LO4: Mode of address and structure

LO4: Mode of Address and Structure

Throughout the article a variety of linguistic devices and techniques have been used to emulate the desired tone of the piece to allow it to appeal to the target audience. Within the text itself the premise of the article refers to Sheffield’s successful past and now future, with this being further emphasised through the implementation of primary definers such as Jessica Ennis and Steve Peat.

As a whole the mode of address used in this piece is that of a peer to peer tone, this is justified as it allows for the reader to relate to the text and therefore be more engaged in the piece. This is achieved through the language seen in the text, for example terminology/ jargon relating to the sport of mountain biking is seen throughout as a result this conveys an informal tone to the reader whilst also allowing them to relate directly to the matter. For example the phrase “bumps and burms” is a term used amongst riders to describe certain aspects of tracks or trails. Therefore, the use of this validates the article and could possibly be seen to evoke a sense of empathy within the reader due to the common ground seen in the text and how it’s relevant to their lifestyles and hobbies.

The peer to peer mode of address and informalities are seen to be further emphasised by the use of restricted coding as theorized by linguist Basil Bernstein. Within the text of the article it uses limited vocabulary with little formality and elaborate traits. This style of language was chosen as the linguistic predictability and shared knowledge/ experiences of the reader in addition to the external context such as the primary definer allow for text to be easily interoperated and understood by the reader. The informal tone is also seen to better suit the genre of the article. The paragraphing and sentence structure was also used in mind with creating a piece that flowed and was easy to interpret.

Throughout the article the piece is separated into easily defined, short paragraphs. Subsequently, this makes the overall article look more visually appealing (similar to that of the imagery used to support and break up the text) and result in the reader being more engaged. The reader would also be engaged due to the use of varied sentence length and structure. Throughout the piece a mix of simple, compound and complex sentences have been used. Most commonly, simple sentences were used for effect to add emphasis to a point when exclaimed, whereas the compound to complex sentences were often used to define information or list key points. Specific linguistic devices were also used for effect through this piece. For example rhetoricals are used to directly involve the reader within the text as seen in the line “So what makes Sheffield so special?” which combines an informal question seemingly proposed to the reader with the use of repetition, the noun “Sheffield” is reiterated throughout the piece further adding emphasis to it whilst also relating back to the premise of how Sheffield has a large impact not only on the region but world. Repetition is also deliberately used for effect in both the introducing and conclusive statements. The phrase “what racer could resist the seven hills?” is seen in both the introduction and conclusive sentence, this was done with the intention of creating a lasting image in the readers mind as the repetition adds clear emphasis to the phrase whilst the rhetorical directly involves the reader also.