20/05/13: Non-Fiction analysis practice.

[Mr. Hendrick]

Please look at this. (It is a real piece of coursework from a GCSE student.)

Write a paragraph analysing the article using the skills learned here.  

Among the things to include are;

• Form
  
• Purpose
  
• Language - Vocab/formal/informal/sentences etc.
  
• Use of Fact and opinion  
  

Post your writing as a reply in this topic. (No need to write in a Google Doc.) 

[Claudia Papke]

In the article 'Nation under a Shroud' the language used is extremely informative, it is a formal piece of writing that is very factual. There is no use of personal pronouns, which makes the text impersonal. There is a number of polysyllabic words which raise the complexity of the text and raise the formal level of the text. There is also no opinionated language used and the writer sticks to quoting facts and statistics. In terms of form, this is a formal news article, which is intended to apprise and impart the reader. Overall, this piece of writing is very factual and is written in a formal style. 

[Dom]

This piece is structured in a very formal and report style tone. The paragraphs are reasonably long with long sentences being linked with words such as "after" and "In response to." Also the piece is written non-chronologically which strengthens the descriptive report style and formal tone. The effect of the long sentences is that it implies knowledge and understanding and this allows for detailed and clear explanations in his work. 

He uses a range of sentence styles, and uses a lot of facts and statistics to add weight to his statements. He uses rhetorical questions effectively to move him from one topic to another;for example " Why do we give aid in the first place if all we get in return is hostility?"

The words which he use are very effective in there use and his language is accessible but yet still analytical and specialist where necessary. The terminology used is serious and formal as well as very impersonal, there is absolutely no use of personal pronouns such as "I" or "you" whatsoever. Finally he language is formal because of the lack of shortened words such as "is not" instead of "isn't"

Overall the piece is interesting, informative and very formal. it uses no personal pronouns or shortened words and it use accurate and analytical language.

[Maddie Stephen]

At first glance of this piece of writing, this piece investigates the tension of conflict. This utilises different presentational devices to engage the reader and make them more interested on what they are reading. They way that they started the essay with a quit from Barrack Obama really indicates that the writer knows what he is writing about as he could have plotted any old quote. This entices the audience to read on. The use of the words 'disposition' and 'demographic' make this writing feel much more formal as it is. They do not make this piece personal with the use of the words 'I' or 'me' so therefor it is impersonal. The writer uses vivid imagery and complex metaphors to represent pain in the conflict.

[Annabelle Turner]

This piece of writing is written in very formal language. The vocabulary which is used in the text feels formal. The writer uses technical words such as ‘nullification’ and ‘conflagration’. Words like this give the text a formal feel. The passage is mainly filled with interesting facts and statistics. There aren’t any personal pronouns like ‘I’ and ‘we’ which makes it all impersonal. This text is very complex and the use of Polysyllabic makes it more interesting for the audience. The length of the sentences add to this effect.   The piece of writing has been written at a high level including lots of vocabulary.

Overall, this piece is very informative and has been written in a formal style and includes loads of interesting facts and statistics.

[borgl]

The text 'The Nation under a Shroud' has a formal style. It is in the style of a formal news article which a purpose to inform people. For example the writer uses polysyllabic words such as 'conflagration' and 'nullification' which give the text a much more formal feel. The writer does not refer to them self, therefore depersonalising it by avoiding the use of personal pronouns such as 'I' or 'We'. Secondly, we can tell the text is factual due to the number of facts and statistics. For example 'North Korea's GDP in 2011 totalled $12.38 billion'. By using no personal pronouns it makes it feel more actual and less like an opinion text.  

[Oli Wilson]

This is written in the style of a formal news article, trying to inform the reader of the current economic and political situation in North Korea. It is a slightly one-sided account of the occurrences, however it does point out that there have been improvements, in the way that the Korean government has 'allowed a US representative, John Kerry, to visit and propose peace plans for the future.' The writer has used the correct terminology and the structure of the piece is so that, at the beginning of the piece, it seems as though the writer is against North Korea, but throughout the piece the argument and the point that she's trying to bring across is more balanced.

[pycrofe]

This text is written in a formal style. The writer’s choice of vocabulary shows that he is approaching the reader in a formal manner. He does this by using polysyllabic words, such as: 'conflagration' and 'bellicose'. Furthermore more the writer makes it impersonal by not using personal pronouns, by doing this writer makes it feel as if it is a formal article rather then an opinionated article. Also this text is factual. We know this because the writer uses a variety of facts, for example: 'North Korea’s GDP in 2011 totalled $12.38 billion USD, which is a fraction compared to the South’s $1.12 trillion and the US’s 15.09 trillion.

[Kelly Brick]

This piece of text is written in a formal language. It uses technical words and phrases such as “conflagration” and “immature disposition” which gives the text a formal feel. In terms of form this is a news article which analyses the quote from Barack Obama. The text is mainly filled with facts and the writer does not use personal pronouns. The writer also uses many polysyllabic words which create a sense of formality in the text and raises the standard.

Overall, this piece is of a high standard formality, is interesting and informative. 

