How to Analyze Newspaper Language
Find a newspaper article that interests you., Summarise the main points of the article in your own words., State the purpose of the article., Explain your choice of purpose by quoting word(s) or phrase(s) from the article to support your answer to...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Find a newspaper article that interests you.
Give the title and date.
Use online databases to find articles in journals, newspapers and magazines.
You can even use old newspapers.
You can also go to a library.
You can search for articles by the article author, title, or keyword. -
Step 2: Summarise the main points of the article in your own words.
It is much easier if you note down the brief and important points.
Take notes on a notepad, usually as a bullet list or paragraphs. , You must note that many articles may have multiple purposes (e.g. to entertain and persuade).
Identify what you consider to be the main purpose, explaining your reasons in the 4th step if necessary.
To entertain To inform To persuade To examine/explore an issue To describe/report To instruct , While quoting, present them in a creative idea to give your reader a good impression about your analysis. , You must keep in mind that many articles will contain a variety of tones.
You should identify one significant tone, or the tone which seems to pervade the article. , Quote words or phrases from the article and analyse how they create the tone you identified in step
5. , Analyse each technique and explain its purpose or effect.
Basic techniques to comment on include: word-choice, imagery and sentence structure.
Refer to the ‘Higher English Terminology List’ for more detail and further techniques , This is so an article can change between early and late editions, and be shortened, without affecting its essential content. , Define them using a dictionary or online dictionary.
Many words have several definitions.
Be certain to only provide the definition appropriate to this context.
If you cannot find three words unknown to you, choose three which you think are particularly complex, sophisticated or interesting, and define them. , Write a short personal response to the article – what is your opinion or reaction to the topic/issue? What questions does it make you ask? Do you agree or disagree with the article’s stance? What did you find interesting, puzzling or informative about the article? What event led to the writing of the article? -
Step 3: State the purpose of the article.
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Step 4: Explain your choice of purpose by quoting word(s) or phrase(s) from the article to support your answer to step 3.
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Step 5: Identify the tone of the article.
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Step 6: Justify your choice of tone with evidence from the text.
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Step 7: Identify three techniques which have been employed by the writer.
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Step 8: Remember than newspaper articles are written in an “inverse pyramid” style
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Step 9: with the main detail up front.
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Step 10: Quote three words from the article that are unfamiliar to you.
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Step 11: Think about the ideas
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Step 12: opinions or issues involved in the article you have read.
Detailed Guide
Give the title and date.
Use online databases to find articles in journals, newspapers and magazines.
You can even use old newspapers.
You can also go to a library.
You can search for articles by the article author, title, or keyword.
It is much easier if you note down the brief and important points.
Take notes on a notepad, usually as a bullet list or paragraphs. , You must note that many articles may have multiple purposes (e.g. to entertain and persuade).
Identify what you consider to be the main purpose, explaining your reasons in the 4th step if necessary.
To entertain To inform To persuade To examine/explore an issue To describe/report To instruct , While quoting, present them in a creative idea to give your reader a good impression about your analysis. , You must keep in mind that many articles will contain a variety of tones.
You should identify one significant tone, or the tone which seems to pervade the article. , Quote words or phrases from the article and analyse how they create the tone you identified in step
5. , Analyse each technique and explain its purpose or effect.
Basic techniques to comment on include: word-choice, imagery and sentence structure.
Refer to the ‘Higher English Terminology List’ for more detail and further techniques , This is so an article can change between early and late editions, and be shortened, without affecting its essential content. , Define them using a dictionary or online dictionary.
Many words have several definitions.
Be certain to only provide the definition appropriate to this context.
If you cannot find three words unknown to you, choose three which you think are particularly complex, sophisticated or interesting, and define them. , Write a short personal response to the article – what is your opinion or reaction to the topic/issue? What questions does it make you ask? Do you agree or disagree with the article’s stance? What did you find interesting, puzzling or informative about the article? What event led to the writing of the article?
About the Author
Amber Henderson
Experienced content creator specializing in cooking guides and tutorials.
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