Notes

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Text types used in the HSC

Some notes on what to look for -

Don't forget to think about these with any passage you read.

It helps a composer to make decisions about how they construct their meaning:

audience
purpose
situation

There is a downloadable PDF for this information.

The texts:

Cartoon

What is the cartoonist's purpose?	Political commentary? Social commentary? Satire? Entertainment
Who is the cartoonist's audience?	newspaper readers? magazine readers? young adults? adults? children? Australian? Overseas? Where the cartoon appears helps to determine who is the intended audience.
What is the cartoonist's situation or context?	eg newspaper cartoonists are employed to comment on the news of the day and usually submit several drawings from which the editor will choose eg a cartoonist like Matt Groening (The Simpsons) or Larry Park (Wallace and Gromit) is independent and can choose his focus more independently, representing his own views.
Structural features	Single frame single focus Multiple frames story line: where does it begin and end multiple frames with a single focus multiple frames with different foci Relies on readers' knowledge of known events
Language features/Visual features	black and white or colour? use of light and shade; colour tones hand rendered or digital rendering? simple; complex? layout of image/images Use of line? exaggeration simplification of details relationship of figures to one another use of text integrated into the image outside the image eg below

CD Rom cover

What is the purpose?	indicates who the performer is visual enticement reflects the performers style in the recording
Who is the audience?	adolescent young adult adult older classical pop/rock indie etc
What is the situation or context?	visual representations new release retrospective collector's item
Structural features	Front cover image/images: photo or artwork font: sans serif or serif; simple or ornate representational themes Back cover Blurb? Image? Information provided eg song titles
Language features/Visual features	black and white or colour? use of light and shade; colour tones photograph including hand rendered or digitally rendered details simple; complex? layout of image/images Use of camera angles? relationship of figures to one another use of text integrated into the image as a title dominance or title or performer's name font: sans serif or serif; simple or ornate

Essay

What is the purpose?	informal? formal? personal? examines an issue
Who is the audience?	newspaper magazine specialist publication collection under a theme - an anthology an author's collection English text book etc Where the essay appears helps to determine who is the intended audience.
What is the situation or context?
Structural features	Opening paragraph and it's intended impact on the responder? Means of developing the argument? Use of examples to support the argument Closing paragraph and it's intended impact on the responder? Tone?
Language features/Visual features	First person? Third person? a persona? Objective? subjective? Figurative language? Description? Rhetorical questions?

Front book cover

What is the purpose?	to inform to entertain to instruct to frighten to excite to amuse etc
Who is the audience?	adolescent young adult adult older novice expert lover of a literary genre lover of the particular author
What is the situation or context?
Structural features	Front cover image/images: photo or artwork font: sans serif or serif; simple or ornate representation of themes
Language features/Visual features	black and white or colour? use of light and shade; colour tones photograph or drawing? simple; complex? layout of image/images includes hand rendered or digitally rendered details Use of camera angles? relationship of figures to one another use of text integrated into the image as a title dominance or title or author's name font: sans serif or serif; simple or ornate

Inside book cover

What is the purpose?	Provides more information to the potential reader than the cover
Who is the audience?	adolescent young adult adult older novice expert lover of a literary genre lover of a particular writer
What is the situation or context?
Structural features	Brief - c. 200 words Evaluation of the author's achievement? May continue to the inside back cover Introduction to content/storyline in more depth than the blurb on the back cover
Language features/Visual features	Figurative language Descriptive language Concise

Literary reflection

Also have a look at the Personal response or review text type

What is the purpose?	to amuse to entertain to question to evaluate
Who is the audience?	adolescent young adult adult older novice expert lover of a literary genre lover of a particular writer lover of the writer of the reflection
What is the situation or context?	magazine section of a newspaper magazine journal memoir collection of essays anthology etc
Structural features	Description of the text - brief Examination of strengths of the text Examination of the weaknesses of the text Personal evaluation
Language features/Visual features	First person? Third person? Subjective? Emotive language? Tone?

