TO SECURE THE BAG

BY THE END OF THE LESSON, YOU SHOULD:

1) BE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THE
FRAMING OF THE QUESTION FOR THIS
MODULE.
2) BE FAMILIAR WITH CAPE’S MARK
SCHEME
3) KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
MAIN POINT AND PURPOSE.
4) KNOW HOW TO IDENTIFY AND
COMMENT ON THE EFFECTIVENESS
OF ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGIES
AND LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES.

5) RESPOND TO A MODULE ONE

STIMULUS
IN THIS MODULE YOU ARE ASKED TO READ
AN EXTRACT AND RESPOND TO THE
INSTRUCTIONS. THE INSTRUCTIONS ARE
ALMOST ALWAYS SIMILAR TO THE
FOLLOWING:
 STATE THE WRITER’S/SPEAKER’S MAIN
POINT/IDEA
 CONSTRUCT AN ESSAY OF
APPROXIMATELY 500 WORDS IN WHICH
YOU INCLUDE REFERENCE TO THE
FOLLOWING:
 THE SPEAKER’S DOMINANT PURPOSE
 IDENTIFY THE ORGANIZATIONAL
STRATEGIES AND LANGUAGE
TECHNIQUES THAT THE
WRITER/SPEAKER/POET USED TO HELP
HER/HIM TO ACHIEVE THAT PURPOSE.
 COMMENT ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF
USING THE ABOVE.
 COMMENT ON THE RELIABILITY AND
VALIDITY OF THE INFORMATION.
 COMMENT ON THE APPROPRIATENESS
OF TONE AND REGISTER.
[25 MARKS]
 CONTENT- 10 MARKS
ORGANIZATION- 7 MARKS
EXPRESSION – 8 MARKS

