Essential Language Analysis Toolkit
Ever wondered why some writing hits differently? It's all about understanding the building blocks of language and how writers craft their sentences to create specific effects.
Word classes form the foundation of everything you'll analyse. Nouns identify people, things, ideas or states (like 'girl', 'wall', 'luckiness', 'anger'). Verbs show actions, events, situations or changes ('jump', 'happen', 'be', 'evolve'). Adjectives describe nouns ('happy girl', 'grey wall'), while adverbs give information about verbs, adjectives or other adverbs ('jump quickly', 'very pretty').
Sentence structures reveal how writers control pace and emphasis. Fragments are incomplete sentences without proper subject-verb agreement - think "Nothing" or "Silence everywhere" for dramatic effect. Simple sentences contain one independent clause ("She went to the shop"), whilst compound sentences join multiple independent clauses ("She went to the shop and bought a banana").
Complex sentences combine one independent clause with dependent clauses, creating sophisticated writing: "Sometimes, when she goes to the shop, she likes to buy a banana." These structures help writers vary rhythm and add depth to their ideas.
Quick Tip: In your analysis, always explain why the writer chose a particular sentence structure - what effect does it create for the reader?