Task 3 Identifying functions of the text: Annotating the text
A useful approach to understanding the organisation,purpose and value of a text is to identify the
functionssection by section, paragraph by paragraph and ifnecessary, sentence by sentence. One way of doingthis is by annotating the text in the margin. Study tip: Clear annotation of the text can provide useful reference for revision or further study. 3.1 Look at the two examples of annotations for lines 6-20 of Text 5 a. Thenhighlight the parts
of the text relevant to the other two annotations. AnnotationsText extract(lines 6-20) one reason further info.
another reason+cause implication
3.2 Go through the rest of the text making brief annotations in the margin. Usea pencil in case
you decide to make changes. Identify which sections of the text have the following functions (not all ofthese functions might
be used in this text): ●background information, e.g., giving detail of the overall situation ● general problems/implications ● exemplification, i.e., examples
● explication, i.e., further information to develop a point ● solution
● evaluation, e.g., of ideas
● viewpoints, i.e., writer's recommendations or suggestions ● conclusion
3.3 Complete the table on the next page using the annotations you made in Ex3.2.
In the extra comments column you might write comments such as relevantto the focus task or
check this source.
Grave concerns about food security have surfacedfornumber of reasons.Firstly, there has been a population explosion. According to the Royal Society,between 1930 and 2010 the world's population grewfrom 2 billion to 6.8 billion now, with a projectedpeak of 9 billion by 2050 (Black, 2010). A further majorcause for concern is the impact on food productionof climate change, brought about by global warming.Population growth and climate change will mean thereis an increasing shortage of water and of land for foodproduction, and therefore more competition for theseresources.
Task 4 Examining the writer's choice of language for emphasis
The writer's choice of language can also perform a particular function, for example, toindicate
the seriousness or importance of the information or ideas being described. Theuse of adjectives or adverbs can play an important role in putting the writer's messageacross effectively. It can also help the reader identify examples of the writer's attitude orbias towards the topic. 4.1 Look at lines 1-29 and identify two more examples of language that thewriter uses to
convey the seriousness of the topic. grave concerns (line 6)
4.2 Look at lines 30一G3 and list furtherexamples of strong descriptive languagethewriter uses
to emphasise the problems. Brink of extinction (line 48)
4.3 Look at the words and phrases inthe table below and find words andphrases in the text
with a similarmeaning. Study tip: Taking an interest in features of the text such as the writer's choice of language will not only help your understanding of the text, but will also help to develop your reading research skills in the long term. Complete the table with the word orphrase, its word class and the numberof the line where it
appears.Note thatthe definitions are listed in the sameorder as the relevant words in thetext.