School / IB / ENG A LANG LIT HL / Non-literary text types and conventions (HL) Exam-style + marking analysis
Non-literary text types and conventions (HL) HL-depth comparison of how two non-literary texts use genre convention and rhetorical strategy to achieve different purposes for overlapping audiences.
English A: Language & Literature HL Non-literary text types and conventions (HL)
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1 Text A (a corporate press release): 'We are proud to announce a strategic restructuring that will position the company for long-term success.' Text B (an internal memo leaked to staff): 'Effective Monday, 200 positions will be eliminated. We understand this is difficult news.' Compare how each text's register and word choice construct a different relationship with its respective audience, and explain what the contrast reveals about the gap between public and internal corporate communication. Paper 1 style Medium 4 marks No calculator + 2 Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Text A (a corporate press release): 'We are proud to announce a strategic restructuring that will position the company for long-term success.' Text B (an internal memo leaked to staff): 'Effective Monday, 200 positions will be eliminated. We understand this is difficult news.' Compare how each text's register and word choice construct a different relationship with its respective audience, and explain what the contrast reveals about the gap between public and internal corporate communication.” Their response addresses only this point: “Explains that Text A uses abstract, positive corporate jargon ('strategic restructuring', 'long-term success') that obscures the human cost of the decision from the public/shareholder audience.” Evaluate the response against the complete 4-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks. Marking analysis Medium 4 marks No calculator + 3 Text A (a political speech excerpt): 'My fellow citizens, the choice before us has never been clearer.' Text B (a satirical opinion column responding to similar speeches): 'Every politician's speech apparently arrives at the one moment in history when the choice has 'never been clearer' — strange, since the last ten elections all made the same claim.' Explain how Text B uses Text A's own convention (the 'never been clearer' claim) against it, and explain the rhetorical effect of this technique. Paper 1 style Easy 3 marks No calculator + 4 Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Text A (a political speech excerpt): 'My fellow citizens, the choice before us has never been clearer.' Text B (a satirical opinion column responding to similar speeches): 'Every politician's speech apparently arrives at the one moment in history when the choice has 'never been clearer' — strange, since the last ten elections all made the same claim.' Explain how Text B uses Text A's own convention (the 'never been clearer' claim) against it, and explain the rhetorical effect of this technique.” Their response addresses only this point: “Explains that Text B directly quotes the clichéd political phrase ('never been clearer') and then undermines it by pointing out its repeated, formulaic use across many different elections.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks. Marking analysis Easy 3 marks No calculator + 5 Text A (an airline safety card instruction): 'In the event of a water landing, your seat cushion may be used as a flotation device.' Text B (a stand-up comedy transcript): 'They tell you your seat cushion floats. Floats! Not 'saves you', not 'definitely works' — just floats. I don't want a maybe. I want a guarantee.' Explain how Text B's comedic technique depends on a close, literal reading of Text A's careful, legally precise language. Paper 1 style Medium 4 marks No calculator + 6 Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Text A (an airline safety card instruction): 'In the event of a water landing, your seat cushion may be used as a flotation device.' Text B (a stand-up comedy transcript): 'They tell you your seat cushion floats. Floats! Not 'saves you', not 'definitely works' — just floats. I don't want a maybe. I want a guarantee.' Explain how Text B's comedic technique depends on a close, literal reading of Text A's careful, legally precise language.” Their response addresses only this point: “Explains that Text A's language is deliberately precise and limited ('may be used as a flotation device') for legal reasons, avoiding any overstated promise of safety.” Evaluate the response against the complete 4-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks. Marking analysis Medium 4 marks No calculator + 7 Evaluate the claim that non-literary texts (such as advertisements or political speeches) deserve the same depth of close analysis as literary texts, using a specific example to support your evaluation. Paper 1 style Medium 4 marks No calculator + 8 Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Evaluate the claim that non-literary texts (such as advertisements or political speeches) deserve the same depth of close analysis as literary texts, using a specific example to support your evaluation.” Their response addresses only this point: “States a clear position on the claim (agreeing, disagreeing, or a qualified middle position).” Evaluate the response against the complete 4-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks. Marking analysis Medium 4 marks No calculator + 9 A political cartoon shows a politician drawn with a huge mouth and tiny ears, standing on a platform made of paper promises. Analyse how caricature and symbolism convey the cartoonist's view. Paper 1 style Medium 4 marks No calculator + 10 Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “A political cartoon shows a politician drawn with a huge mouth and tiny ears, standing on a platform made of paper promises. Analyse how caricature and symbolism convey the cartoonist's view.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies caricature: exaggerated features (huge mouth, tiny ears) that stand for talking not listening.” Evaluate the response against the complete 4-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks. Marking analysis Medium 4 marks No calculator + 11 Read the original official statement: 'The company is rightsizing its workforce to realign resources.' Explain how euphemism operates and evaluate its effect on the reader. Paper 1 style Medium 4 marks No calculator + 12 Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Read the original official statement: 'The company is rightsizing its workforce to realign resources.' Explain how euphemism operates and evaluate its effect on the reader.