed through word choice and style.

Types of Writing

-Persuasive

-Expository

-Narrative

-Descriptive

Persuasive writing

A type of writing aimed at convincing the reader to adopt a particular opinion or take a specific action, often utilizing arguments and emotional appeals.

-Editorials

-Movies/Book/Music Reviews

Expository Writing

A type of writing intended to inform, explain, or describe a topic to the reader, often relying on facts and evidence without personal opinions.

-News Reports

-Instruction Manuals

-Research Papers

Narrative Writing

• Characters - Establishes characters with motivation that are interesting the reader

• Setting - Develop an environment that has a strong atmosphere and suits the action of the story

• Uses imagery and figurative language to create vivid descriptions of develop characters, settings, and actions

• Includes dialogue that develops character or advances the plot

• Plot - Write a plot with five structural elements:

  • Exposition: Description that develops characters, setting, background

  • Rising Action: An event occurs to start the plot - the protagonist wants something or encounters a problem that must be overcome. Events occur that intensify the conflict between the protagonist and forces of opposition. 

  • Climax: The action comes to a crisis. The conflict comes to the surface. The greatest moment of tension.

  • Falling Action: What happens in the story as a result of the climax. 

  • Resolution: The character resolves the issue or another character resolves it for them.

Descriptive Writing

A type of writing that vividly portrays a person, place, thing, or event by using detailed observations and sensory language to create a picture in the reader's mind.
-Narrative works

-Advertising

-Character sketches

-Photograph captions

Diary Writing (form)

• Writer's private thoughts and feelings that creates a mood

• Reasons and motives for behaving in a certain way

• Recounting recent events and characters involved

• First-person POV, subjective 

• Usually written in the present tense

• Sentence fragments

• Continuous prose that flows with the writer's thoughts

Letters (form)

• Greeting/Closing (Dear/Sincerely)

• Direct address to the reader

• Explains reason for writing

• Expresses writer's perspective

• First and second person pov

Blog (form)

Blogs are self-published entries on a web format - various genres represented, typically narrative, informative or persuasive in nature

Purpose that are meant to convey information, argue a
topic, advertise a product or present an opinion.

Structure

• Organization is easy to follow often engaging listing or sub-headings

• Posts are typically short, 2-4 paragraphs in length

Form

• Often has a chatty or conversational voice - informal register

• Use interactive features such as hyperlinks for citation

• Will use specialized language for a content/subject area known as "jargon" to relate to a specific audience (tech jargon, science jargon).

Language

•  -Rhetorical questioning is used to engage readers

•  -1st person POV is most commonly used to create personal/anecdotal environment and2nd person is often used to speak directly to audienc

•  -Allusions to pop culture, history, news, etc. are often used to provide credibility to arguments

•  -Imagery is often used for blogs addressing spatial subjects such as travel blogs or decorating
   

Autobiography (form)

Purpose: Autobiographies explore questions about the self and allow writers to share what they've learned

• Who am I  and where do I come from?

• What is my family like or what were my ancestors like? 

• How did I get to be the way that I am or where I am today?

Characteristics of autobiographies

• Use first-person pronouns such as I, me, my.

• Use facts and details, age and specific events or circumstances.

• Use at least one anecdote to develop the story.

• Use at least one important place that shaped your understanding.

• Mention at least one important person who influenced your thinking.

• Tell the story in past test, but shift to the present tense to reflect on what it means.

Structure: 

• Paragraph 1, introduce the topic and facts about the circumstance/your age.

• Paragraph 2: Write a paragraph to introduce the person, event, place.

• Paragraph 3: Tell an anecdote (story) about what happened.

• Paragraph 4: Reflect on its meaning. 

• Paragraph 5: Present and reflect on another anecdote that illustrates your point if you wish.

travel writing (form)

Travel writing can have a few different purposes depending on the reason why someone is traveling. It could be an autobiographical piece about a meaningful personal experience. It could be a review of a trip or an experience. 

• Uses many of the same tools as descriptive writing

• Vivid imagery used a good deal to transport reader to location

• Zoom in/zoom out on travel locations and experience

• May be a thoughtful travel piece focusing on meaning inspired by the place

• May be a more practical text, offering insights into the travel location

How to write a comparative analysis

WRITING OF A COMPARATIVE ESSAY

 

·       Introduction

·       Include the names of the author, title, genre, and purpose of the original text

·       Include the title, genre, and purpose of your directed writing

·       Provide a general statement as to their similarities and differences

 

·       TEMPLATE FOR INTRODUCTION

The original TEXT TYPE titled “TITLE” by AUTHOR mostly focuses on PURPOSE.  Similarly/conversely, my TEXT TYPE deals with _____.  Because of these facts, the two pieces are quite/somewhat different, even though they have similarities.

 

·       SAMPLE INTRODUCTION

The original article titled “The Sanfrancisco Earthquake” by Frances Keith mostly focuses on the events that dominated the aftermath of the disaster.  Conversely, my flyer deals with what to do in terms of preparation for a hurricane.  Because of these facts the two pieces are somewhat different, even though they have similarities.

 

·       Body

·       Proceed from top to bottom, using your text (because it’s shorter) as the starting point.

·       Make sure to point out why the texts would be the same or different.  Focus here on the text types.

·       Then go by techniques used.  Each technique should be a paragraph.

·       Include quoted material.

·       May use “I.”

