ASSESSMENT TASK: ANALYSIS OF DIFFERENT TEXT TYPES (NARRATIVE,

EXPOSITORY, DESCRIPTIVE, PERSUASIVE AND ARGUMENTATIVE)

Select FOUR out of five text types from the following and analyse the texts. Answer the
questions that follows based on the selected texts.
You are required to provide EXAMPLES from the text for Question 2 and Question 3 of
each text. NO MARKS will be awarded if examples are not provided.

TEXT 1
Read the following text and answer the questions.

Remember the scepticism last year when the United States banned most aerosol sprays

containing chlorofluorocarbons? People found it hard to believe that squirting deodorant

out of a can was jeopardizing the stratospheric ozone layer, which protects the earth from

excessive ultraviolet radiation. It was like finding out that eating candy causes
earthquakes.

But now almost all experts agree that ozone-eating aerosol gases do indeed rise slowly

into the stratosphere, where sunlight breaks them down and releases chlorine that does
in

fact erode the ozone layer. Even worse, the ozone seems to be eroding much faster than

originally believed. The threat has not been eliminated, only postponed, by the American
ban.
“The Ozone” (Maccoun 1983)

1. Which of the 5 text types does this text belong to?

The text type is argumentative.
(2 marks)
2. Name TWO grammatical features that are in the text that allow you to say it belongs to a
particular text type?
The two grammatical features are the introduction to the text are usually an attention
grabber or the hook to the text, containing the thesis statement for the argument. An
example of this is “Remember the scepticism last year when the United States banned most
aerosol sprays containing chlorofluorocarbons? People found it hard to believe that squirting
deodorant out of a can was jeopardizing the stratospheric ozone layer, which protects the
earth from excessive ultraviolet radiation.” The second feature is the existence of the
counterargument to deny any earlier statement made about the argument. An example of
this is “But now almost all experts agree that ozone-eating aerosol gases do indeed rise
slowly into the stratosphere, where sunlight breaks them down and releases chlorine that
does in fact erode the ozone layer.”
 (4 marks)
3. Name TWO characteristic features of this text type.
The two characteristic features are the use of sentence connectors to provide
structure to the argument made. The example is “Even worse, the ozone seems to be
eroding much faster than originally believed.” The other characteristic feature is there are
references made to authorities about the issue at hand. An example of this is “But now
almost all experts agree that ozone-eating aerosol gases do indeed rise slowly into the
stratosphere, where sunlight breaks them down and releases chlorine that does in fact erode
the ozone layer.
(4 marks)
TEXT 2
Read the following text and answer the questions.

There was once an old farmer who owned a very stubborn donkey. One evening, the
farmer was trying to put his donkey into its shed. The farmer pushed the donkey, but the
donkey would not move. Then the farmer pulled the donkey, but the donkey still would
not
move ... as soon as the cat scratched the dog; the dog began to bark. The barking dog
frightened the donkey who jumped immediately into its shed.
Adapted from: https://www.slideshare.net/KarRamoso/text-types

1. Which of the 5 text types does this text belong to?

The text type is narrative.
(2 marks)
2. Name TWO grammatical features that are in the text that allow you to say it belongs to a
particular text type?
The two grammatical features are orientation where the time and setting of the text is
established. An example of this is “There was once an old farmer who owned a very
stubborn donkey.” The second feature is complication where the text present obstacles that
the character need to face to advance the story. An example of this is “One evening, the
farmer was trying to put his donkey into its shed. The farmer pushed the donkey, but the
donkey would not move. Then the farmer pulled the donkey, but the donkey still would not
move.”
(4 marks)
3. Name TWO characteristic features of this text type.
The two characteristics are the text illustrates details on what had happened and the order of
it happened in the story. An example of this is “One evening, the farmer was trying to put his
donkey into its shed. The farmer pushed the donkey, but the donkey would not move” The
second characteristic is there would be various actions embedded in the text itself. An
example of this is “as soon as the cat scratched the dog; the dog began to bark. The barking
dog frightened the donkey who jumped immediately into its shed.”
 (4 marks)

TEXT 3
Read the following text and answer the questions.

