E-LK

22/24 TUE The Wall

Analysis of a Nonfictional Text

Step 1: Analysis of structure and content
- Identify and specify the topic / subject of the given text.
- Identify the characteristics of the heading (e.g. provocative, ironical, funny).
- In preparation for your analysis, divide the text into parts in order to understand the
author’s line of argumentation (s. page 4)
- Determine the message of the text, i.e. the author’s position and intention.
- Clarify the line of argument, the train of thought (general structure of the text, page
4).
- Finally, find means of language the author uses to support his or her position.

Step 2: Analysis of stylistic devices / use of language
a) Identify the stylistic devices and show what effect and function they have.

Register Slang, colloquial, everyday English, written language, (in)formal, poetic,
sophisticated, familiar, technical terms, scientific, religious, metaphorical
Choice of Denotations, connotations, keywords, figurative/literal meanings of words,
words emphatic/negative function of words, euphemisms, synonyms, abstractions
Style Plain, sober, natural, matter-of-fact, clear, precise, concise, vigorous, fluent,
passionate, elegant, artificial, stilted, wordy, colorless, cliché-ridden, snappy,
lengthy, clumsy, spontaneous, trite, expressing doubt/certainty
Tone Humorous, playful, colloquial, conciliatory, depressive, serious, solemn, ironical,
satirical, sarcastic, warm-hearted, aggressive, whining, reproachful
Rhetorical Alliteration, anaphora, allusion, reference, antithesis, ellipsis, hyperbole, irony,
devices metaphor, paradox, personification, simile, symbol, understatement,
exaggeration, parallelism, employment of leitmotifs, repetitions, juxtaposition,
(rhetorical) questions, quotations, enumerations, appeals, comparisons,
digressions from the main topic, grammatical tenses, illustrations, superlatives,
personal pronouns

b) Don’t forget to include quotes to demonstrate the correctness and accuracy of your
work. This is how to do it:
- When referring to an important part of the text without quoting the words, give the
page(s) and/ or line(s): e.g. Clinton tells the audience about his jogging with foreign
students (ll. 15-19).
- You can integrate the quotation into your sentence: e.g. Clinton is determined to
establish “an environment of lifelong learning” (l. 54), which means that…
- You can use a full quotation: e.g. Clinton starts with the most important point: “First, to
help every child begin school healthy and ready to learn.” (l. 42).
- Note the abbreviations: one page or line (p. 5/ l. 5); more pages or lines (pp. 2-5 / ll.
2-5); the following page(s), line(s) (f. / ff. – e.g. pp. 5f. or ll. 10ff.); NOTE: Omissions of
any kind are indicated by squared brackets and three dots: […]. Remarks or changes
from the original text are indicated by squared brackets: He [Clinton] says…

Step 3: Evaluation of the text
- State whether (or not) the text is well-structured / convincing / effective /
appropriate…
- Discuss if / to what extent the text / author is able to address the reader(ship).
- Critically comment on the text and refer to similar texts that you have dealt with.
- Finish with a concluding sentence.