TOTAL: 25 MARKS
 THE MAIN IDEA IS THE MOST
DOMINANT AND IMPERATIVE
STATEMENT THAT THE WRITER MAKES
ABOUT THE TOPIC.
 IF YOU WERE ASKED: “WHAT IS THE
PIECE ABOUT?” AND “WHAT IS THE
WRITER SAYING?” YOUR RESPONSE WILL
BE WHAT YOU DETREMINE IS THE MAIN
IDEA.
 LEST YOU FORGET- THE MAIN IDEA IS
NEVER A VERB . HENCE, IT SHOULD
NOT BE STATED AS “THE MAIN IDEA OF
THE PIECE IS TO INFORM…”
INSTEAD, YOU CAN PHRASE
YOUR RESPONSE IN THIS WAY:
“THE MAIN IDEA OF THE PIECE
IS THAT…”
 UNDERSTANDING OR KNOWING WHY THE WRITER
WROTE THE PIECE IS TO UNDERSTAND THE
WRITER’S PURPOSE.
 AN AUTHOR MIGHT WRITE A PASSAGE IN ORDER
TO: PERSUADE AN AUDIENCE; DESCRIBE
SOMETHING; EXPLAIN A PROCESS; TO ENTERTAIN;
REFUTE A CLAIM; ANALYZE A TEXT; CRITISIZE;
RAISE AWARENESS; CONVEY PERSONAL FEELINGS
ETC.
 UNDERSTANDING THE AUTHOR’S TONE – HER OR
HIS ATTITUDE TOWARD THE SUBJECT AND
AUDIENCE -- WILL HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THE
PURPOSE. AUTHORS CONVEY PURPOSE AND TONE
THROUGH THEIR CHOICE OF WORDS AND THE
IMPRESSION THOSE WORDS CREATE.
 ALWAYS STATED AS A VERB
E.G “THE WRITER’S PURPOSE IS TO
CRITICIZE THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE
CURRENT GOVERNMENT’S POLICY ON
CRIME IN JAMAICA.”
Read the extract adapted from “A Deadly Force” by Daniel Pendick and
identify: a) writer’s main idea/point. b) writer’s purpose
THOUGH IT'S TRUE THAT TSUNAMIS ARE OCEAN
WAVES, CALLING THEM BY THE SAME NAME AS THE
ORDINARY WIND-DRIVEN VARIETY IS A BIT LIKE REFERRING
TO FIRECRACKERS AND ATOMIC WARHEADS BOTH AS
"EXPLOSIVES." TRIGGERED BY VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS,
LANDSLIDES, EARTHQUAKES, AND EVEN IMPACTS BY
ASTEROIDS OR COMETS, A TSUNAMI REPRESENTS A VAST
VOLUME OF SEAWATER IN MOTION -- THE SOURCE OF ITS
DESTRUCTIVE POWER.
AS THE WAVES IN THE TSUNAMI REACH SHORE, THEY SLOW
DOWN DUE TO THE SHALLOWING SEA FLOOR, AND THE LOSS IN
SPEED IS OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN
WAVE HEIGHT. TSUNAMIS ALSO FLOOD IN SUDDENLY WITHOUT
WARNING. TSUNAMI WAVES USUALLY DON'T CURVE OVER AND
BREAK, LIKE HAWAIIAN SURF WAVES. SURVIVORS OF TSUNAMI
ATTACKS DESCRIBE THEM AS DARK "WALLS" OF WATER.
IMPELLED BY THE MASS OF WATER BEHIND THEM, THE WAVES
BULLDOZE ONTO THE SHORE AND INUNDATE THE COAST,
SNAPPING TREES LIKE TWIGS, TOPPLING STONE WALLS AND
LIGHTHOUSES, AND SMASHING HOUSES AND BUILDINGS INTO
KINDLING.
ON THE OPEN OCEAN, TSUNAMI WAVES APPROACH
SPEEDS OF 500 MPH, ALMOST FAST ENOUGH TO KEEP
PACE WITH A JETLINER. BUT GAZING OUT THE
WINDOW OF A 747, YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO PICK
IT OUT FROM THE WIND-DRIVEN SWELLS. IN DEEP
WATER, THE WAVES SPREAD OUT AND HUNCH DOWN,
WITH HUNDREDS OF MILES BETWEEN CRESTS THAT
MAY BE JUST A FEW FEET HIGH. A PASSENGER ON A
PASSING SHIP WOULD SCARCELY DETECT THEIR
PASSING. BUT IN FACT THE TSUNAMI CREST IS JUST
THE VERY TIP OF A VAST MASS OF WATER IN MOTION,
AS A TSUNAMI CAN TRAVEL GREAT DISTANCES WITH
LITTLE LOSS OF ENERGY. THE 1960 EARTHQUAKE OFF
THE COAST OF CHILE GENERATED A TSUNAMI THAT
HAD ENOUGH FORCE TO KILL 150 PEOPLE IN JAPAN
AFTER A JOURNEY OF 22 HOURS AND 10,000 MILES.
THE CONTOURS OF THE SEAFLOOR AND COASTLINE HAVE A
PROFOUND INFLUENCE ON THE HEIGHT OF THE WAVES --
SOMETIMES WITH SURPRISING AND DANGEROUS RESULTS.
DURING THE 1993 TSUNAMI ATTACK ON OKUSHIRI, JAPAN, THE
WAVE "RUN-UP" ON THE COAST AVERAGED ABOUT 15 TO 20
METERS (50 - 65 FEET). BUT IN ONE PARTICULAR SPOT, THE
WAVES PUSHED INTO A V-SHAPED VALLEY OPEN TO THE SEA,
CONCENTRATING THE WATER IN A TIGHTER AND TIGHTER SPACE.
IN THE END, THE WATER RAN UP TO 32 METERS (90 FEET)
ABOVE SEA LEVEL, ABOUT THE HEIGHT OF AN 8-STORY OFFICE
BUILDING.
RESPONSE: IN THIS EXAMPLE TAKEN FROM THE
MAY 2011 CAPE PAPER 02, THE MAIN POINT MAY
ACTUALLY BE LOCATED IN THE LAST SENTENCE OF
THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH. THEREFORE, THE
MAIN POINT IS THAT A TSUNAMI REPRESENTS A
VAST VOLUME OF SEAWATER IN MOTION - THE
SOURCE OF ITS DESTRUCTIVE POWER.

THE WRITER'S PURPOSE IS TO ALERT OR

EDUCATE READERS ABOUT THE
DESTRUCTIVE POWER OF TSUNAMIS.
TECHNIQUES THAT THE WRITER DEFTLY OR
CAREFULLY EMPLOYED TO GET HER/HIS
MESSAGE ACROSS. SOME OF WHICH ARE:

 ITALICS
 COLLOQUIAL LANGUAGE
 FLASHBACK
 STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS
 DIALOGUE
 FORESHADOWING
 THE USE OF ‘WE’ TO INCLUDE THE
READER
 LITERARY DEVICES
 RHETORICAL QUESTIONS
(HYPOPHORA/ANT-HYPOPHORA)
 EMOTIVE LANGUAGE
 GENERALITIES
 JARGON
 SATIRE
 HISTORICAL DATA
 PERIODIC DEVELOPMENT
 CLASSIFICATION
 PROBLEM/SOLUTION
 COMPARE/CONTRAST
 CAUSE/EFFECT
 GENERAL TO SPECIFIC
 TIME ORDER
 SPATIAL ORDER
 PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
 ANALYSIS
 STATISTICAL DATA
 THE USE OF EXPERT OPINION
 PARAGRAPHING
 PROCESS EXPLANATION
 CLASSIFICATION- ANALYZING SUBJECTS
INTO TYPES. EG-
1. ONE MAY ORGANIZE VEHICLES BY TYPES:
TRUCKS, SPORT UTILITIES, BMW’S ETC.

2. ONE CAN CLASSIFY UNIVERSITY CLASSES

BY FACULTIES: ENGINEERING, HUMANITIES,
SOCIAL SCIENCES, MANAGEMENT OF
BUSINESS, MEDICAL SCIENCES ETC.
 EXAMPLES AND ILLUSTRATIONS- BASIC
EVIDENCE AND SUPPORT THAT ARE USED
IN EXPOSITORY AND ARGUMENTATIVE
WRITING.
 COMPARISON AND CONTRAST- A
COMPARATIVE PIECE IS USUALLY
ORGANIZED IN ONE OF TWO WAYS:
BLOCK OR ALTERNATING.
 BLOCK:
 INTRO AND THESIS
 DESCRIPTION OF ‘A’
 DESCRIPTION OF ‘B’
 HOW ‘B’ IS SIMILAR TO/DIFFERENT
FROM ‘A’
 CONCLUSION
 ALTERNATING COMPARISON:
 INTRO AND THESIS
 ASPECT 1: COMPARISON/CONTRAST OF
ONE ELEMENT OF A AND B
 ASPECT 2
 ASPECT 3
 CONCLUSION
 ANALYSIS: DISSECT A SPECIFIC PIECE OF
INFO INTO PARTS. E.G- IF ONE IS WRITING
ABOUT A LIBRARY SHE/HE CAN USE THE
METHOD OF ANALYSIS TO SPEAK ABOUT
SEVERAL PARTS OF A LIBRARY- RESERVE
DESK, ELECTRONIC CATALOG, FOREIGN
LANGUAGE SECTION…
 DESCRIPTION: THE APPEAL TO THE
SENSES
 VISUAL (SIGHT)
 AURAL (HEARING)
 TACTILE (TOUCH)
 GUSTATORY (TASTE)
 OL FACTORY (SMELL)
 PROCESS ANALYSIS: ANALYZING THE
CHRONOLOGICAL STEPS IN ANY
OPERATION.
E.G – HOW TO FRY AN EGG
FIRSTLY, GATHER YOUR INGREDIENTS
AND TOOLS (EGG,SALT,PEPPER, OIL,
SPATULA, FRYING PAN, STOVE ETC.. )THEN
YOU BEAT/MIX THE EGG WITH OTHER
INGREDIENTS, TURN ON THE STOVE, PUT
THE POT ON, ADD OIL TO POT THEN
POUR YOUR BEATED EGG… IN A MINUTE
OR TWO-----FRIED EGG!! “ANNO
MAKARONI FRY DEM EGG DEH…A CAAH
MAKARONI…”
 CAUSE AND EFFECT ANALYSIS:
MAPPING OUT POSSIBLE CAUSES AND
EFFECTS.
THERE ARE TWO PATTERNS FOR DOING
CAUSE AND EFFECT ANALYSIS:
 SEVERAL CAUSES LEADING TO ONE
EFFECT.
 ONE CAUSE LEADING TO MULTIPLE
EFFECTS.
 TO EFFECTIVELY COMMENT ON THE USE OF
O.S AND L.T IN A PASSAGE ONE MUST WRITE
ABOUT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE
STRATEGY OR TECHNIQUE AND THE
ACHIEVEMENT OF THE WRITER’S PURPOSE.
THEREFORE, IDENTIFYING AND NAMING
THE STRTEGIES AND TECHNIQUES IS
INSUFFICIENT!
 YOU ARE NOT EXPECTED TO CRITIQUE THE
PASSAGE, HENCE YOU SHOULD NOT BE
MAKING STATEMENTS SUCH AS “THE WRITER
COULD HAVE…” OR “SHOULD HAVE…”
 WHEN YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED A
TECHNIQUE OR STRATEGY:
 SPECIFY WHAT IT IS
 PROVIDE LINE NUMBER AND SPECIFIC
INFORMATION FROM THE TEXT
 PLACE THE INFORMATION IN
INVERTED COMMAS E.G “IT’S AN
ALARMING PROSPECT…”
 FINALLY, WRITE ABOUT THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF THE TECHNIQUE
OR STRATEGY.
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN
WRITING ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF
A TECH. OR STRTEGY:
 WHAT THE DEVICE IS ADDING TO THE
PIECE?
 HOW THE DEVICE IS ADDING TO YOUR
UNDERSTANDING OF THE PIECE?
 HOW THE DEVICE IS IMPACTING ON
YOUR SENSES?
 HOW THE DEVICE IS HELPING TO
ACHIEVE THE WRITER’S PURPOSE?
IN ESSENCE, WHEN WRITING ABOUT THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF O.S AND L.T:
1. PAY ATTENTION TO THE VERB THAT YOU
USED IN IDENTIFYING THE PURPOSE
2. ASK THESE QUESTIONS:
 HOW IS THIS PERSONIFICATION (‘THE
ANTIQUE BUILDINGS WELCOME THE
VISITORS WITH OPEN ARMS’) HELPING TO
PERSUADE READERS TO VISIT KINGSTON?
 HOW IS REFERENCING AN EXPERT
HELPING NATURE LOVERS TO VISIT ST.
ANN?
 USE THE ‘PEEL’ OR ‘SEAL’ FORMAT
 P- POINT S- STATE POINT
 E-EXAMPLE E- EVIDENCE
 E-EXPLANATION A- ANALYSIS
 L- LINK L- LINK