“Our society needs to be informed about these crimes, but when the images of the young

killers are broadcast on television, they become role models. The average child in
America

watches 27 hours of television a week. The average child gets more one-on-one

communication from TV than from all her parents and teachers combined. The ultimate

achievement for our children is to get their picture on TV. The solution is simple, and it

comes straight out of the sociology literature: The media have every right and
responsibility

to tell the story, but they must be persuaded not to glorify the killers by presenting their

images on TV.”

1. Which of the 5 text types does this text belong to?

_________________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)
2. Name TWO grammatical features that are in the text that allow you to say it belongs to a
particular text type?
_________________________________________________________________________
(4 marks)
3. Name TWO characteristic features of this text type.
_________________________________________________________________________
(4 marks)

TEXT 4
Read the following text and answer the questions.

The gardens of Lowfield Hall are overgrown now and weeds push their way up through
the

gravel of the drive. One of the drawing-room windows, broken by a village boy, has been
1. Which of the 5 text types does this text belong to?
The text type is descriptive.
(2 marks)
2. Name TWO grammatical features that are in the text that allow you to say it belongs to a
particular text type?
The two grammatical features are the text would usually employ adjectives to
properly describe the object of attention. An example of this is “The gardens of Lowfield Hall
are overgrown now and weeds push their way up through the gravel of the drive.” The
second feature is the text would usually use simple present tense as the text would only
describe the current condition and facts about the object. An example of this is “There are
six bedrooms in Lowfield Hall, a drawing room, a dining room, a morning room, three
bathrooms, a kitchen, and what are known as usual offices.”
(4 marks)
3. Name TWO characteristic features of this text type.
The two characteristics are the text would be filled with attributes or facts that are
related to the object. An example of this is “ One of the drawing-room windows, broken by a
village boy, has been boarded up, and wisteria, killed by summer drought, hangs above the
front door like an old dried net.” The other characteristic is the illustration that the text
provided would be specific to the object that is currently described. An example of this is “On
that April morning the house wasn’t exactly dirty, but it wasn’t clean either. There was a
bluish film on all the thirty-three windows, and the film was decorated with fingerprints.
(4 marks)

TEXT 5
Read the following text and answer the questions.

Speech production is made possible by the specialised movements of our vocal organs

that generate speech sounds waves.

Like all sound production, speech production requires a source of energy. The source of

energy for speech production is the steady stream of air that comes from the lungs as we

exhale. When we breathe normally, the air stream is inaudible. To become audible, the
air

stream must vibrate rapidly. The vocal cords cause the air stream to vibrate.

As we talk, the vocal cords open and close rapidly, chopping up the steady air stream
into

a series of puffs. These puffs are heard as a buzz. But this buzz is still not speech. To

produce speech sounds, the vocal tract must change shape. During speech we
continually

alter the shape of the vocal tract by moving the tongue and lips, etc. These movements
1. Which of the 5 text types does this text belong to?
The text type is expository.
(2 marks)
2. Name TWO grammatical features that are in the text that allow you to say it belongs to a
particular text type?
The two grammatical features are the text would have an order to the explanation of
the subject matter. An example of this is “As we talk, the vocal cords open and close rapidly,
chopping up the steady air stream into a series of puffs. These puffs are heard as a buzz”
The other feature is the text is written without any personal pronoun so that the text would
not become biased. An example of this is “When we breathe normally, the air stream is
inaudible. To become audible, the air stream must vibrate rapidly.”
(4 marks)

3. Name TWO characteristic features of this text type.

The two characteristics are the text would use simple present tense as the text would only
concise of facts and information about the subject matter. An example of this is “But this
buzz is still not speech. To produce speech sounds, the vocal tract must change shape.” The
second characteristic is the facts that is present in the text would be followed up with
explanation and evidence so that text would be credible to the readers. An example of this is
“During speech we continually alter the shape of the vocal tract by moving the tongue and
lips, etc. These movements change the acoustic properties of the vocal tract, which in turn
produce the different sounds of speech.”
(4 marks)