text types Flashcards
brochure
a document to introduce a company, service, product or organisation and inform its potential customers of the benefits
usually folded pieces of paper that contains crucial information about the product, organisation, company or service
characteristics of brochures, flyers, leaflets
produced by, aim, target audience
- produced by people offering a service or product with the intention to sell it and spread the word
- usually colourful and focused on aesthetic design
- aim: to attract customers and increase their consumer base
- target audience: people in need of the product or service offered
what do brochures/flyers/leaflets include?
name of the product
intended use of the product
its manufacturer
pictures
ways of contacting the producer, address
travel writing
- = a genre of non-fiction writing in which the author describes places they have visited and their experiences while travelling
- the author shares the experiences, observations, and reflections during their travels to different places
- may focus on the personal journey of the author or offer a detailed description of a specific destination
- can take on many forms: books, articles, blogs, …
aim, author, target audience of travel writing
- aim: inform and entertain the audience about destinations and trip details ⇒ combines factual information with personal insights
- author: explorers, journalists, adventurers, bloggers, professional writers
- target audience: varies widely depending on the form and content of the text and may include travel enthusiasts, adventureres, explorers, the general public, travel planners
formal characteristics of travel writing
layout, viewpoint, structure, information, description, visuals
- commonly uses an immersive layout ⇒ letting the reader vividly experience the trip through the written word
- viewpoint: often documents the personal experiences of someone exploring a new place or country ⇒ often in the first person
- structure: clear headings and subheadings, in chronological order
- information: can present facts and figures, names and dates, historical or architectural or geographical information and more
- description: visual imagery, vivid description, figurative comparisons, in order to help the reader visualize a far-off place
- visuals: photographs, maps, or floor plans of famous locations
perspective in travel writing
an outsider’s perspective is common especially if the destination is new, exotic or remote
an insider’s perspective if it is inviting the reader to visit or share an experience in a different part of the world
stylistic conventions in travel writing
- first-person narrative (the author shares their personal experience, thoughts, and feelings)
- descriptive language (descriptions of places, people, food, landscapes, and cultures)
- use of metaphors and similes (comparing unfamiliar places to known concepts)
- anecdotes (help engage the reader and make the narrative more relatable)
- use of humor (especially in more informal or blog-style travel writing)
- reflective tone
article def
= a piece of writing on a particular subject in a newspaper or magazine, or on the internet
six main issues regarding any news
who, what, when, where, why and how
magazine def
= a periodical publication containing articles by various writers; especially one with stories, articles on general subjects; usually illustrated
authors of magazine articles
produded by publication companies
articles are written by subject matter experts or by the magazine’s own staff writers
purpose, target audience of magazine articles
purpose: to inform its readers about certain topics, gossip, stories and provoke thought or sometimes even influence opinion
target audience: enthusiasts, professionals or hobbyists interested in specific topics, on which the magazine is focused on
structural characteristics of magazines and magazine articles
magazine: articles, photos and the cover
magazine articles: headline (attention-grabbing) => introduction, lead (hook) => body (often divided into sections with subheadings (greater detail on a certain topic) => conclusion (summarizes the main points or leaves the reader with a thought-provoking question/ending)
stylistic conventions of magazine articles
- anecdotes, personal stories
- imagery
- informal language, conversational tone
- terms specific to a certain field/subject
- metaphors, analogies
- descriptive language
- photographs, illustrations
- eye-catching colors
newspaper def
= a printed publication, usually issued daily or weekly, consisting of folded unstapled sheets and containing news, articles, advertisements and correspondence
authors of newspaper articles
the newspaper is created by a team of journalists, editors and layout designers
articles within the newspaper are then written by individual, different journalists or staff reporters
purpose, target audience of news articles
purpose of news articles: to objectively inform the public about current events, doing so clearly and quickly
target audience: varies on the theme, consists of people seeking factual, reliable updates about different situations (mainstream publications ⇒ wider audience; specific information ⇒ smaller audience)
structural characteristics of a newspaper article
headline (an idea of the articles content)
inverted pyramid structure ⇒ most important information is presented at the beginning of the article, while towards the end the information is decreasingly important
introduction (main information, often in bold)
body (provides supporting information, background)
quotes from relevant sources
date of publication
stylistic conventions of a newspaper
