The Purpose and Presentation of Texts

PurposeExplanation and Examples Entertain Novels, stories and songs entertain, but they may also want us to think about issues and ideas. They may use suspense, humour, excitement, narrative, themes, topics and emotion. They may also make you identify with or feel interested in characters and events. Describe Fiction and non fiction texts may describe people, places, events and experiences. Biographies, travel writing, stories and poems often use a lot of description

PurposeExplanation and Examples Inform These types of text tell you (or inform) you about something. This could be a textbook, a website such as the one for the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, a news article or even an advert or magazine article that contains information. Instruct Instructive texts also give information. This is often done in a step-by-step manner, with a list of actions to take to help you to achieve a specific goal. It may also contain pictures/ diagrams. Examples include recipes, instruction manuals and leaflets, and maps.

PurposeExplanation and Examples Advise A text giving advice will suggest ways of dealing with problems and tell you what your options are. A careers advice leaflet will advise you about possible jobs, while a problem page will give advice to readers about their problems. The Citizen’s Advice Bureau can offer legal advice and help you with debts, housing, applying for citizenship and what to do if you are being treated unfairly at work. Argue These texts argue a point of view or opinion. Some writers will give a balanced view, by putting forward both sides of an argument. Others will argue for or against something. Some arguments are very persuasive and use facts and evidence to support a viewpoint. You often find arguments in political texts and newspaper reports.

PurposeExplanation and Examples Persuade Some texts will persuade you to support a certain view (e.g. that fox hunting is wrong and cruel.) Others will persuade you to do something (e.g. give money to a charity or buy something.) Some persuasive texts will use arguments, facts and evidence. Others will use certain ideologies (e.g. the war posters used ideas of masculinity and a sense of ‘duty to one’s country’.) Adverts often try to persuade you that their product is better than similar products and/ or use images to make the product seem desirable (if you buy this product, your life will become more exciting/ fun/ glamorous etc.) (adapted from Collins KS3 Revision English)

Presentational Features/ Devices You Might Find in the Layout of a Text: Different font sizes a b c Different types of typography to emphasise certain parts of the text (bold, italics and underlined) Use of pictures/ images Captions

Use of colour Bullet points Headings and subtitles Footnotes

* Quotations (things people have said) * Statistics and facts * Charts and graphs A boxed text may be used to make a particular point (perhaps a quote, fact or a statistic) stand out. * Boxed texts In a study of 3,000 people who made New Year's resolutions in 2007, only 12% stuck to them. The resolution with the greatest chance of success was "to enjoy life more".

Format Format refers to the way the text looks or is laid out.