Round up of lesson
In an opinion piece, you must base your analysis of around the “viewpoints” – what is the viewpoint we must “share”.
- Without a “viewpoint that we must share”, you are summarising and story-telling.
- You must show an ability to distinguish between background details and contextual factors and the message itself.
- The more specific you are with the viewpoints/call to action/meaning of the opinion text, the better your analysis. This is the only way to minimise generic sentences.
- Your ability to zero in on main points leads to a sharper discussion – it controls/determines the “techniques” and the “language features”.
- We need to work on clarity of expression, especially when the meaning is difficult.
- Do not include too many quotes in a sentence and make sure your quotes fit the grammatical construction of your sentence.
- Minimise generic sentences – sentences that lack a connection to the meaning of the text and the author’s purpose.
- You must always connect techniques such as evidence/personal/professional experience to a viewpoint – otherwise it is generic.
- Finally, adapt and mimic the writer’s formal style; learn to write like them. Use short, pointed sentences; nominals and active sentences.
- Use only one difficult technical term each sentence and evaluate its purpose.
Analytical vs Summary-style sentences
- If you are writing sentences like, the author ‘ asserts’ ‘states’ ‘highlights’ – then you are summarising and paraphrasing.
- See pages 21, 41, 43, 44
- See my write up of VCAA Responses so far .. .
Two short sample paragraphs
Paragraph 1
Topic sentence: Adopting a peremptory tone, Robertson recommends the expulsion of Russian diplomats from Australia if they do not accept an offer to defect. He bases this recommendation on his critical analysis of war crimes committed by Russia in the Ukraine and the limited “soft power” options available to policy makers.
Do five “analytical” sentences based on the following quotes – evaluate purpose and position etc. – include one technical term each sentence and one quote…
- “And let’s be clear – these morally hideous people fully support the killing of children (hundreds so far), citizens (in their thousands) and soldiers who rape and torture. Yet they move freely on our diplomatic circuit, have immunities (even from parking tickets) and Facebook pages which pump out Vladimir Putin’s lies.”
- Weave through the purpose: “declare them persona non grata” and “chuck” them out
- importance of “soft power”; as well as strengthened trade sanctions: purpose – encourage people to see that this is one of the few options available to the government because of Russia’s intolerable status as a superpower in the United Nations.
Paragraph 2
Given that the Russian Orthodox Church is indirectly implicated in war crimes, Robertson recommends that it be “stripped” of its charitable status and denied taxpayer concessions. Underpinning this argument point is an attack on the church which is led by ex KGB Patriarch Krill, who, Robertson believes, is using the pulpit to wage a propaganda war in support of war crimes.
Work your analytical sentences: – language feature, purpose, position etc. (do not use he asserts/highlights/states that). Embed the quote into your sentence; use one technique each sentence; and keep unpacking.
- “Remembering Christ’s concern for the suffering of children and the innocent, this must count as blasphemous hypocrisy.”
- “It claims still to collect “hampers for the homeless” although not for those rendered homeless by the evil war it supports.”
- “heartfelt plea” to its members “to refrain from excessive watching of television,
Paragraph 3: Comparison with one of the letter writers
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