Cambridge International AS Level English Language
■ Comment on the ways in which language and style are used to present the
relationship between …
■ Comment on the ways in which language and style are used to persuade the
audience to …
■ Comment on the ways in which language and style are used to present the
writer’s attitude towards …
In the latter examples, you are given more guidance with references, perhaps to
comment on:
■ the writer’s purpose or attitude (i.e. to present, to persuade, etc.)
■ particular aspects or focuses (i.e. a relationship, a place, an event).
V .
On your own, look at this question about a passage taken from a travel
account:
Comment on the ways in which style and language are used by Paul eroux
to present his attitude towards the people he meets in the stadium.
With a partner discuss:
■ Whose style and language should you focus on?
■ What particular purpose of the writer should you address?
■ What or who in the passage must you consider?
4
TIP What are style and language?
Aspects such as purpose, Understanding what style and language are may seem obvious, but it is important
audience and context will
you understand the sort of areas you are being expected to comment on.
not always be apparent, or
even relevant, when you
Style
read passages for analysis,
but keeping them in mind is Style might be considered as everything that gives a particular text its unique and
useful and can help you focus individual ‘avour’. e ingredients that make up style will include:
your analysis.
■ form: the shape, organisation and overall structure of the text
■ language: the vocabulary, grammar, syntax, variety of sentences, choice of
tense, register and so on.
KEY TERMS
To understand the particular style and language of a text, or that a writer employs,
register the type of language it is also helpful for you to explore:
used for a particular purpose, or
in a particular setting ■ the purpose of texts (which may be explicit or implied), for example to
context the background, persuade, inform, or describe
setting, form or culture in which ■ the audience or reader at whom the text is aimed (which can be specic or
the text was written or is set general)
■ the context of the text, for example when, where and how it was produced.
To get yourself thinking about style and language, begin by reading these three
dierent paragraphs from texts.
Part 1 Unit 1: Reading non-fiction
A I had never felt so alone. e wide sweep of the vendors who shout out their wares – these simply
Andes stretched in front of me, a seemingly add to the intoxicating recipe. You will soon be
in nite expanse of ice and rock. e air cut into hooked!
my cheeks, and blinded me, as I stood unsteadily
C All I can say is that the décor was more tasteful
looking down on the valley below. en, for
than the food … and more colourful. My starter
a moment, the skies cleared above me, and I
was brown paté on brown toast … the eect
saw a single, solitary condor rise on the breeze,
was, how shall I put it … er, brown and, if it is
eortless and free. I would be that condor. I
possible for a colour to be a taste, it tasted brown,
would rise above my despair.
or perhaps beige, which is even less powerful.
B Do not be put o by the noise and smell of the e starter’s lack of taste was only beaten by the
city as you arrive. is is one of its charms, and gloopy slop that came with my steak. e menu
just part of the heady brew that makes it such a said ‘Celeriac purée’, my plate said, ‘Wallpaper
wonderful and magical place to visit. e narrow paste’.
streets, the Old City with its minarets, the street-
KEY TERMS V .
voice the distinctive tone and
perspective of the writer 1 With a partner, talk about each text in turn. Consider:
tone the ‘feel’, mood or ■ the voice of the writer (Who is speaking? Do we know? What form
emotion present in a text of address do they use? What tense? Is the tone humorous, reective,
formality language which angry?)
observes agreed conventions, ■ the formality or informality (How ‘close’ to the reader is the tone? Is it 5
which would be used in business chatty? Does it use speech-like language or punctuation?)
or professional contexts,
■ other language choices (e.g. use of particular vocabulary)
particularly in less personal
contexts ■ the types or variety of sentence used (Short? Long? Simple?
informality language best Complex?)
suited to close or personal ■ symbols or imagery
contexts, in which accepted
■ the order or structure of the text (Does it matter? What can we learn
rules or conventions can
be adapted, abbreviated or from it?).
otherwise altered, for example, 2 Share your ideas with another pair and then feed back responses to the rest
in writing that sounds more like of the class or group.
speaking
■ Did you nd a way of describing the style and language for each of
symbol a word or phrase these texts?
that can represent an idea; for
■ Did any of the texts share similar elements of style and language?
example, in paragraph A above
the condor represents freedom Which? How?
imagery language that draws
on visual depictions to suggest
ideas, for example, The road Summary
through the mountains was a Remember these key points from this section:
necklace of lights that shimmered
and twinkled ■ Questions can be general and focus broadly on style and language, or can be
more specic and direct you towards key aspects.
■ Understanding what style and language consist of will help you focus on the key
elements you need to comment on.
