Techniques to look for when reading a piece of text

The author of a given text will make use of numerous techniques to help convey their message and enrich the quality of their expression. Students should look for these techniques in the comprehension and integrate them into their answers. • Appropriate descriptions – the use of strong, evocative

imagery enabling the reader to visualise a given scene. • Rhetorical questions are commonly used in newspaper articles and speeches. They create a direct line of communication between the reader and author. Rhetorical questions stimulate thought and engage us as readers. • The use of examples reinforces the writer’s position and

lends authenticity to their argument. • Anecdotes are used in order to show the author’s own

personal experience. • An author may employ colloquial language in order to make the text easier to read. Colloquial language also makes the piece more real for a given audience. • In order to reinforce a point the writer will often use

repetition. The use of conscientious repetition makes an argument more convincing. • Humour is used to lighten the mood of the text. • The author may use hyperbolic language. This is a deliberate exaggeration of actions and ideas for the sake of emphasis.