Type of text
- Medium, quality press, popular press, free papers, internet or magazine.
What is the text about?
- What is the writer’s background? Consider age, sex, education, background and occupation, religious or political point of view.
- How does the writer establish his/hers Ethos?
- Does the writer include himself as part of the group addresses? If so, why?
- Who is the intended audience?
- Is there an implicit audience?
- What is the intended reader’s background? Consider age, sex, education, background, occupation? Religious or political point of view.
- Where and how does the writer/speaker appeal to Logos?
- Where and how does the writer/speaker appeal to Pathos?
- Where and how does the writer/speaker appeal to Ethos?
- How is the text structured?
- Coherent overall structure?
- Is the theme introduced at the beginning and the elaborated on?
- Is there a conclusion at the end?
- Is the sentence structure simple or complex?
- Are the sentences long, short or incomplete?
- Is the vocabulary concrete or abstract? Colloquial, formal or neutral?
- Is a particular word class common in the text?
- Is there a use of or lack of adjectives and verbs?
- Are specific words or phrases repeated?
- Is there anything characteristic about punctuation or word order?
- What is characteristic of the tone and style?
- Are there any connotations? Positive or negative?
- Sound effects – are there examples of alliteration or assonance?
- Is imagery implied? Is symbolism? Are there examples of metaphor, simile or personification?
- Does the language belong to a certain dialect of sociolect?
- Are there quotations? If yes, by whom, and in what way are they used?
- Are there any references to specific topics, places or people?
- What arguments are used? Are they weak or strong?
- What is the lay-out of the text?
- Are there illustrations? If yes, what kind and what is the relationship between illustration and text?
- Is there presentation balanced and fair or is it biased (unfair)?
- Does the form compliment the content?
- What occasion has caused the writer to produce this text?
- In what way(s) has this situation influenced the text?
- Where the speech is given/where is the ad placed (medium)?
- Why has the writer written this text (to describe, to inform, to provoke, to persuade, to explain, to entertain, to manipulate, or…?)?
- What is the intention for this text/speech?
- Does the text succeed in fulfilling the writer’s intentions?
- Relate the text to other texts on the same or similar theme.
- What are the similarities and differences?
- Which do you prefer and why?
- What is conveyed or achieved by the comparison?