Term Definition Example

Audience Those who read, view or hear a text. Target People who watch a performance on stage.
audience is a specific audience that a composer is
hoping to reach.
Purpose The reason for which something is done or The purpose can be to inform, to express or reflect, to
created or for which something exists. entertain, to persuade or to explain. The purpose of a
comedian is to entertain their audience.
Context Cultural, historical, social, situational and personal A written text such as a newspaper item about kitchens
circumstances in which a text is composed and would have a very different context in 1850 compared
responded to. with 1950 or 2050.
Tone The composer’s attitude to what (s)he is saying, "Here's much to do with hate, but more with love," –
and to her/his responders. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. Set at the
beginning of the play, this sentence indicates that the
story will be a love story but it will be one with a
sombre or sad note, rather than a happy ending.
Mood The feeling or atmosphere of a setting or text. It is A light-hearted, happy mood may have been generated
the feeling the reader gets from reading those by scenes full of dazzling light reflected off the sea and
words. the white walls of a Greek fishing village. Drifts of lively
music, laughter, crowds milling about in colourful
costumes, tantalising smells of food being prepared – so
many ways the reader’s senses may be tickled and a
mood evoked.
Formal A broad term for speech or writing marked by an “If we consider the situation in emergency wards, with
Language impersonal, objective, and precise use of increasingly low staff retention rates, there are
language. concerns about the capacity of hospitals to maintain
adequate doctor to patient ratios.”
Informal Makes use of slang and colloquialisms and “The way I look at it, someone needs to start doing
Language employs the conventions of spoken language. something about disease. What’s the big deal? People
are dying. But the average person doesn’t think twice
about it until it affects them. Or someone they know.”
Evaluative Suggests the degree of approval or helps compare Important, best, most, truth, largest, more popular
Language ideas.
Connectives Words that join or link other words, phrases and Firstly, secondly, thirdly
clauses within a sentence.
Conjunctions Words or phrases that link ideas in clauses, As a result of…
sentences and paragraphs. For example…
Simple A simple sentence contains a single clause. I spoke to her mother.
Sentences Have you got the time?
Complex In complex sentences, there is a clause expressing The plant died (because it wasn’t watered).
Sentences the main message and another clause which
elaborates the main message in some way.
Reported When reports are made of something that was Many residents say…
speech said, written or thought. It is words attributed to The majority of people would agree…
(indirect but not actually directly spoken by a character. If He said the test was very difficult…
speech) reporting a general truth, the present tense will
be used.
Logos The use of logic, rationality, and critical reasoning Statistic – “50% of marriages end in divorce”.
to persuade. Logos appeals to the mind. Logos
seeks to persuade the reader intellectually.
Ethos The ongoing establishment of a writer’s or Experience and authority of person – “Before I was
speaker’s authority, credibility, and believability president, I was the governor of New York”.
as he/she speaks or writes. Ethos appeals to
ethics and character. Ethos seeks to persuade the
reader that the writer/speaker can be trusted and
believed due to his/her noble character or ethical
ways in which he/she is presenting ideas.
Pathos The use of emotion and affect to persuade. Personal anecdote or story – “My mother died of cancer
Pathos appeals to the heart and to one’s when I was twelve. I saw her pain and suffering which is
emotions. Pathos seeks to persuade the reader why I want to support cancer research”.
 emotionally.

Persuasive techniques that appeal to our heads:

Technique Explanation Example
Facts and statistics Including evidence from credible research. Eighty-five percent of Australia’s population lives
in urban areas.
Expert testimony Quoting from recognised experts relevant to Climate change scientist Dr Tim Flannery states
the topic. that…
Examples Including clear examples of your point from One way of cutting carbon emissions is to
real life. encourage more bicycle use, such as in Paris,
where the city provides free bike rental.
Counter arguments Identifying potential opposing arguments and Some people might argue that climate change is a
pointing out its flaws or weaknesses. natural phenomenon, but they ignore the fact
that the rate of change has increased since
industrialisation.
Jargon and sophisticated language Using subject specific language. emissions trading, carbon-neutral economy
Rule of three (Triples) Including a series of three ideas to create a The culling of kangaroos is cruel, wasteful and a
mnemonic (pattern that helps us remember disgrace to our national emblems.
something).
Opinion as fact To represent beliefs as if they are factual Obviously, hunting is cruel.
truths. One can obviously see that…
Appeal to history or tradition Using evidence from history, shared beliefs and Boxing has been around too long to be banned
customs, to support your argument. now.
Statistics Using the results of research. A University of Newcastle survey has reported
that 96 per cent of young women want to have
children but not give up their career.

Persuasive techniques that appeal to our hearts:

Technique Explanation Example
Descriptive Using words to paint clear images for the The river, once sparkling and pristine, is now dank,
language audience. brown and evil-smelling.
Figurative language Whenever you describe something by The firs were hotter than hell.
comparing it to something else. The face is as rough as sandpaper.
Emotive language Words or phrases to make the reader feel It will be the end of the world as we know it.
something.
Inclusive language Using pronouns such as “you”, “we” and We need to act now to preserve the Earth for our
“our”. children.
Anecdotes Adding personal stories to illustrate particular In my local community, I started a recycling
points. awareness program.
Attacks and praise Providing negative comments about an The current government has failed on all accounts…
opponent or positive ones about a supporter.
Rhetorical questions Asking questions that don’t require an answer Can we afford to ignore this problem any further?
but engage the listener.
Colloquial language Using casual language that makes the speaker We all need to change our ‘she’ll be right, mate’
seem on the same level as the everyday attitudes.
person.
Puns Playing cleverly with words. Global warming or global warning?
Bias Presenting a one-sided argument. Does the text only present one side of the
argument?
Superlatives Adjectives to imply the highest or lowest This is the BEST school ever.
quality. It is the WORST book ever written.
Hyperbole An obvious overstatement made for effect and Councils are losing the war against graffiti gangs.
not intended to be taken literally.
Repetition Repeating a single word a number of times We will all suffer for years to come unless we stop
this government, stop them in the workplace, stop
them in the polls, and stop them on election day.
Alliteration Repetition of the first sound in consecutive To rip people off so blatantly shows Mr. Craven to be
words. cruel, calculating and crooked.
Modal Using high/strong, medium and low/weak It is obvious that…
verbs/adverbials/no modal verbs, adverbials/nouns to express a It is certainly proven that…
uns strong/medium/weak position or argument Researchers agree that…
Humour – ridicule, Mocking opposing views; using humour to In the same week that two rich Sydney bosses got
irony, satire attack the logic of an argument bonuses of $7 million, 160 000 Sydney children went
without breakfast.
Summary of Visual and Language Features
You will recognise these terms from previous English units
e.g. Picture Books Unit, Advertising Unit and Newspaper Units.

Visual Techniques Language Techniques

Colour Punctuation
Shots Exaggeration
Angles Simile
Font style Tone
Dot points Narrative person
Numbering Tense
Image size Jargon
Montage Irony
Modality Modal verbs, adverbs and nouns
Logo/brand Statistics
Gaze Pun
Slogan Repetition of a phrase
Bold print Personification
Layout Rhythm
Italics Humour
Salience Alliteration
Vector Syntax
Font size Verbs
Stereotyped image Rhetorical questions
Caption Emotive words
Indenting Onomatopoeia
Double spacing Imperatives
Background Assonance
Shading Word choice
Headings/subheadings Point of view
Drawings Denotation/connotation
Cartoon Imperatives
Illustration Sentence structure
Photographs Paragraphs
Symbols Informative language
Horizontal/vertical print Figurative language
Emotive terms

Other: Other: