STAGE 8 - ENGLISH

TOPIC: STRUCTURAL FEATURES OF A TEXT

NAME: _________________________ ROLL NO.: _________ DATE: ___________

The structure of a text is how it is organised and how its parts fit together. Writers
structure their texts deliberately to have an effect on the reader.

Exam questions will ask you to comment on how writers structure their texts to
interest the reader. You should use terminology and show that you understand
how structural features introduce and prioritise information in a text.

Structural features

Feature Purpose Effect on the reader

Comment on how the writer
The start of a text must
openings introduces ideas and raises
interest the reader.
questions.
Analyse what is implied, eg a
This is what the writer gloomy landscape implies an
focus focuses on as the text unhappy situation - what is
develops. causing that unhappiness? What
will happen next?
Changes in ideas and
Comment on how this change is
shifts perspectives, eg outside to
effective, eg creates contrast.
inside.
The differences between Comment on the effect a drastic
contrast
two things. difference produces.
Repetitive features can highlight
When words, phrases or
repetition or key meanings, indicate a
ideas are repeated for
patterns development or show a lack of
effect.
change.
Ask what effect is created by
The feeling of speed in the altering the pace, eg a slow pace
writing – are events and builds tension or suggests
pace
ideas revealed to the boredom, a quicker pace may
reader slowly or quickly? suit a piece about things
happening at speed.
Feature Purpose Effect on the reader
Comment on how time is used to
temporal
References to time. speed up or slow down the pace
references
of the text.
This could be chronological
Comment on how the order of
or writers might choose to
events introduces and prioritises
order of events start at the end, in the
key ideas – and how this engages
middle, or with flashbacks /
the reader.
flash forwards.
Think about how the reader feels
The conclusion of a text
at the end. Have their feelings
endings may be neat or leave us
changed since the opening?
with questions.

Clues and hints are given Analyse what is implied by hints –

withholding
without revealing how does this build the reader’s
information
everything at once. expectations?
How does dialogue move the text
dialogue Conversations and speech.
forward?
Divides the content of texts
headings,
into topics and sub topics, How do they guide readers
subheadings
can signal the start of new through a text?
and questions
points.
Why does the writer summarise
Bullets can summarise and
bullets certain points?
simplify a range of ideas.

Comment on how sentence

Varied types of sentences,
sentence structures affect the fluency of the
eg simple, compound and
structures text, eg a sudden short sentence
complex.
could reveal shocking information.

Comment on how paragraph

These vary like sentences
lengths affect the development of
paragraph eg, to highlight significant
the text, eg a final paragraph
lengths points or to provide a
might summarise key points in an
detailed account.
argument.

Structure of a non-fiction text

The structure of a non-fiction piece could be:

 chronological – in date or time order

  prioritised – the most important facts first (like a news article)
 separated into blocks by subheadings – eg in a feature article
 question and answer – eg in information leaflets
 problem and solution – eg in agony aunt columns, or self-help guides
 letter structure – a salutation (Dear…) and an appropriate ending (Yours
sincerely…)
 starting in the middle of an event, then providing further information to
give several possible viewpoints

Using paragraphs to structure a text

Look at the way the key ideas in a piece are ordered. This will help you work out
the structure. There is usually one important idea per paragraph, but some texts
have more.

Within each paragraph, ideas can be structured in different ways. A common

approach is to start with a topic sentence – the big idea – and then develop it
with details or examples. Paragraphs often end with a hook to make you
consider the ideas included in the paragraph that you have just read, or a link
to the next paragraph.

The number and order of paragraphs, the order of the ideas, and how each
paragraph is constructed are all features you can comment on. Why has the
writer chosen to structure their paragraphs in specific ways?

Additionally, a shortened paragraph that stands out to the reader can

sometimes indicate a change in viewpoint or significant point in the text that the
writer may offer a counter argument.

Example

This extract describes the events leading up to the 1666 ‘Great Fire of London’.

How does the writer structure the text to interest the reader?

September 2, 1666

It was a small mistake, but with great consequences. On September 2, 1666,

Thomas Farrinor, baker to King Charles II of England, failed, in effect, to turn off
his oven. He thought the fire was out, but apparently the smouldering embers
ignited some nearby firewood and by one o'clock in the morning, three hours
after Farrinor went to bed, his house in Pudding Lane was in flames. Farrinor,
along with his wife and daughter, and one servant, escaped from the burning
building through an upstairs window, but the baker's maid was not so fortunate,
becoming the Great Fire's first victim. Did these cakes set fire to London?

The fire then leapt across Fish Street Hill and engulfed the Star Inn. The London of
1666 was a city of half-timbered, pitch-covered medieval buildings and sheds
that ignited at the touch of a spark--and a strong wind on that September
morning ensured that sparks flew everywhere. From the Inn, the fire spread into
Thames Street, where riverfront warehouses were bursting with oil, tallow, and
other combustible goods. By now the fire had grown too fierce to combat with
the crude firefighting methods of the day, which consisted of little more than
bucket brigades armed with wooden pails of water. The usual solution during a
fire of such size was to demolish every building in the path of the flames in order
to deprive the fire of fuel, but the city's mayor hesitated, fearing the high cost of
rebuilding. Meanwhile, the fire spread out of control, doing far more damage
than anyone could possibly have managed.

Extract taken from the diary of Samuel Pepys

Analysis

The writer:

1. opens with a contrast

“small mistake” and “great consequences”, raising the question of how
something small grew so big
2. the focus then shifts to Thomas Farrinor, a baker, thinking his “fire was out”
– this detail foreshadows
3. the start of the Great Fire, building tension
4. a temporal reference “three hours after Farrinor went to bed” implies how
control was lost in a short space of time as by then his house “was in
flames” and there is the “first victim” – implying there will be many more
victims
5. the question “Did these cakes set fire to London?” suggest that the idea is
hard for the reader to believe – and intrigues them to discover how this
was possible
6. the focus then shifts to the growing fire “leapt” and “engulfed”, the
wooden structure of London and the “strong wind” – together these
elements suggest the fire will take over quickly, creating a quicker pace
7. contrast is used to show how useless the “bucket brigades armed with
wooden pails” are as “the fire spread out of control”
8. the extract ends leaving the reader thinking about the vast “damage”
the fire caused, and that no one “could possibly have managed” it