1. English Language B ENGB1
Section A: Categorising Texts

2. Overview
1 hour
48 marks
‘Group’ texts together and analyse them

3. Groupings • purpose • audience • genre • formality • speech • writing
• multimodality
• representation
• linguistic areas (e.g. lexis, grammar, phonetics /phonology etc).
BUT- think of your own too! Some students may consider subtle groupings such as use of humour,

4. Genre- for example adverts, narratives, poetry, instructions, recipes etc. Formal register Informal register Intended audience- for example children, females, males or simply a specific audience such as gamers or birdwatchers etc. Mixed mode Spoken Purpose- for example to persuade, to instruct, to inform, to teach, to entertain etc. Use of second person pronouns Use of first person pronouns Use of adjectives Spontaneous speech Planned speech Represented speech Lexical fields Imperative mood Interrogative mood Declarative mood Exclamative mood  
Rhyme Minor sentences Complex sentences Dynamic verb Stative verbs Comparatives Superlatives Idiolect Modal verb- epistemic or deontic Phonological features such as alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeias etc. Grice’s maxims Subject specific lexis/ jargon Deixis (context dependent) Distance between intended reader/listener and writer/speaker Abstract nouns Figurative language such as metaphors, similes, hyperboles, oxymoron’s etc. Whether a text is ephermal or not Tense for example present tense, past tense or future tense Interesting graphology  

5. You should use the following linguistic methods to explore the groupings
Lexis
the vocabulary system; meaning at word and phrase level
Grammar
the structural relationships within and between sentences and utterances
Phonetics/ Phonology
the sounds of English, how they are produced and how they are described; including aspects of prosody
Pragmatics
the ways in which social conventions and implied meanings are encoded in spoken and written language
Discourse
(i) longer stretches of text, looking particularly at aspects of cohesion
(ii) the way texts create identities for particular individuals, groups or institutions
Graphology
language as a semiotic system creating meaning through textual design, signs and images.
Register
situational variation and register: how language varies in relation to audiences, purposes and contexts
Mode
how language may vary as a consequence of the channel of communication (speech, writing and mixed modes)
idiolect
the language style acquired by individuals as a result of their personal characteristics, systems of belief and social experience
dialect
the variations in language produced as a result of local community and regional diversity
sociolect
language variations produced by the effects of education, socio-economic class, systems of belief, occupation

6. Use linguistic methods
Select 2 or 3 texts
Decide on a way to
group them
Use linguistic methods
to analyse/compare

7. Tips for this section
Successful students will explore 2,3 or 4 groupings
Successful students will look at 2 or 3 texts per grouping
It is perfectly fine to use different texts for different groupings
In this section you REALLY need to show off your knowledge of linguistic methods and linguistic terminology

8. Examiners’ report- successful candidates
have good coverage of the texts
employ terminology accurately
use a good range of language methods
choose a range of interesting groups
have an open-minded approach to grouping texts . avoiding approaching the texts in a pre-planned way
link groups together to show cross-boundary texts for example, Text C can also be grouped with A and D as well as with B and E
place the same texts in different groups showing the complex nature of the task
explore differences between texts within one group using comparative vocabulary to aid cohesion
move beyond feature spotting and describing
link language methods to contextual factors consistently
use graphology as a focus in often subtle ways; the significance of colour was frequently explored.

9. Examiners’ report- less successful students
offer groups on the sole basis of grammatical reasons - less able candidates were sometimes confused in their terminology while more able candidates were restricted in their approach
move into theoretical ideas in detail (an approach more appropriate for section B
employ a pre-planned approach which often led to unconvincing groupings as the texts did not fit their plan
use one text as a group- this is a misinterpretation of the task and limits achievement as discussion of differences and complexities is not possible
feature spot with no discussion of influential contextual factors
employ limited terminology
use a narrow range of language methods
list many groups, often with very limited discussion and development
produce groups which were used only to discuss differences rather than exploring the connections between the texts.

10. How you are being marked:
AO1, AO2 and AO3 are all assessed equally in this section:
AO1: Select and apply a range of linguistic methods to communicate relevant knowledge using appropriate terminology and coherent, accurate written expression (16 marks available)
AO2:Demonstrate critical understanding of a range of concepts and issues related to the construction and analysis of meanings in spoken and written language, using knowledge of linguistic approaches (16 marks available)
AO3: Analyse and evaluate the influence of contextual factors on the production and reception of spoken and written language, showing knowledge of the key constituents of language (16 marks available)

11. Summarising the AOs- what the examiners want to see
Excellent written expression (your writing making sense!)
Perceptive linguistic knowledge (understanding all the areas such as lexis, grammar etc)
An excellent and accurate use of sophisticated terminology
Explaining your reasons for grouping texts
When analysing, looking for subtleties not just the obvious
Analysing and interpreting contextual factors

12. Purpose
Of the texts you have in front of you, select three that interest you in terms of PURPOSE. This is a ‘grouping’ and in the exam you might spend minutes writing about just this one grouping

13. Purposes- avoid ‘broad’ purpose and focus in on the specific
‘Broad’ purposes=
Inform
Persuade
Advise
Instruct
describe
‘Specific’ purposes=
Raise brand awareness
Create public sympathy
Give assistance and advice to people with addictions

14. ‘Purpose’- what to cover
Is it a multi-purpose text or dual-purpose text? What are the primary and secondary purposes?
How does context affect purpose?
Which elements of the lexis help to achieve the purpose? Does the intended effect match the actual effect?
Any other linguistic methods you find relevant. E.g: Does grammar aid the purpose? Graphology- how do things such as the images, the typography etc complement/detract from the purpose? Does the text have a strong pragmatic meaning which helps achieve the purpose?
Similarites/differences to other texts within the group. Is one text more effective? Are there texts with similar purpose? How have the text producers tried to achieve the same purpose through different methods?

15. Audience: Elements to consider
Actual writer (Text producer)
Implied writer (narrative ‘voice’ of a text)
Implied reader (the created, often idealised, persona)
Actual reader (Text receiver)
Context of production
Context of reception
Who is the intended audience? (& how you know this)
How the text producer communicates with the audience (lexis, grammar, register, formality etc)

16. Examples from A grade response to June 2013 paper

18. Developing analysis Explain how the text fits into the group.
Context- significance/impact/influence
Which linguistic features can you use to explore the text IN TERMS OF THE GROUP IT IS IN
How have the linguistic features been used in the text?
What are the effects of the features?
How important/effective IN TERMS OF THE GROUP IT IS IN?