 

·       SAMPLE BODY PARAGRAPH

My flyer calls the community to action in order to prepare for a hurricane.  In order to do this well, I rely on rhetorical questions.  I start at the very beginning by asking, “A category 5 hurricane is coming.  Are we just going to sit here?”  With this question I hope to stress that inaction is not going to get us anywhere and that we have to act now.  The question is meant to pull the community together, showing them that doing nothing is literally not an option.  This approach is not found in the article about the San Francisco earthquake.  I believe this has more to do with the genre of the text.  As a newspaper article focused on the event itself, there is no call to action.  There is instead a report on what happened.  To move forward and call the citizens together to rebuild would be a different article altogether.

 

·       Conclusion

·       List the techniques that were used in both texts and provide a 1 sentence rationale.

·       Provide a 1 sentence explanation as to why both texts did not use the same techniques.

 

·       TEMPLATE FOR CONCLUSION

Both TITLE/AUTHOR and my TEXT TYPE titled TITLE used TECHNIQUE(S) because _____.  On the other hand, since the two texts types were different/had a different purpose, we each utilized devices that were better suited for what we were writing.

 

·       SAMPLE CONCLUSION

Both “The Sanfrancisco Earthquake” my flyer titled Come Together used rhetorical questioning and listing as well as figurative language, mainly focusing on hyperbole and imagery.  On the other hand, since the two text types were different, we each utilized devices that were better suited for what we were writing.

How to write a text analysis

Introductory Paragraph

In an AICE textual analysis essay, the introductory paragraph is very short, usually about 1-2 sentences in length.  You want to include in this first paragraph as much as you can of the following:

• Author’s name

• Type of work

• Title of work

• Author’s purpose

• Audience

Example: In Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies, the author hopes to show that although savagery lies dormant in most of humanity, situations exist that bring out the animal to the forefront.  Golding is able to achieve this through the use of various linguistic devices.

Although you will definitely focus on 3-4 techniques, it is best not to mention them, just in case you don’t have time to bring them up or if you actually have too many.

 

Body Paragraphs

This is the “meat” of the essay.  Here you support the author’s purpose.

You want to break up the analysis of the text by reading sections (as if you had little chapters), going from start to finish, not by techniques.  In other words, if this was the story of “Little Red Riding Hood,” you’d have a paragraph on the part where the mother talks to Red and tells her about her mother being sick and to not talk to strangers.  Another paragraph would be about when she makes her way to Grandma’s and encounters the wolf.  The third would be at Grandma’s house.  And so on. 

Each of these paragraphs should include the following:

• Context for the quoted material

• Quoted material

• Identification or explanation of technique

• Pulled out words from quoted material

• How technique furthers the purpose of the author

• If possible, how that technique supports or works with another technique

Example:  Chapter Three begins with a description of Jack.  The author tells us that he is “bent double,” that he resembles a “sprinter, his nose only a few inches from the humid earth.”  The animal-like image focuses on Jack no longer being upright.  This in turn further implies that he is less a man and more an animal.  The word choice likewise allows us to focus on the fact that, like an animal, Jack relies on his nose, smelling out the prey.  But Golding wants to make sure we also notice not just the animal aspects in Jack, but his savagery as well.  The author states that Jack’s “bright blue eyes … [seem] bolting and nearly mad.”  The word choice lets the reader know that this boy is losing both his humanity and his sanity.  “Bolting” implies darting and acting quickly – without reason.  The fact that Jack is also stated as “mad” likewise states that rationality, an important human characteristic, is also no longer existent.

 

Concluding Paragraph

The concluding paragraph, like the introduction, should be short: 1-2 sentences.  This time, however, you not only want to rephrase and invert the topic sentence, but also add the specific techniques used by the author.  Don’t use “in conclusion,” “in a nutshell,” etc.

                  Example:  Golding portrays Jack as the primary character of savagery in Lord of the Flies.  The author’s diction focuses on animal-like words that complement the images of instinctual behavior portrayed in Chapter Three.  Together, both techniques make the statement that latent savagery can be brought out at any time.

 

Pointers

• Do not use “you.”  You do not mean “me,” your teacher.  Use “the reader,” “audience,” “people,” “society.”

• Do not use “I.”  Avoid the whole thing altogether: I believe that the author hopes to convey a sense of power.  Just say: The author hopes to convey a sense of power.

• Write in the present.  It gives your writing immediacy.  Nobody wants to know (subconsciously) about what already took place.  And anyways, literature is always “happening.”  If you open Romeo and Juliet to Act II, Juliet is always leaning over her balcony, calling to her Romeo.

• Should you change anything within the quotes, use brackets – [ ].  BUT, if the change occurs in the first word or the last word, simply change the word and just don’t include it in the quote.  "He was down like a sprinter, [the boy's] nose only a few inches from the humid earth."

• If you want to leave part of the quote out, use ellipsis (…).  BUT, the same as with the brackets, only use the ellipsis in the MIDDLE, not the beginning or the end.  "He was down like a sprinter, his nose … a few inches from the humid earth."

• Length – should be about 3 pages.

Pathos

a rhetorical device that evokes emotional responses from the audience.

Ethos

the credibility or ethical appeal of an author or speaker, influencing an audience's judgment based on trust and authority.

Logos

a rhetorical device that uses logic and reasoning to persuade an audience.

1st person

a narrative perspective where the narrator uses "I" or "we" to tell the story, providing personal insights and experiences.

2nd person

a narrative style where the narrator addresses the reader directly using "you," making the reader a character in the story.