Having decided that a text is reliable, a student must read and understand as much as necessary for the needs of the essay. Understanding a text is not just a
matter of vocabulary; the reader needs to find out the writer’s intentions. Is the writer aiming to inform, persuade, describe or entertain? The answer to this
question may affect the way a student uses the material.
1. Compare the two extracts below:
a Rebus College is seeking candidates for the position of Treasurer. As the Chief Financial Officer of the College, the Treasurer is responsible for working with the senior
administration and Trustees to develop and implement a financial strategic vision for the College.
b Are you wondering what to do with that jumper you were given for Christmas that’s two sizes too small – or worse, the personal stereo that simply doesn’t work? Well, don’t
worry. Chances are, you’ll be able to get your dud gifts swapped, fixed or get a refund. And, armed with our guide to your rights, you’ll be able to get any defective products
sorted.
The first extract is written to inform the reader about a job vacancy and to give information about the work. The second aims to persuade the reader
to buy the guide described. The language style, or register, of the extracts is also very different. The first uses very formal vocabulary such as
seeking
, position and implement. The second uses an informal tone, the pronoun you, the question form and informal vocabulary such as dud and
swapped .
2. Read the following extracts and complete the table using one or two of the following: informamusepersuadeentertain.
Text Purpose
a b
c
a The lower you are in the office hierarchy, the more disgusting your sandwiches. You can safely assume that a chicken and banana man is not a main board director. Some
people, generally those in accounts, have had the same sandwich for the past 30 years. People like to prove how busy they are by eating their sandwich at their desk.
But this is counter-productive, because every time you take a mouthful the phone rings, and you’ll only get to finish that last mouthful just before you go home.
b Writing for publication can be both profitable and enjoyable. It’s open to everyone, because you don’t need any qualifications. In Britain there is a huge demand for new
materials, with thousands of newspapers and magazines published every week. In addition there are TV and radio programmes, the theatre and films. Given this situation,
there are many openings for new writers. But the director of one of the UK’s main writing colleges, the Writing Academy, advises: ‘to enter this market successfully you
must have good training’.
4. Understanding Purpose and Register
c The Advertising Standards Authority makes sure that advertising is legal, decent, honest and truthful. The Authority safeguards the public by ensuring that the rules
contained in the British Code of Advertising Practice are followed by everyone who prepares and publishes advertisements in the UK, and that advice is freely available to
prevent problems arising. The Code lays down what is and is not acceptable in advertisements, except for those on TV and radio.
3. Register. Compare the tone, or register, of the following:
a These apparent failures often result from inadequate planning and management, especially the lack of integration of biophysical and socio-economic information into
the effort. The lack of integration of information is, in fact, a limitation that has been emphasised by many authors working with agricultural and land use planning in recent
years see, for instance, Vaughan et al., 1995; and Chidley and Brook, 1997.
b It was routine – an ordinary minor operation – except for a single extraordinary point. The patient was on an operating table in Milan. The doctors were in Washington, nearly
6,000 kilometres away. The news that, for the first time, a transatlantic operation had been carried out with a robot doctor in one continent copying the real-time hand
movements of a live doctor in another, introduces a new medical age.
c Legislation identifies the minimum space of 11 m
3
that should be allocated to each person and should be adhered to especially if much of the room is taken up with
essential furniture. Equally, the maximum height of a room is now accepted for such calculations as three metres. For example, in a room 5 m ǂ 4 m ǂ 3 m high this
would provide initial space for five persons.
The first extract is an example of academic register, used, for instance, in dissertations and academic journals. This typically uses cautious language
like apparent and often, as well as academic vocabulary biophysical, socio- economic
, and will generally include references.
The second passage is journalistic. The first part attempts to interest the reader by presenting the story in a simple but dramatic way a single
extraordinary point . The importance of the news item is stressed by the
claim a new medical age. Journalism often uses current idioms like real time
.
The last extract uses a very formal tone, suitable for a semi-legal text. Verbs such as identifies, adhered to and allocated, the use of passives be
allocated , and special vocabulary persons instead of the more normal
people are typical of this register.
4. Although it can be acceptable to use articles from newspapers, magazines and the internet, which are often more accessible and up to
date, in academic work students need to be aware that these sources may have less credibility, and that material written for a wider
readership tends to be less detailed.
Students need to be especially careful of taking journalistic phrases and using them in formal essays.
2.10 Style 3.6
Formality in Verbs
cross reference
5. Read the following texts and analyse the register in each case, by giving examples of the language used.
a Wherever possible complaints should be handled at a local level and without recourse to unduly formal proceedings. It is therefore essential that all staff who have contact
with students are aware of the relevant procedures and are empowered to resolve issues as they arise. Staff dealing with complaints are encouraged, whenever practical,
to meet with the complainant. Face-to-face discussions are often very helpful to establish the precise cause of dissatisfaction, to explore the remedy sought by the
complainant and to foster a mutual understanding of the issues. b Studies of childhood imaginary companions have not yielded clear interactions with age
and creativity. It could be suggested that the common assumption of imaginary companions being mainly a preschool phenomenon may have encouraged studies to
use very young children as participants. In their review of the literature, Pearson and Mayer 1998 concluded that the experience of imaginary companions peaked in
children aged between 2.5 and 3.5 years. c Amazing recent research by David Storey of Warwick University shows that businesses
started by older people last longer than those started by younger entrepreneurs. He discovered that 70 of firms started by 50–55-year-olds survived for over three years,
but only 30 for those of the 20–25 age group. As the numbers of old folk are increasing rapidly, such ‘grey entrepreneurs’ are likely to become more common. But
what’s the secret of their remarkable success rate?
Text Register
Examples a
b
c 14
