Unit 1.2: Understanding form and structure
ACTIVITY 3
In terms of its form, in what ways is this text different to that of the leaflet? Think about its: •
use of images, diagrams and design
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size and style of text and so on
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stylistic features, headings, titles and so on.
ACTIVITY 4
What is absent from a text can sometimes tell us as much as what has been included. Discuss with your partner the following possible effects of there being no direct speech in the extract from The Flowers. Which do you find most convincing? Why? 1 It creates a sense of the girl’s interior world of thoughts. 2 It creates a claustrophobic effect – the girl is trapped with no one to share her ideas with. 3 It creates a sense of peace and tranquillity – nothing breaks into the girl’s world.
Reflection: Write down your own definition of form and how you think it differs from structure: do you understand the differences yet? Don’t worry if you are still unsure – the rest of this unit should help. 11
Analysing form and structure In order to understand how texts are structured, you need to do some close analysis. This will also be important for you in your own writing, either when you are required to write in a similar style to a text you have read, or in your own extended writing. ACTIVITY 5
KEY TERMS
Read the extract from The Flowers again. Consider the structure of the text, and how the content is organised and sequenced. Once you have identified the key elements you will be able to get an overall sense of how the text works.
prepositions: words such as ‘under’, ‘by’, ‘near’ that describe the relationship between things (e.g. ‘the book was under the table’). Prepositions can also do other jobs, such as tell us about time and the way things are done.
Write brief answers to each of these questions: 1 Can you identify the use of prepositions related to place or where things are? 2 Can you find any time markers (words such as ‘Yesterday’, ‘Later’)? 3 Can you find any evidence of the past perfect tense to tell us about events in the past?
ACTIVITY 6
What overall sense do you get of the structure of the extract from The Flowers? Working with your partner again, consider each of the following comments. Which do you both think best sums up the structure of the extract? Why? a The text deals with the girl’s actions that morning. b The text deals with the girl’s actions that morning, and then changes when it reaches midday. c The text looks back in time before describing the actions that morning, and then at midday.
past perfect tense: expresses past events or actions which have been completed (e.g. ‘She had eaten her dinner before she went swimming’)