L & L (HL)- Block E

What do we need to improve?

 This is not an essay – do not refer to it as such. It should be called an analysis:  “This essay is written to compare and contrast both extracts and to identify the literary devices”.  “This analysis will compare and contrast…”

 Mention the names and the contexts of both pieces before you discuss them.  “This is going to be a comparative textual analysis of two extracts that may only seem to be very different.  “ Extract 1, written in 2009, is taken from a Garmin manual for a GPS system, while extract 2 is an extract from the book…”

 You must have a THESIS and a FOCUS for your analysis:  “Although they’re both completely different texts, they have many similarities”  “Both extracts share a common instructional theme. In this analysis, the point of view, syntax, diction, tone and imagery in both extracts will be analyzed to illustrate how their theme is similar although their style differs”.

Why is my argument weak?

 Your paragraphs must be in the same order as you mentioned them in the focus. You should restate your focus at the beginning of each paragraph:  “There is one main similarity and one main difference in both extracts.”  “Both extracts have the same purpose of instructing.”

 Do not assume the gender of the author/narrator:  “He tries to show examples in real life of how much a little apostrophe can change the implications of a sentence.”  “The author tries to show examples…”

 ALWAYS give examples from the text to show what you are talking about.  “In Truss’s piece, she is stressing her point in frustration.”  “In Truss’s piece, she is stressing her point in frustration. For example, she writes “cruelty to punctuation is quite unlegislated.”

 When you describe an author’s use of a literary or stylistic device, you need to analyze WHY the author used the device and/or what effect its use had on the reader.  “The author uses personification in the text.”  “The author uses personification in the text to create a vivid picture in the mind of the reader as to how poorly used the apostrophe it.”

 Always integrate a quotation into your paragraph and explain it. A paragraph should NEVER end in a quotation. This means you haven’t analyzed it fully.  “The writer uses very formal and complex words such as “unlegislated”, “frivolity” and “tractable”. [END OF PARAGRAPH]  “The writer uses very formal and complex words such as “unlegislated”, “frivolity” and “tractable”. These words show the writer’s audience is educated and/or cares about the state of the English language and its punctuation.

Go out with a bang!

 Remind the reader BRIEFLY what you have talked about AND state your opinion about the effectiveness of the texts.  “Texts 1 and 2 have a very broad but summarized view of the context in each, aiming to make the audience realize how to use each of the mentioned devices.”  “In conclusion, both extracts present the information to the audience successfully, but in an entirely different manner. Extract 1’s clear intention was simply to present the facts to the readers of the manual…This, in my opinion, informs the read in a more successful manner because it evokes emotion in the reader as it includes many humorous comments, also making the information presented more memorable”

Just so we don’t frustrate my teacher who is generally quite nice to us.

 Double-space (one blank line between two lines of text).  Use MLA formatting.  Do not start a sentence with the words “whereas”, and, but.  Use pen, if it is a written assignment.  Do not overuse pronouns (he, she, it, they, etc.), especially if it is the first time you are mentioning a topic or person.

 Underline or italicize the names of books.  Keep your tense consistent – if you choose to write in past tense, stick to it.  It is incorrect to say “emphasizes on” or “stresses on”. Just say emphasizes or stresses.