Worksheets2021 Argument Analysis and Metalanguage
Total questions: 41
Worksheet time: 25mins
‘But in the land of the fair go, is this really what most Australians want? Do Australians who want asylum boats to stop also support the indefinite and prolonged detention of children, pregnant women and vulnerable men or women? Do we really want to ‘break people’?’
Consider this extract from an opinion piece on asylum seeker policy. Which of the following choices best pinpoints the types of appeals being made through this language?
appeals to fear, insecurity and uncertainty
appeals to national security, border defence and military strength
appeals to a sense of national pride and goodwill, as well as decency and compassion
appeals to patriotism and jingoism
Complete the following sentences:
The author describes Australia as the land of the 'fair go' in order to ..
The author's description of asylum seekers as "children," "pregnant women" and "vulnerable" people positions the audience to ...
‘Quite frankly, I am at a loss to explain this idiocy. Who in their right mind would think it appropriate – in any social or political circumstance – to actually pay people smugglers to turn a boatload of asylum seekers around and send them packing back to no-hope-ville? If anything it will encourage the so-called ‘business model’ of this appalling practice of smuggling. The ineptitude, and indeed hypocrisy, of this government is astounding. Shame, Australia, shame.’
Which of the following best describes the dominant tone of this quote?
disgusted, outraged, deeply disappointed
sarcastic, sardonic, mocking
playful, mischievous, darkly humorous
confused, uncertain, tentative
‘The horror of offshore processing has largely succeeded in stopping the arrival of asylum-seeker boats. But this success has been paid for with the country’s humanity. Its price has been much too high, and continues to climb. The detention centre on Nauru must be closed and the people held there brought to Australia.’
Which option most accurately describes the dominant tones of the extract?
warm and encouraging
stern and deeply disappointed
confused and shocked
sarcastic and bitter
“Alcohol can ruin lives. Take for example this friend of mine, who gets aggressive whenever he gets drunk. Last year he started a fight with a group of random people, and now has permanent brain damage.”
This is an example of:
attack
expert opinion
anecdotal evidence
exaggeration
Which of the following terms can be used when referring to the tone of an article:
informative
authoritative
persuasive
truthful
“We have known about the danger posed by climate change for years, and yet each year passes without any real action. Politicians seem uninterested in addressing the problem, the public appear unwilling to hold their leaders to account, and it would therefore seem that nothing is going to change. The cycle of inaction will continue until it is too late for us to act.”
The author's tone can best be described as:
aggressive
arrogant
pessimistic
shocked
Which of the following vocabulary choices could be used to create a sentimental tone in a piece of writing?
Mother
Parent
Mum
Guardian
“How nice it must be for the privileged few to enjoy gourmet delights while kicking back in a comfy corporate box high up at the footy. Meanwhile, the sweaty masses (who actually pay for their seats) are forced to endure stone-cold pies and sodden chips, and we end up missing half a quarter for the privilege. How about letting those of us in ‘cheap’ seats have access to the same food and service enjoyed by these poncy freeloaders?"
Identify the contention of this piece, and the likely target audience:
An example of hyperbole is:
It felt like a million degrees in the sun
Global warming is an international issue
The sun looked like a giant basketball
All of us need to take responsibility for the environment
This cartoon is ...
critical of the Arts industry
arguing that the Arts should be more equipped to survive a recession
critical of the Govt's funding of the Arts
critical of politicians for not understanding art
What is the contention of this cartoon?
Which of the following best identifies the contention of this cartoon?
The cloud of covid is raining on the parade of socialism.
The reason that capitalism is in the air is because others have helped propel it there.
That in times of crisis, socialist ideals and policies are a safety net for the failings of capitalism.
The face masks stop socialism and others from seeing the success of capitalism.
Before you write your analysis of language and argument, you should:
plan your response in detail.
carefully read and annotate the text.
do all of these things.
make sure you have identified and understood the text’s key features and elements.
What does connotation mean?
taking detailed notes on the text before beginning the analysis
positive feelings attached to a specific word
negative feelings attached to a specific word
an idea or feeling that is attached to a specific word or phrase
When analysing how a piece attempts to appeal to a specific audience, which of these should you not do?
list every single persuasive strategy you can find
be specific when describing strategies and appeals
explain how the use of a strategy or appeal encourages the reader to agree with the author’s contention
explain why a particular strategy or appeal has been used for a particular audience
Which of these should you discuss in your introduction?
persuasive language techniques, the target audience, context, tone, image analysis, and the writer’s contention
the writer’s contention, the writer’s intention, the arguments, context, form, publication details, and persuasive language techniques
context, form, publication details, tone, the writer’s contention, the writer’s intention, and the target audience
the target audience, context, form, publication details, tone, language techniques and image analysis
Alliteration
A question that makes the reader think not answer aloud
When two or more words close together start with the same consonant sound. e.g. sing a song of sixpence
When you say something that is know to be true
This is when you compare two things by saying one 'is' the other. For example; The city is a concrete jungle
Onomatopoeia
the repeating of words and ideas to persuade the reader
Use three arguments to persuade the reader to agree with you
The degree of certainty in a statement. For example; this could be the truth
Words that mimic the sound. For example splash, ouch, yuck
What is modality?
the ability to make considered decisions or come to sensible conclusions
the use of correct end punctuation such as full stop, exclamation mark, question mark. The use of commas, apostrophes and capital letters
the degree of certainty in a statement
The repeating of words and ideas to persuade the reader
What is an adverb?
a word (other than a pronoun) used to identify any of a class of people, places, or things (common noun), or to name a particular one of these (proper noun).
A verb is a kind of word (part of speech) that tells about an action or a state. It is the main part of a sentence: every sentence has a verb. In English, verbs are the only kind of word that changes to show past or present tense
a word or phrase that modifies the meaning of an adjective, verb, or other adverb, expressing manner, place, time, or degree (e.g. gently, here, now, very).
a word naming an attribute of a noun, such as sweet, red, or technical
What is an example of a high modality word?
always
frequently
never
sometimes
What is a rhetorical question?
who knows?
are you stupid?
did you hear me?
are you sure
which of the below is an example of exaggerated statements?
Queensland always wins the State of Origin!
The Sydney 2000 Olympics were the best Olympics ever!
the fish was really small in size
I don't know if the fish was as big as you were saying
Which one of the below examples is a similie
as gentle as a lamb
he was a walking encylopedia
he is as hungry as a horse
all the world is a stage
What is an anecdote
a short account of an incident in someone's life
a lengthy comparison of two objects
the use of all senses through writing
expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference
What is an analogy
a comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.
a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing.
an inscription on a building, statue, or coin.
be a warning or indication of (a future event
Each blade of grass was a tiny bayonet pointed firmly at our bare feet
Simile
Metaphor
Hyperbole
Alliteration
Personification
Repeating words or phrases so that they stick in your audience’s mind.
Which of the following best describes an 'ad hominem attack'?
Creating suspicion about a minority group
Belittles or denigrates an individual or group
A financial appeal
Using evidence or statistics
A claim that cannot be proved but leads the reader to infer that it is true for most people.
A. Generalization
B. Testimonial
C. Faulty Reasoning
D. Emotional Appeal
What is one thing you struggle with in English?
Do you prefer working...
independently
in groups
in pairs
mixture/depends on the task
