Linguistic Analysis

Analysing Linguistic Terminology

In the article, the writer uses varied techniques to engage the reader. For example, the author uses hyperbole very early on "Plummet into an alternate universe." The verb "plummet" is used to give the reader a direct reference to how large the leap is. the word "plummet" gives us connotations of a climber falling to his death. In this article it is used to clarify the vast leap when it comes to switching from A-Levels to GCSE. Perhaps it is used for comedic effect to make the jump from GCSE to A-Level harder than what they actually are, therefore this engages the reading base of teenagers.

This article also uses declarative sentences. The author uses these declarative sentence functions to make the statements seem a lot more like commands.This is because the target audience is much more likely to listen if the structure of the text looks a lot like a set of rules; this is what the author aimed to do. We can see this from the title that is it "eight things i wish i'd known before starting A-Levels" this title suggests that the format will be some sort of list of commands or statements. Later on , the author uses an imperative to engage the reader. This time the writer uses an imperative to tell the students to "get involved in everything you can" The use of this makes it seem much more of a vital point to the reader and one that is much more informing and commanding as the rest of the points throughout the article For example "sticking to your deadlines is a necessity, not a choice" this declaritive headline shows how the other points arent as commanding as the others. these two contrast and show how the author uses different ways of using a declaritive sentence to change the tone of a sentence.

The article is aimed at young people that have just finished their GCSEs. therefore author uses a more informal register and vocabulary that they know their audience will react to. To do this, there is use of subject specific lexis, primarily in the introduction, to engage with the reader from the offset. An example of this is in the introduction when the article says ‘learning about Pythagoras theorem and that mitochondria is…’ By using this particular vocabulary it shows immediate connotations of GCSE Maths and Science. By doing this he grabs the attention of the reader.the article from the Guardian focuses on the younger generation and to be specific, A-Level students. As a result of this the register is primarily informal with the use of hyperbole and proper nouns like "Doritos" and "candy Crush" which depend on pragmatic awareness. The informal register is also due to the use of contractions such as "you've" and "They'll". The mode is written because it is an article and it is predominately about A-Levels and education. You can tell this because of the specific lexis used from the offset in the headline and other examples such as "Pythagoras's Theorem" and "mitochondria."  

The author uses a range of pronouns to engage the reader throughout the text. The indefinite pronoun 'everyone' is used to show the reader that despite their thoughts of being alone in the "alternate universe" they are not alone and they are constantly reassured that they can always seek help from others. Likewise, the personal, second person pronoun ‘you’ is frequently used throughout the piece. Hence, the audience acknowledge that the text is directly addressed to them, so they interpret the information on a personal level. This ensures that the reader follows the given advice and is encouraged to continue reading.