- AP (Associated Press) style of writing ⇒ standardizing grammar, punctuation, language
- short, clear sentences and paragraphs
- objective tone
- images, videos (online), photographs
newspaper vs magazine article
- tone (magazines ⇒ more narrative, opinionated; news ⇒ objective)
- length (magazines ⇒ longer, more detailed; news ⇒ concise, straight to the point)
- engagement (magazines ⇒ entertaining, captivating; news ⇒ informative)
editorial
leader (UK) = article commonly found in newspapers, magazines, or online platforms that expresses the opinion of the publication’s editorial team, the publisher, or a specific journalist on a particular topic or an issue
provides commentary, analysis, and critique of discussed topics (usually political, social, and cultural issues)
aim, target audience of an editorial
aim: offer in-depth commentary and an analysis of recent events or trends, to influence the public’s opinion, to encourage action or change, and to raise awareness
target audience: general readers of news media or a specific newspaper, magazine, website (can range from a broad to a particular group depending on the topic discussed in the article)
stylistic conventions of editorials
- persuasive, authoritative tone (convinces readers of the validity of the author’s opinion and establishes credibility)
- language ⇒ formal, clear, concise
- rhetorical devices ⇒ hyperbole, irony, metaphors, analogies, rhetorical questions
op-ed def
= a post in a newspaper that appears to oppose the editorial, though it has more recently become a column written by a person not working for the press who is usually an expert on the topic and can, therefore, offer some insight
target audience of an op-ed
specific audience that reads the newspaper, groups of people connected to the topic of writing
stylistic conventions of an op-ed
- calls for action on a present topic
- has a clear purpose, thesis
- well argumented
- conversational tone, oftentimes contemplative, descriptive, experienced, authoritative
- emotive language appropriate for its target audience
- clear and concise
- rhetorical devices: rhetorical questions, anecdotes, analogies, metaphors
memoir
= a narrative, written from the perspective of the author, about an important part of their life
types of memoirs
- transformational memoir ⇒ written after an author has endured a great challenge, theme of redemption
- confessional memoir ⇒ description of the author’s painful secrets about themselves or their family, how these secrets affect people
- professional, celebrity memoir ⇒ important moments in the author’s rise to fame and success
- travel memoir ⇒ about a time and place through the author’s POV
target audience of a memoir
those who share similar experiences or perspectives
those who oppose the author’s views
author of a memoir
memoirist ⇒ shares the story from their own past, or the past of a relative, friend or close one, usually comes from the belief that their story is important
purpose of a memoir
- a way of coping
- spreading awareness, finding people who have been in similar situations
- sharing the author’s worldview and wisdom
- insight on why a person became who they are (professional memoir)
- sway people to take on the author’s own perspectives, worldviews
formal characteristics of memoirs
- specific focus
- structure: introduction – body – conclusion
- narrative is story-like
- chronological order
- slow-paced
- follows an emotional journey
- specific to a theme
stylistic conventions of memoirs
- imagery
- first-person narrative
- reflective, vulnerable and honest tone
- literary devices (metaphors, similes)
- emphasis on story-telling
how an autobiography differs from a memoir
- a memoir does not span over the entire life of the author
- an autobiography primarily focuses on facts
interview def
= a conversation including questions and answers that happens between an interviewer and an interviewee
recorded in some way
purpose of an interview
to inform, to discuss controversial issues and entertain
structure of an interview
- introductory context = starts with background information on the interviewee and the purpose of the interview
- Q&A format
- questions can follow a natural sequence (chronological) or focus on specific themes
stylistic conventions of an interview
- direct speech
- open-ended questions
- consistent tone
blog def
= online journal, informational website
topical ⇒ about current affairs that people care about
author, purpose and target audience of a blog
author: individuals, influencers, industry experts, businesses, organizations, …
purpose: share knowledge, promote a brand or service, inform, entertain, inspire, engage, …
target audience: general readers, niche interest groups, professionals, potential customers, or fans
stylistic conventions of a blog
- conversational tone
- first or second person narration
- inclusive language
- questions, anecdotes to promote engagement
- visuals
- SEO ⇒ include keywords, headings, tags to improve visibility in search engines
text type conventions of a letter
- name, date, address
- salutation
- statement of purpose = short and clear outlining of the reason for writing the letter, usually found in the opening paragraph
- register = distance between the writer and recipient
- call to action = what the writer would like the reader to do in response to the letter, usually at the end of the letter
- closing
types of letters
- formal letter
- informal letter
- letter to an editor
- open letter
target audience of a formal letter
organisations, companies, people we don’t know personally and are not intimately connected with them
style of a formal letter