AS SOON AS YOU HAVE RESPONDED TO THE:

 MAIN POINT
 PURPOSE
 [THESIS]--THE FACT THAT THE WRITER USED
BOTH O.S AND L.T TO HELP ACHIEVE HER/HIS
PURPOSE
 VALIDITY/RELIABILITY/CREDIBILITY/TONE
 BODY PARAGRAPHS- UTILIZE THE ‘P/S’ BY MAKING A
POINT TO IDENTIFY EITHER THE O.S OR L.T WHICH
YOU WILL DISCUSS.
 FOLLOWED BY THE ‘E’ – GIVING SUPPORTING
EXAMPLES TAKEN FROM THE PIECE.
 THIRDLY, WRITE ABOUT THE SECOND ‘E/A’- BY
GIVING AN EXPLANATION TO THE QUESTION, “HOW
DOES THIS EXAMPLE OF THE STRATEGY OR TECH.
HELP THE WRITER TO ACHIEVE HER/HIS PURPOSE?”
 YOUR EXPLANATION SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE
INFORMATION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE
STRATEGY OR TECH. WAS USED EFFECTIVELY IN
THE EXTRACT TO ACHIEVE THE WRITER’S
PURPOSE.
 AND FINALLY WRITE ABOUT THE ‘L’ (MAKE A LINK)
SERIOUSLY, THIS
IS HOW IT’S
DONE!
THE WRITER’S MAIN POINT IN THIS
EXTRACT IS THAT TSUNAMIS REPRESENT A
POISED
VAST VOLUME OF SEA WATER IN MOTION
WITH ITS IMMENSELY DESTRUCTIVE
NATURE. CONVERESLY, HIS PURPOSE AIMS
AT CREATING AWARENESS IN READERS
OF THE CATASTROPHIC ABILITY OF THESE
WAVES TO CAUSE DESTRUCTION AND TO
ALSO EDUCATE READERS ABOUT THE
FACTORS AFFECTING THE FORMATION OF
THESE GIGANTIC WAVES. HE
ACCOMPLISHES THIS THROUGH SKILLFUL
USE OF VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONAL
STRTEGIES, LANGUAGE TECHNIGUES AND
A SUITABLE/APPROPRIATE TONE.
ONE SUCH STRATEGY THAT THE AUTHOR EMPLOYS
EXTENSIVELY IS THE PROVISION OF FACTS.
UNQUESTIONABLY, THE WRITER DEEMS IT
IMPORTANT TO APPRISE READERS OF THE AVERAGE
SPEED OF A TSUNAMI WHEN TRAVELLING IN OPEN
WATER AND ITS DREADFUL IMPACT AS IT
APPROACHES LAND, WHILE HIGHLIGHTING A FEW
FACTORS WHICH CAN AFFECT THE WAYS IN WHICH A
TSUNAMI IS FORMED. HE STATES “AS THE WAVES IN THE
TSUNAMI REACH SHORE, THEY SLOW DOWN DUE TO THE
SHALLOWING SEA FLOOR, AND THE LOSS IN SPEED IS OFTEN
ACCOMPANIED BY A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN WAVE HEIGHT.
TSUNAMIS ALSO FLOOD IN SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING.”
CLEARLY, BY INCORPORATING THIS PIECE OF
FACTUAL INFORMATION THE AUTHOR PROVES TO
READERS THAT HE IS NOT SIMPLY KNOWLEDGEABLE
ON THE TOPIC, BUT THAT HE IS ALSO ACHIEVING HIS
