Unit 1.2 Form and Structure Notes

Meaning and Style

The writer's choice of form and structure help as much as their lexical (word) choice to create the meaning and style of a text.

Presentation and organization of texts tell readers:

• where to look

• the order in which to read material

• what information or ideas have particular priority or importance

• Create effects, causing us to read something more quickly, or to make us stop and reflect

Form

Refers to the type, shape, and overall presentation of a text.

Structure

Refers to how a text is organized and ordered, which can apply to both the entire text and individual components like sentence arrangement.

Examples of form and structure

• Title

• Headings and subheadings

• Font

• Introduction

• Images

Types of text structure

• Chronological

• Description

• Compare and Contrast

• Cause and Effect

• Problem and Solution

Chronological

Sequenced according to time.

Description

Describes something through characteristics, features, and examples.

Compare and Contrast

Explains how two or more things are alike or different.

Cause and Effect

Connects events (causes) with their results (effects)

Problem and Solution

Presents a problem followed by its solution.

Prose

Continuous text, as found in novels, which is more challenging to identify form and structure compared to visual texts.

Features of Form in Prose

• Paragraphs

• Direct speech

• Prose description of setting or action

• Short, simple sentences

• Long, complex sentences

Direct Speech

Spoken language shown by speech marks or inverted commas

Complex sentences

Made up of an independent (main) clause and at least one subordinate (dependent) clause.

Prepositions

Words that describe the relationship between things, such as ‘under,’ ‘by,’ and ‘near.’

Prepositions Group 1

Aboard, about, above, across, after, against, along, among, around, at, before

Prepositions Group 2

Behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, by, down, during, except for

Prepositions Group 3

From, in, into, like, of, off, on, over, past, since, through

Prepositions Group 4

From, in, into, like, of, off, on, over, past, since, through

Past-perfect tense

Expresses past events or actions which have been completed. All past-perfect tenses take this form regardless of the subject.