use of full sentences, paragraphs, formal labels
lack of contractions, abbreviations
more complex sentence structure
objective, formal language and register
use of formulaic expressions (= conversational speech formulas, idioms, proverbs, pause fillers, counting, swearing, and other conventional and multiword units)
target audience and purpose of an informal letter
target audience: friends, relatives, romantic interests
purpose: to inform, amuse, inquire, request
style of an informal letter
- frequent colloquial language
- subjective, emotional language
- contractions and abbreviations
- idiomatic language
- anecdotes
target audience and purpose of a letter to an editor
- target audience: a magazine or newspaper in response to an article
- editors decide which letters to publish, which to discard
- purpose: to reflect the opinions of the publication’s readers
structure of a letter to an editor
- opening and closing salutations
- reference to the original article: title, date, author
- a clear statement of the purpose of the letter, the author’s opinion
- counter argument, recommendation
- call to answer (frequently a rhetorical question)
- signature: name, surname, where from the letter was written (for the writer’s context)
- brevity: usually brief and state their point immediately
style of a letter to an editor
- full sentences and paragraphs
- punchy, concise sentences
- objective, formal language and register
- no contractions
- rhetorical questions
- criticism of the original article, commending the author and reiterating their points
- interesting facts
- quotations
purpose and structure of an open letter
purpose: to be read by a wide audience or for an individual, but is nonetheless widely distributed
structure: letter addressed to an individual but provided to the public through media
cartoons vs comics
Cartoons ⇒ just one panel, captures just one specific moment in time
Comic (graphic novel) ⇒ multiple panels, captures several moments in time
panel vs frame vs gutter
Panel = the individual segment or box that contains a part of the story (the content)
Frame = the border or outline around a panel
Gutter = the space between panels
features of cartoons and comics
- composition ⇒ foreground, background, left, right, angle, distance, balance, lines
- negative space
- narrative ⇒ context (time and setting), characters in the panels (clothing, size, hands, feet, face, eyes, gaze, distortion through caricature), plot (emanata, speech bubbles, thought bubbles, voice-over)
- objects and symbols
- color
- language, since cartoons and comics are multimodal texts
how are ideas communicated in images and magazine covers
ideas are communicated through signifiers, the message they send are what is signified
what can image be?
- a symbol ⇒ it stands for smth abstract
- an icon ⇒ it resembles the thing it stands for
- a logo ⇒ resembles an organisation
composition
the author’s arrangement of objects in relation to each other, the use of colour and contrast, the amount of negative space, the use of light and depth
visual narrative
an image tells a story
when there is a relationship between the signifier and signified
anchoring
the process of making an image meaningful by adding words and vice versa
key features of a magazine cover
- title (font, placement)
- ears and teasers
- headlines, captions
- photograph
- symbols
- lighting, color
camera angle in photographs
looking up at the subject ⇒ the subject is stronger
looking down at the subject ⇒ the subject is weaker
body language in photographs
- smiles and teeth ⇒ friendliness
- gaze
- position of hands
- skin (skin means exposure ⇒ showing more skin may be interpreted as vulnerability, sexual ability or athletic ability)
- torso
gaze in photographs
looking away from the camera ⇒ subject appears aloof, distant, unapproachable
looking to the camera ⇒ subject appears engaged with the reader
position of hands in photos
crossed arms ⇒ subject appears strong
fidgeting ⇒ weakness
torso in photographs
subject is leaning forward ⇒ subject appears eager to engage with readers or listeners
subject is leaning backward ⇒ subject seems disengaged with readers
what are the goals of advertisement?
- to sell a good, service or idea
- tries to change our habits and behaviours
- aims to change our opinions
ambient advertisement
placing visual and interactive advertisements in unexpected places to surprise and entice your audience
guerrilla advertising
a company uses surprise and/or unconventional interactions in order to promote a product or service
spoof advertisement
humorous advertising that intentionally exaggerates, distorts, or makes fun of a product or service
interstitial ads
full-screen ads that cover the interface of their host app
advertorial
a newspaper or magazine advertisement giving information about a product in the style of an editorial or objective journalistic article
public service announcements
a message shared with the general public that raises awareness about an issue
subvertising
the practice of making spoofs or parodies of corporate and political advertisements
key features of advertisements
- visual narrative ⇒ photographs, images
- copy ⇒ text/words in an advertisement
- tagline ⇒ catchphrase
- signature ⇒ use of product’s name and logo
- slogan ⇒ a phrase used by a product or brand for all of its marketing purposes
advertising techniques
- problem and benefit ⇒ creates a problem you never knew existed and proposing a solution
- bandwagon effect ⇒ everyone else is doing smth
- testimonial ⇒ happy customer recommendations, celebrity endorsement
- association ⇒ products become associated with what it is placed with
