90% of students struggle with the "analysis" part of argument analysis. What does it mean to explain the effect on the audience?
Fortunately, there are some simple tricks you can use to make sure you are always discussing the effect on the audience in a targeted way.
When writing argument analysis, we always recommend students pick one of 5 effects:
- Evoking an emotion
- Positioning the author to look good (either smart or likeable)
- Positioning the opposition to look back (either unreliable or unlikeable)
- Depicting the topic, or a subtopic under it, in a particular light
- Characterising a third party as particularly vulnerable or affected by an issue
For each of these, there are set sentences you can use and tweak over and over to consistently write strong analysis.
These are summarised below...
Evoking an emotion in the audience
When to use: emotive language, appeals (to emotion), connotation
Sentence structures
- “The author evokes/inspires/engenders/induces/incites [emotion] in the audience.”
- “This is used to create a sense of [emotion] in the audience.”
- “By using [technique], the author encourages the audience to feel [emotion].”
Notes:
- Be super specific about the emotions created (e.g. concern, fear, excitement), rather than just talking about “positive” or “negative” emotion being created. When writing, focus on two things:
- 1. What EXACT emotion?
- 2. What THING / topic will they feel the emotion about? → fear about direct impact on audience’s own lives
Positioning the topic a certain way
Encourages the audience to think a particular thing or way ABOUT THE ISSUE (topic or author’s proposal)
- Generally about making them think the topic is good or bad
Sentence structures
- “This is designed to encourage the audience to view [topic] as [synonym for good/bad].”
- “In this way, the author depicts/illustrates/portrays [idea] as [synonym for good/bad].”
Positioning the author to look a certain way
Two main ways an author wants to look
- Likeable: likeable / friendly / relatable → audience more likely to want to listen to what the author has to say, more amenable to their point of viewsome text
- E.g. The local football coach whom everyone loves
- “Further, through the use of a [technique, quote], the author builds a sense of [likeability/relatability], positioning the audience to view him/her as [an empathetic person].”
- Trustworthy: credible / intelligent / well-researched / educated / reliable → audience more likely to believe the author, or view them as a credible source, thus trust them more → more amenable to the argumentsome text
- E.g. a doctor / expert in the field
Sentence structures
- “The author builds ethos through… [credibility techniques]”
- “Through / by using [technique], the author positions themselves as [synonym for: likeable / trustworthy].”
Positioning the opposition to look bad
As much as the author wants to look relatable and smart, they want their opposition to look the opposite
When to use: ridicule, sarcasm, attacks
Key verbs: position, depict, paint, characterise, describe
Structure: [verbing] the [thing: opposition, proposal] to look [description of the way in which it looks bad]
Examples
- “In this way, the author depicts the government as wasteful.”
- “...positioning the people who live in new developments to appear self-centred and vain.”
- “...which characterises smokers as thoughtless, but also at risk.”
- “…painting the scheme as poorly-thought out and likely to end in disaster.”
Some lines you can add occasionally (but not more than twice (or it will become repetitive):
- Bonus: “This helps push readers away from [the other side / this perspective / siding with [the opposition]], since this group is presented as [unlikeable], and thus the audience is nudged to be eager not to be associated with them.”
- Or, “Such a characterisation is likely to push the audience closer to [author], since they will be unwilling to be associated with [this opposition].”
Characterising a third party a certain way
Generally, third parties such as children are only brought into an argument so that the main audience (usually parents) worries about them. They're almost like an appeal. In 2023, when lots of schools were doing argument analysis pieces on the voice referendum, many articles discussed Indigenous people not as an opposition, but as s third party stakeholder who would be particularly affected by the issue.
Example sentences you could use:
- “In this way, the author shows how Indigenous Australians will be particularly impacted by the Voice.”
- “...highlighting that lower socioeconomic groups will be severely disadvantaged by this change.”
If you're able to consistently use these sentence structures within the DQA body paragraph framework, you'll easily score 80s and 90s. If you're already a top scorer, employing and adapting these structures will bring the concision needed for a 45+ score.
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