[Archie Atkinson]

In this article he writer uses polysyllabic words to help elaborate upon a certain topic brining more detail to the piece. An example of this are the words, 'conflagration' and 'nullification'. By using these words it implies that the format of this is in written in a sophisticated manner, showing that the writer understands what he is writing. Additional to use this not only helps show the sophistication of the piece, but aids the readers viewpoint upon something. 

Not only the use of vocabulary supports the effectiveness of the entire piece, but also the variety of sentence length. For example in the third paragraph the first three lines are taken up by one individual sentence, then for the next is just a half a line long. In this context the long sentences were used to give precise detail of the situation, while the shorter sentence was used to sum it up. Just show the effect of the longer sentence. 

Overall I think this is well structured, furthermore, it's very well written when you magnify the uses of the sentence length and vocabulary range.   

[Mark Erridge]

It is first necessary to explain that this article is well structured and it is in a very formal style. This is due to the fact that the use of vocabulary feels formal. Such as 'Demilitarized' and 'bellicose', which gives me the sense of a very formal text, factual feel. Certainly there is strong evidence that the writer is not for North Korea with this point 'Unfortunately the paradoxical government of North Korea do not understand that their bellicose rhetoric is what’s causing these events.' This alludes to the fact that he feels that North Korea are doing wrong. This very complex sentence also adds to the very formal style. The writer using no personal pronouns such as 'I' and 'me' which makes it an impersonal text. Overall, this piece has a formal tone and was a impersonal, factual, and was a good read and well planned out with the use of paragraphs.

[sellorj]

This piece of work is formal, it is in a fashion that is designed in a way to inform people about the current situation in north korea. In this piece of writing he also use polysyllabic words such as "nullification" this is a great way of showing of your vocabulary and making the piece of writing seem more intellectual. He also keeps the piece very objective he does this because he never mentions i or we this makes it objective as it shows that he is not letting his personal feelings getting in the way of his predicament. it also employs precise figures, this shows that the passage is factual this is a very good way of informing the reader that the passage can be trusted in a way more.

[impeyf]

This piece of writing is written in a very formal style and is made to come alive as it is not written with personal pronouns. The writer also uses lots of polysyllabic words such as "conflagration" and "nullification" which ads originality to the piece. There is also some shock tactics used as there are facts to make the reader aware and remember different facts through shock tactics as people remember when they are shocked. The writer also has used relatively short paragraphs to keep the piece flowing.

[Lucy Dundas]

This text is written in a formal style. Evidence of this is the formal language the writer uses, as opposed to colloquial language. Examples of these are 'conflagration', 'nullification' and 'paradoxical'. These are all also examples of polysyllabic words, as they are 'big' words with many syllables. The text is also formal because of the form and style of the sentences. The article is written in long sentences, which is a technique in making your writing seem more formal. However, the main way in which the author makes this article formal is the way in which he avoids any use of personal pronouns such as 'I' and 'we', and there is no mention of the author at all throughout the article. Instead, it is written in the narrative, and is just stating facts rather than opinions.

[Ben Rowland]

This piece of text is formal as it uses technique words and phrases such as ‘conflagration’ and it is written using polysyllabic words like ‘nullification’. He also speaks in a more factual way referring to more impersonal language. The sentences are longer which makes it a more formal piece. This is a very informative piece and shows quite a few factual techniques but it sometimes comes through that it might be both factual and opinionated for example:

'

Essentially the people of North Korea are living in a brainwashed society being ruled by an immature and radical dictating figure to love and serve the state.'

This shows he is clearly opposed to North Korea and may not see it from both views.

In summary this piece is in quite a few writing style categories such as formal, fact and opinion.

[Kelsey Johnson]

"The Nation under a Shroud" is a formal and factual piece of writing that's purpose is to inform people of the events in North Korea. It is made factual by the use of statistics such as "The US have deployed just over 28,000 troops to the Korean peninsula already", and it is completely impersonal as the writer uses no personal pronouns or references to himself. This makes the piece more informative and less opinionated. The text has a consistently formal style, due to the use of polysyllabic vocabulary, for example "conflagration". Again the absence of personal pronouns gives the text a more formal feel. In terms of form and structure, there are lots of long complex sentences to amplify the formal feel to the text. These sentences are linked with advanced connectives such as "however" and "as a result"

[HenryM]

This piece is well written, clear and concise article, designed to inform, as well as show the backwardness of North Korea. It is evidently formal, as the vocabulary that is used is complicated, and often includes polysyllabic words. It is written in the form of and article, and therefore is designed to be informative as well as as being entertaining. This is mainly factual, and also impersonal, as there isn't any use of person pronouns, however I believe the author masterfully weaves in a slightly biased view, whilst still being completely impersonal.

[Ben Barnard]

The nation under a shrew is a formal piece of writing and we can tell this because it is full of facts and informative writing. The use of these statistical facts is used for example from ‘the US has started using B-2 stealth bombers’ this is telling us what is being said. There are no personal pronouns used which makes this a very impersonal piece of writing. This is also very formal because of the vocabulary that is used for example ‘conflagration’ which means a destructive fire that could threaten life on earth. So to conclude this writing is a formal piece and impersonal and very factual.