AS english language... how to make a good text analysis

I'm sitting for my CIE AS English Language paper next Thursday, and I'm a bit confused about how to write a good analysis. I think I can identify language features and their effect alright, but I don't understand how to write a 700 word essay in 30 minutes which analyses a text in detail.
Up to now, I have been using the following outline:
Paragraph 1: brief summary of what the text is about; explanation of audience, purpose of text, mood, tone, register and style.
Paragraph 2: text structure; sentence structure, punctuation, grammar, use of repetition and listing, length of sentences. Effect.
Paragraph 3: viewpoint; use of adjectives, verbs and tenses. Effect.
Paragraph 4: use of figures of speech and their effect.
Paragraph 5: conclusion. Effectiveness of text and overall impact on the reader. Relationship between text and title.

Do you think this is a good outline, or is there something I am forgetting?
Any help will be greatly appreciated. :o:

Reply 1

oxymoronic

I seem to recall that the main things to mention are the grammar aspects and the implied meanings to the audience. Ie: pragmatics. Semantic meanind is also pretty important, but if you're discussing the previous two this will come into it easily.
You don't need to include EVERYTHING in a this is this, this is that, that is the other type of essay- you only have 700 words after all. Remember to quote the text in your essay, this is crucial, and explain everything you say always thinking about the purpose for the text being written and what it is conveying to the audience.

Reply 2

thatkidd

These frameworks are helpful:

Semantics
Pragmatics
Lexis
Grammar
Graphology
Discourse Structure
Phonology

Remember to link things back to context too!

Reply 3

Miss Mary

thatkidd

Semantics
Pragmatics
Lexis
Grammar
Graphology
Discourse Structure
Phonology

Can you explain what you mean by these? I'm not very familiar with those terms :confused:

Reply 4

thatkidd

Semantics - denotative meaning
Pragmatis - implied meaning
Lexis - vocabulary/words
Grammar - if you don't know this you'll fail miserably
Graphology - the way the text looks
Discourse structure - the way the discourse is structured i.e. turn taking, Grice's maxims, Robin Lakoff, non-fluency features, deixis
Phonology - the actual sounds; alliteration, assonance, morphological manipulation etc.

Reply 5

Miss Mary

thatkidd

Right. Thanks a lot!

Reply 6

thatkidd

Miss Mary

Right. Thanks a lot!

It's okay

I meant assonance not association btw! Sorry.

Reply 7

Berbchickspeed

Just starting my AS in English langauge this year, and this has been a great help towards it :biggrin:

thank you!

Reply 8

rhiannonproctor

What grade did you get using this outline? I have my exam on monday and im stressing out about how to set it out😩

Reply 9

tim890

http://www.englishbiz.co.uk/mainguides/a-level_frameworks.htm

Reply 10

muni_123

Examiners mark on the choice of explanation of quotes in the extract using language features, context and linking back to the question.What you said in the conclusion is a good outline.Just remember to develop your ideas as much as possible and think about how different parts of the extract portray different views.