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies 'rightsizing' and 'realign resources' as euphemisms for job cuts.” Evaluate the response against the complete 4-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks. Marking analysis Medium 4 marks No calculator + 13 A government notice says: 'Residents must register by 1 May. Late applications may be considered.' Explain how modal verbs construct authority and flexibility. Paper 1 style Medium 4 marks No calculator + 14 Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “A government notice says: 'Residents must register by 1 May. Late applications may be considered.' Explain how modal verbs construct authority and flexibility.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies 'must' as a strong obligation modal conveying non-negotiable authority.” Evaluate the response against the complete 4-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks. Marking analysis Medium 4 marks No calculator + 15 A public-service announcement says: 'We all share this water. You can protect it.' Explain how pronouns build a relationship with the audience. Paper 1 style Medium 4 marks No calculator + 16 Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “A public-service announcement says: 'We all share this water. You can protect it.' Explain how pronouns build a relationship with the audience.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies inclusive 'we' creating collective responsibility and solidarity.” Evaluate the response against the complete 4-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks. Marking analysis Medium 4 marks No calculator + 17 Two headlines report the same protest: A 'Thousands March for Better Wages' and B 'City Paralysed as Mobs Block Streets'. Compare how word choice constructs different attitudes. Paper 1 style Medium 4 marks No calculator + 18 Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Two headlines report the same protest: A 'Thousands March for Better Wages' and B 'City Paralysed as Mobs Block Streets'. Compare how word choice constructs different attitudes.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies A's positive framing: 'march' and 'better wages' suggest an orderly, legitimate cause.” Evaluate the response against the complete 4-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks. Marking analysis Medium 4 marks No calculator + 19 An advert shows a smiling family around a table above the text: 'Because they deserve it.' Analyse how image and text work together to persuade. Paper 1 style Medium 4 marks No calculator + 20 Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “An advert shows a smiling family around a table above the text: 'Because they deserve it.' Analyse how image and text work together to persuade.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies the image as appealing to emotion through familiar, warm family imagery.” Evaluate the response against the complete 4-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks. Marking analysis Medium 4 marks No calculator + 21 An opinion piece begins: 'As a paediatric nurse of twenty years, I have seen what rising costs do to families.' Explain how the writer establishes credibility, and evaluate its limits. Paper 1 style Medium 4 marks No calculator + 22 Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “An opinion piece begins: 'As a paediatric nurse of twenty years, I have seen what rising costs do to families.' Explain how the writer establishes credibility, and evaluate its limits.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies the appeal to ethos through professional experience and the specific length of service.” Evaluate the response against the complete 4-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks. Marking analysis Medium 4 marks No calculator + 23 A recipe blog places a long personal story before the recipe. Evaluate the purposes this genre convention serves and whom it benefits. Paper 1 style Medium 4 marks No calculator + 24 Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “A recipe blog places a long personal story before the recipe. Evaluate the purposes this genre convention serves and whom it benefits.” Their response addresses only this point: “Explains that the narrative builds personal connection and a distinctive voice for the blogger's brand.” Evaluate the response against the complete 4-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks. Marking analysis Medium 4 marks No calculator + 25 A social media caption reads: 'Monday mood: coffee first, questions later ☕ #nofilter #monday'. Analyse how register and hashtags address a specific audience. Paper 1 style Medium 4 marks No calculator + 26 Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “A social media caption reads: 'Monday mood: coffee first, questions later ☕ #nofilter #monday'. Analyse how register and hashtags address a specific audience.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies the informal, fragmentary register with an emoji and a shared cultural reference to Monday fatigue.” Evaluate the response against the complete 4-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks. Marking analysis Medium 4 marks No calculator + 27 Read the original speech extract: 'Let us stop waiting. Let us stop excusing. Let us start building.' Analyse how anaphora and imperative structure drive the call to action. Paper 1 style Medium 4 marks No calculator + 28 Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Read the original speech extract: 'Let us stop waiting. Let us stop excusing. Let us start building.' Analyse how anaphora and imperative structure drive the call to action.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies anaphora ('Let us...') and the inclusive hortative imperative.” Evaluate the response against the complete 4-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks. Marking analysis Medium 4 marks No calculator + 29 Evaluate the claim that completely unbiased news writing is impossible, using one example of how word choice or selection could introduce bias. Paper 1 style Medium 4 marks No calculator + 30 Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Evaluate the claim that completely unbiased news writing is impossible, using one example of how word choice or selection could introduce bias.” Their response addresses only this point: “States a clear position on the claim.” Evaluate the response against the complete 4-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks. Marking analysis Medium 4 marks No calculator + Self-assessed 0 / 0
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