Narrative

Look also at the Narrative text type

What is the purpose?	to entertain to instruct to frighten to excite to amuse etc
Who is the audience?	adolescent young adult adult older readers of an author readers of a genre etc
What is the situation or context?
Structural features	Chronological narrative Circular narrative Stream of consciousness? Flashbacks First person narrative? Third person narrative? Development of a theme Focus on a central character or characters
Language features/Visual features	Use of description Use of figurative language development of characters Use of dialogue Creation of tension or suspense Use of atmosphere etc

Non-fiction extract

What is the purpose?	to inform to describe to question to entertain etc
Who is the audience?	newspaper magazine specialist publication collection under a theme - an anthology an author's collection English text book etc Where the extract is taken from and then appears helps to determine who is the intended audience.
What is the situation or context?
Structural features	Opening paragraph and it's intended impact on the responder? Sense that material exists before the given extract? Means of developing the topic discussed? Tone? Incomplete - what is the point at which the extract is closed?
Language features/Visual features	First person? Third person? a persona? Objective? subjective? Figurative language? Description? Rhetorical questions? etc

Photographic record

What is the purpose?
Who is the audience?
What is the situation or context?
Structural features
Language features/Visual features

Poem

What is the purpose?	personal expression of a single thought or emotion
Who is the audience?
What is the situation or context?	the context of the composer at the time of writing public? private?
Structural features	features of traditional forms eg the sonnet stanza patterns rhyme rhythm
Language features/Visual features	figurative language emotive language persona description symbolism mood tone atmosphere

Powerpoint presentation

What is the purpose?	professional educational public informative political etc
Who is the audience?	familiar unfamiliar social community educational business political
What is the situation or context?	community educational commercial political
Structural features	theme logo opening statement slide nature determines themes per slide recommendation
Language features/Visual features	concise bullet points graphs etc images text

Prose extract

What is the purpose?	fiction? non-fiction? informal? formal? personal? examines an issue
Who is the audience?	newspaper magazine specialist publication collection under a theme - an anthology an author's collection English text book etc Where the extract is taken from and then appears helps to determine who is the intended audience.
What is the situation or context?
Structural features	Opening paragraph and it's intended impact on the responder? Sense that material exists before the given extract? Means of developing the topic discussed? Tone? Incomplete - what is the point at which the extract is closed?
Language features/Visual features	First person? Third person? a persona? Objective? subjective? Figurative language? Description? Rhetorical questions? etc

Song lyric

What is the purpose?	subjective development of a single thought or emotion
Who is the audience?	modern: fans of a recording artist classical: readers of traditional forma of poetry This is determined by the nature of the lyric. Likely to be modern in an HSC exam situation.
What is the situation or context?	composer's context when writing the lyric
Structural features	verses dramatic statement of theme
Language features/Visual features	figurative language rhyme rhythm repetition refrain tone mood

Speech

Look at the Exposition text type.

What is the purpose?	serious informal to entertain expressing a point of view as part of a debate etc
Who is the audience?	known - familiar unknown
What is the situation or context?
Structural features	Salutation Register - consistency presentation of arguments elaboration on the arguments presented reinforcement
Language features/Visual features	register - formal/informal? rhetorical devices colloquialisms? slang? description emotive language body language tone mood

Visual arts review

What is the purpose?	to amuse to inform to entertain to question to evaluate
Who is the audience?	those with a special interest those with cultural interests students visual artists
What is the situation or context?	magazine section of a newspaper magazine specialist journal memoir collection of essays anthology etc
Structural features	Description of the work - brief an historical context Examination of strengths of the text Examination of the weaknesses of the text Personal evaluation
Language features/Visual features	First person? Third person? Subjective? Emotive language? Tone?

Website

What is the purpose?
Who is the audience?
What is the situation or context?
Structural features
Language features/Visual features