Knowt
Analysing Non-Fiction (WJEC)
Key Elements to Analyse in Non-Fiction:
When analysing a non-fiction text, focus on these key elements. These are the tools writers use to create meaning and achieve their purpose.
1. Purpose and Audience:
Purpose: What is the writer trying to achieve? Consider the main aim of the text. Common purposes include:
To Inform: To present facts, explain, educate, or provide information.
To Persuade: To convince the reader to agree with a viewpoint or take action.
To Argue: To present a case for or against a particular idea or issue, often with reasoned evidence.
To Advise: To offer guidance, recommendations, or suggestions.
To Entertain: To amuse, engage, or provide enjoyment (though non-fiction often has other primary purposes alongside entertainment).
To Describe: To create a vivid picture of a person, place, event, or idea.
To Reflect: To share personal thoughts, experiences, or insights.
Audience: Who is the intended reader or listener? Consider:
Target Audience: Who is the text specifically aimed at (e.g., general public, specialists, young people, a particular group)?
Assumptions about the Audience: What does the writer assume the audience already knows or believes?
How the Text is Tailored to the Audience: How does the writer adapt their language, tone, and content to suit the intended audience?
2. Genre and Form:
Genre: What type of non-fiction text is it? Different genres have different conventions and expectations. Common non-fiction genres include:
Newspaper Articles: Objective reporting of current events, often structured with headlines, datelines, and specific journalistic conventions.
Magazine Articles: Can be more feature-based, opinionated, or in-depth than news articles, often with a specific focus (e.g., lifestyle, science, current affairs).
Blogs: Personal or professional online journals, often informal and opinion-based, designed to engage readers and encourage interaction.
Autobiographies/Biographies: Accounts of a person's life, written by themselves (autobiography) or someone else (biography).
Travel Writing: Descriptive accounts of journeys and experiences in different places, often blending personal reflection with factual information.
Speeches: Texts designed to be delivered orally to an audience, often persuasive or informative, with rhetorical features.
Reviews: Evaluations of books, films, products, or performances, expressing an opinion and justifying it with evidence.
Websites/Online Content: Diverse range of texts found online, from informative articles to opinion pieces and promotional material.
Letters: Personal or formal written communication between individuals or groups.
Essays: Formal pieces of writing exploring a particular topic or argument, often with a structured and reasoned approach.
Form: The structure and shape of the text. Consider:
Structure: How is the text organised? (e.g., chronological, thematic, problem-solution, cause-effect). Headings, subheadings, paragraphs, bullet points, lists.
Layout and Presentation: How does the visual presentation of the text contribute to its meaning and impact? (e.g., use of images, captions, fonts, columns, white space).
3. Language and Tone:
Language: The specific words and phrases used by the writer. Consider:
Vocabulary: Formal/informal language, specialist terms (jargon), everyday language, emotive language, descriptive language, technical language.
Figurative Language: Metaphors, similes, personification, hyperbole, understatement, irony (though less common in some types of non-fiction, can be present for effect).
Rhetorical Devices: Techniques used to persuade or influence an audience:
Rhetorical Questions: Questions asked for effect, not requiring an answer.
Repetition: Repeating words, phrases, or sentence structures for emphasis.
Parallelism: Using similar grammatical structures to create rhythm and impact.
Lists of Three (Tripling): Presenting ideas or examples in groups of three for memorability and emphasis.
Direct Address: Speaking directly to the reader ("you," "we") to create a personal connection.
Pronouns: Use of "we," "us," "you," "they" to include or exclude the audience.
Anecdotes: Short personal stories used to illustrate a point or engage the reader.
Statistics and Facts: Use of numerical data and verifiable information to support claims.
Expert Testimony/Quotes: Referencing authorities or experts to add weight to arguments.
Sentence Structure (Syntax): Sentence length and types (simple, complex, compound). Short sentences for impact, longer sentences for detailed explanation.
Tone: The writer's attitude towards the subject matter and audience. Consider:
Formal/Informal: How formal or casual is the language?
Objective/Subjective: Is the writing presented as factual and unbiased, or is it clearly expressing personal opinions and feelings?
Serious/Humorous: Is the tone solemn, light-hearted, satirical, or ironic?
Passionate/Detached: Is the writer emotionally invested in the topic, or presenting it in a neutral way?
Critical/Approving: Is the writer judging or praising the subject?
Sarcastic/Sincere: Is the writer using irony to convey a different meaning from the literal words?
Authoritative/Conversational: Does the writer sound like an expert, or are they engaging the reader as an equal?
4. Viewpoint and Bias:
Viewpoint (Perspective): The writer's point of view or stance on the topic. Everyone writes from a particular perspective shaped by their experiences, beliefs, and values.
Bias: A particular slant or prejudice in favour of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair. Bias can be:
Overt Bias: Clearly stated opinions and preferences.
Subtle Bias: Less obvious, conveyed through word choice, selection of information, or tone.
Identifying Bias: Look for:
Selective Use of Evidence: Does the writer only present evidence that supports their viewpoint, ignoring contradictory information?
Loaded Language: Words with strong positive or negative connotations that reveal the writer's opinion.
Emotional Appeals: Does the writer rely heavily on emotional language rather than reasoned arguments?
Stereotyping or Generalisations: Does the writer make sweeping statements about groups of people?
Omission: What information is left out? Whose voices are not heard?
Purpose of Bias: Why might a writer present a biased viewpoint? To persuade, to entertain, to simplify a complex issue, to reinforce existing beliefs?
5. Context:
Context: The circumstances surrounding the creation and reception of the text. Consider:
Historical Context: When was the text written? What were the key historical events, social trends, or political issues of that time?
Social Context: What were the social norms, values, and beliefs of the society in which the text was produced? Consider social class, gender roles, cultural attitudes, etc.
Cultural Context: What cultural background does the writer come from? How might this influence their perspective?
Political Context: What were the political issues or debates at the time of writing? Is the text related to any political movements or ideologies?
Personal Context (of the Writer): What do you know about the writer's background, experiences, and beliefs? How might these have shaped the text?
Context of Reception: How might the text have been received by its original audience? How might it be understood by a modern audience?
