Introducing Essay 3: Analyzing Advertisements Grammar: Adverbs

Quickwrite - Eng 21 Describe a memorable advertisement that you remember seeing in detail. What was the product being advertised? Why was the ad memorable? What was the message that the company was using to sell their product?

Adverbs An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. The track star runs quickly. (“quickly” modifies the verb “runs”) The plate is extremely hot. (“extremely” modifies the adjective “hot”) The dog barks very loudly. (“very” modifies the adverb “loudly,” and “loudly” modifies the verb “barks”) Adverbs answer: How? When? Where? How often? To what extent? (How much?) Example of adverbs’ usefulness: “The girl smiled.” This is a sentence that is very much in need of adverbs. How did the girl smile? Shyly? Sneakily? Happily? Falsely? Slyly? Genuinely? Notice that many (but not all) adverbs end in –ly.

Rules for Adverbs See page 181-183 of Pathways for further explanation of these rules. Adverbs can be placed almost anywhere in a sentence, as long as the meaning of the sentence remains clear. Carefully, the students performed the experiment. The students carefully performed the experiment. The students performed the experiment carefully. Notice that adverbs only need to be followed by a comma when they occur at the beginning of a sentence.

Practice with Adverbs: Using only adverbs to make your changes, rewrite 1-6 in Exercise 7-7 on page 184. Work with a partner to come up with two different ways to revise each sentence, telling two different versions of the event.

Misplaced Modifiers Sometimes, modifiers are placed incorrectly in a sentence and create confusion. Incorrect: I told him I was going to dance in the recital while sitting on the plane. Correct: While I was sitting on the plane, I told him I was going to dance in the recital.

Dangling Modifiers Some modifiers are missing a word to modify completely. They are not connected to any part of the sentence, so they are “dangling.” Example: While watching the children, the electricity went out. What word in the sentence tells us who was watching the children? None of them. This is a dangling modifier. Correction: While I was watching the children, the electricity went out. (added “I was” to make a dependent clause.

Two Ways to Fix a Dangling Modifier: 1. Make the modifier into a dependent clause, complete with a subject and a verb. Incorrect: While running down the street, a fire engine came around the corner. Correct: While he was running down the street, a fire engine came around the corner. 2. Add a word for the modifier to describe and change the order of the sentence as necessary. Incorrect: While playing the game, the window was broken. Correct: While playing the game, the kids broke the window.

Practice: Rewrite the sentences 1-5 on p. 245 to correct misplaced and dangling modifiers. Identify the source of the confusion. Move the modifier to a less confusing place or add the needed information.

Break Time! Return in 15-20 minutes.

Introduce Essay 3 Pass out Essay 3 Prompt

Definition of “Analyze” 1. to separate (a concrete or abstract thing) into parts or elements that it is made of; determine the elements or essential features of something 2. to examine critically, so as to bring out the essential elements or give the essence of the thing being analyzed

So, how do we analyze an ad? Look at the ad critically and try and answer the following questions: Who is the intended audience? What does the advertisement intend for us to think about the product being advertised? What needs or wants is the advertisement appealing to? How does the design of the advertisement get the message across to the audience?

Two types of messages that ads use: The obvious surface message is usually pretty straightforward, and involves the audience doing what the writers of the ad want them to do. Buy this product. Support this cause. Vote for this candidate. The underlying message is much more tricky, and much more interesting. It appeals to the needs and desires of the audience. It connects the product or cause to events, ideas, lifestyles, and people with which the audience already has positive associations. For example: Beer commercials not-so-subtle underlying message is often: “Drink our beer, and you will be the kind of fun person that beautiful girls in skimpy bathing suits will love!”

Let’s try this with an example ad.

Questions to consider: What is the significance of the “city” setting? What does the position of the model seem to suggest? Does he remind you of anything else? What types of colors and lighting does this ad use? How do all of these things contribute to the message?

Now that we have had the chance to discuss the ad… How effective do you think it was in reaching its target audience? What else might you need to know in order to analyze the ad? What other questions might you address in an analysis of this advertisement?

Let’s try another one…

Some final questions about the second ad… How is this ad different from (or the same as) other advertisements for cars that you have seen? Why do you think the picture of the car wasn’t bigger? What does that suggest to you about what the ad is “selling”?

And… one last ad.

Questions to consider… Conventional wisdom says that advertisers should use positive reviews to sell their products… why do you think this ad uses a negative review? Does this have to do with the audience the ad is trying to reach?

Where should I find my advertisement? A magazine you read A website you visit A newspaper A billboard you see while driving I would suggest the website http://adsoftheworld.com/taxonomy/media/print BE CAREFUL with finding ads online! Sometimes there are “fake ads” that people make as a joke, and accidently using one of these and taking it seriously can throw off your whole paper! Whatever you choose, make sure that your advertisement has enough “going on” in it that you can write about it for the required number of pages. You can do this by choosing at ad with striking, interesting design elements.

Overview of Upcoming Readings “Beautiful Words + Beautiful Images = One Beautiful Advertisement” p. 332 “You Can’t Be Thin Enough: Body Images and Mass Media” p. 464 You can read both of these essays for next week, and then only have the rough draft for

Upcoming Schedule and Assignments