PURPOSE OF WARNING READERS OF A TSUNAMI’S
POWER AND POTENTIAL TO DESTROY EVERYTHING
AND EVERYONE IN ITS PATH. ULTIMATELY, THE
WRITER’S INCLUSION OF FACTS SEAMLESSLY
COMPLEMENT HIS MODE OF WRITING-EXPOSITORY-
WHILE EDUCATING HIS AUDIENCE OF THE
IMPENDING DANGERS OF SUCH A PHENOMENON.
ADDITIONALLY, THE WRITER UTILIZES THE STRATEGY
OF COMPARISON TO CONCRETIZE HIS PURPOSE OF
ALARMING AND EDUCATING READERS OF THE
POTENTIAL DANGERS OF A TSUNAMI. NOTABLY, HE
HUMOUROUSLY INDICATES THAT “CALLING THEM BY THE
SAME NAME AS THE ORDINARY WIND-DRIVEN VARIETY IS A BIT LIKE
REFERRING TO FIRECRACKERS AND ATOMIC WARHEADS BOTH AS
"EXPLOSIVES.” THIS IMPLICIT COMPARISON CERTAINLY SERVES TO
AROUSE A SENSE OF PANIC/FEAR IN READERS REGARDING
THE DESTRUCTIVE POWER OF TSUNAMIS. FURTHERMORE, HE
EXTENDED THIS ORGANIZATIONAL STRTEGY OF
COMPARISON WHEN HE DESCRIBED THE SPEED OF A
TSUNAMI TO THE SPEED OF A JETLINER, AS IS EVIDENT
IN THE LINE “TSUNAMI WAVES APPROACH SPEEDS OF 500 MPH,
ALMOST FAST ENOUGH TO KEEP PACE WITH A JETLINER.”THIS IS
INDEED A VERY APPROPRIATE STRATEGY AS IT GIVES
READERS A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE
HERCULEAN NATURE OF A TSUNAMI, THEREBY
CREATING A SENSE OF AWARENESS AND FRIGHT IN
READERS. NO DOUBT, THE AUTHOR’S PURPOSE WAS
ONCE MORE ENHANCED THROUGH THIS STRATEGY…
TOGETHER WITH O.S THE WRITER USED LANGUAGE
TECHNIQUES TO ENSURE THAT HIS PURPOSE IS
ACHIEVED. FOR EXAMPLE HIS USE OF BOTH VISUAL
AND AUDITORY IMPLICIT METAPHORS TO DESCRIBE
TSUNAMIS AS “DARK WALLS” AND “WAVES BULLDOZING
INTO THE SHORE” ALLOW READERS TO EXPERIENCE
THE DESTRUCTIVE AND IMMENSE POWER OF THE
TSUNAMIS. THE “DARK WALLS” SUGGESTS THAT
TSUNAMIS ARE IMPENETRABLE, WHILE “[THE]WAVES
BULLDOZING INTO THE SHORE” GIVES READERS THE
IMPRESSION THAT A TSUNAMI IS INVASIVE AND
DESTRUCTIVE- CLEARING WHATEVER IS IN ITS PATH.
SUBSEQUENT TO AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE
CATASTROPHIC CAPABILITY OF A TSUNAMI IT IS
POSSIBLE THAT READERS MIGHT NOW HAVE A MORE
SERIOUS OUTLOOK ON THE IMPENDING DANGERS OF
TSUNAMIS…
Conclusion- reiterate main points (always include the purpose)
 ??????????
REMEMBER
 EDLIN D. ROCHFORD CAPE
COMMUNICATION STUDIES, 2015.P.

 COMMUNICATION STUDIES SYLLABUS,

2011