Download Language Features of Informational Texts

Language Features of
Informational Texts
General Features
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Usually written present tense
Normally written in the third person
Provides clear information about a subject
Written mostly in objective and general terms
An Example:
The best of both worlds
The Bellaritz Hotel is situated on a beautiful, peaceful
country estate, just ten minutes drive from the busy
social and shopping opportunities of Belltown.
Structure
• Information texts tend to have either a chronological
(time ordered) or logical structure.
• They tend to group information, moving from general to
more specific detail and examples or elaborations.
• A common structure includes:
- an opening statement, often a general classification
(Sparrows are birds);
- sometimes followed by a more detailed or technical
classification (Their Latin name is ...);
• a description of whatever is the subject of the report
organised in some way to help the reader make sense of
the information. This can be done through the use of
clear paragraphs, each beginning with a topic
sentence or through the use of sub headings.
Lauguage Features
• Often written in the third person and present tense. (They
like to build their nests. It is a cold and dangerous place
to live in.)
• Sometimes written in the past tense, as in a historical
report.
• Usually uses an impersonal tone and appropriate level of
formal vocabulary.
• Description is usually an important feature, including the
language of comparison and contrast. (Polar bears are
the biggest carnivores of all. They hibernate, just like
other bears. A polar bear’s nose is jet black.)
• Description is generally used for precision rather than to
create an emotional response so imagery is not heavily
used.
Controlling Tense
• Denotes concept of time
• Used purposefully
• Present: the now, habits (repeated), facts and
generalizations.
• Past: the past, past actions, past facts.
Modals
• Some words denote not just the past or present
tense, but also attitudes
• Eg. Will/ would, can/ could, may/ might, shall/
should
• Modals: Modal auxiliary verbs are used to moderate
the main verb, that is to enhance or restrict the verb
to a certain context.
Active or Passive Voice?
• Deadly disease kills 500
• 500 killed by deadly disease
• In an active sentence, the subject is doing the
action.
• In passive voice, the target of the action gets
promoted to the subject position. Focus of action
changes from subject to object.
Should I use the active or
passive voice?
Active voice:
• Effective communication. Direct, creates
understanding.
Jack broke the window.
The window was broken by Jack.
(consider this in the light of comprehension)
• A matter of economy – lesser words for a more
precise meaning.
Passive voice:
• A writer may choose to use the passive voice in
order to emphasize one thing over another. In the
example, the ball (rather than Jason) becomes the
most important component of the sentence:
Jason threw the ball
The ball was thrown by Jason
• When we do not know who has committed the
action. For example, in crime reports:
The store was robbed
Somebody robbed the store (x)
• The passive voice gives a sense of objectivity. For
example, in scientific writings:
The DNA was sequenced
We sequenced the DNA (X)
• Obscure the idea of who is taking the action. Used
by politicians:
Mistakes were made
Bombs were dropped, lives were ruined
Subject-verb agreement
• The basic rule states that a singular subject takes a
singular verb, while a plural subject takes a plural
verb.