Understanding Analysis

Explaining how a writer's choices create meaning and affect the reader — not what the text says.

Name the CHOICE → explain the EFFECT on the reader → link to MEANING/purpose.

Summary = what a text says; analysis = how a choice works and why (the so-what).

Anything the writer decided — a word, image, sentence shape, layout or structure.

What a choice does to the reader — how it makes them think or feel.

The effect (and the link to meaning) — not naming the technique.

Naming a device without explaining its effect — it scores almost nothing.

Pushes you past describing a choice into explaining its meaning — real analysis.

Depth: one choice explained fully beats five just named.

Criterion B — Analysis and evaluation.

The short sentence feels abrupt and final, making the warning sound urgent (choice → effect → meaning).

Read (twice) → TAP (Type, Audience, Purpose) → Hunt (underline choices) → Explain (choice → effect → meaning).

Type, Audience, Purpose.

First read = the gist; second read = notice detail without missing the point.

Read · TAP · Hunt · Explain.

Underline the choices that stand out — your evidence.

Turn each choice into a point: choice → effect → meaning.

TAP, and the effect part of Explain.

It keeps your whole analysis focused on what the text is for.

Why it was made — to persuade, inform, entertain, warn, and so on.

No — read for the gist first, or you grab the wrong details and miss the point.

The situation a text comes from — who made it, when, where and why.

The same words mean different things in different situations — context shapes meaning.

'This place changed my life' = a sales pitch in a gym advert, but heartfelt in a personal blog.

The short note giving a text's type, origin and date.

The source line you're given, plus clues inside the text.

Something inside the text (a name, place, reference or slang) that hints at time, place or audience.

Use only context you are given or can see — never invent it.

It's worse than none — it sends your whole analysis off course.

No — context sharpens the reading of purpose and audience; it doesn't replace choice → effect → meaning.

The source line — it's free context about type, origin and date.

The job a text is trying to do — persuade, inform, instruct, entertain, warn or reflect.

Any of: persuade/sell, inform, instruct, entertain, reflect, warn.

It gives your analysis a target — read every choice as serving that job.

'Why did the writer do this — how does it help the job?'

Yes — one main purpose, often a secondary one that helps it (e.g. humour to persuade).

To persuade / sell.

To instruct.

Every point ties back to the job, so your analysis is focused (Criterion C) and about effect (Criterion B).

To persuade — the humour is a secondary purpose serving it.

No — link each choice back to the purpose as you go.

The people a text is written for.

Vocabulary, references, tone/register, and what the writer assumes you already know.

A wide or young audience.

Experts or fans who already know the terms.

How formal or informal the language is.

'This slang suits a teenage audience, making them feel the brand is one of them.'

It's too vague — name the specific group so you can explain the choices.

Yes — e.g. a children's leaflet that also speaks to parents.

Whatever the writer doesn't explain — they expect the audience to know it already.

The A — Type, Audience, Purpose.

The broad topic a text is about — a word or two (e.g. freedom, technology).

The specific point or opinion a text makes about its theme — a full sentence.

One or two words = theme; a sentence with an opinion = message.

Theme: courage. Message: 'Real courage is being scared and acting anyway.'

'What is this mostly about?'

'What does the writer want me to think or feel about it?'

See if you could argue with it — a real message can be disagreed with.

The credit comes from the message and from showing how choices build it.

A theme — it's a one-word topic.

The writer's choices — the analysis shows how they create the point.

A real-world concern that is significant, transnational and locally felt.

Significant (wide impact), transnational (crosses borders), locally felt (seen in everyday life).

Culture/identity/community; Beliefs/values/education; Politics/power/justice; Art/creativity/imagination; Science/technology/environment.

A theme is a topic (a word); a global issue is a sharp, wide real-world concern.

Felt across borders — in more than one country or culture.

You can see it in the specific everyday detail of a real text.

A broad topic can't be explored in depth; a narrow focus keeps the Oral clear.

The Individual Oral — you examine one global issue across two works.

e.g. 'how war forces children to grow up too fast' — narrow and specific.

Theme (topic) → message (the point) → global issue (a wide real-world concern the message speaks to).