Language in Action (NEA): Analysing Style Models and Genre Conventions
Welcome to your study notes for Section B: Original Writing and Commentary, part of Component 3: Language in Action (7702/C) for AQA A Level English Language. This component gives you the exciting opportunity to step into the shoes of a professional writer and then act as an expert linguist analysing your own craft.
Don't worry if this feels a bit daunting at first! Once you understand how to break down a professional text (your style model) and mirror its techniques, writing both your piece and the commentary becomes a clear, step-by-step process.
---1. Key Coursework Facts and Structure
Before diving into analysis, let's look at the essential parameters set by the AQA specification:
• Total NEA Weighting: \(20\%\) of your total A Level mark.
• Total Mark Allocation: The NEA is marked out of \(100\) marks in total (\(50\) marks for the Language Investigation in Section A, and \(50\) marks for Section B: Original Writing and Commentary).
• Section B Mark Split: Exactly \(25\) marks for your Original Writing piece and \(25\) marks for your Commentary.
• Total Word Count: Approximately \(1,500\) words combined (excluding your style model and reference list).
• Original Piece Length: ~\(750\) words.
• Commentary Length: ~\(750\) words.
Key Takeaway: Balance is crucial! Both parts carry equal weight (\(25\) marks each), so your \(750\)-word analytical commentary requires just as much effort, planning, and precision as your creative piece.
---2. What is a "Style Model"?
A style model (sometimes called a mentor text) is a real-world, published piece of professional writing that you select to serve as the structural and linguistic blueprint for your own work.
Style Model Requirements:
• Must be a professional, real-world text: You cannot use a piece written by another student or write without one.
• Must provide sufficient linguistic depth: Choose a text rich in stylistic techniques, structural choices, and distinct voice.
• Mandatory Submission: A clean copy of your chosen style model must be included in your coursework folder as an appendix.
Analogy: The Architectural Blueprint
Think of your style model as an architect's blueprint. If you want to build a sturdy, stylish house, you study an expertly designed building to see how the foundations, walls, and decorative finishes are assembled. You don't copy the bricks word-for-word; instead, you replicate the architecture—the tone, layout, grammatical structures, and conventions.
Key Takeaway: A style model is your guide. You will deconstruct its conventions (Genre, Audience, Purpose) and emulate its linguistic craft in your own original writing.
---3. The Three Designated Genre Areas
AQA requires your original piece to belong to one of three specific genre strands. You must select one area, find a style model that fits it, and produce your writing accordingly:
1. The Power of Persuasion
• Typical Forms: An opinion piece / column, an argumentative speech, a satirical article.
• Core Focus: Rhetorical strategies, positioning the reader, creating an authentic voice, presenting an engaging stance.
2. The Power of Storytelling
• Typical Forms: A short story, a dramatic monologue, an opening chapter of a novel.
• Core Focus: Characterisation, narrative perspective, world-building, dialogue, temporal shifts.
3. The Power of Information
• Typical Forms: A travel guide, a biographical profile, a piece of investigative journalism.
• Core Focus: Clarity of exposition, engaging informative tone, engaging human interest elements, structured signposting.
Key Takeaway: Decide early which strand matches your strengths. Whether persuading, narrating, or informing, your text must strictly adhere to the real-world conventions of that genre.
---4. Analysing Your Style Model: The Six Linguistic Frameworks
To successfully write your original piece and achieve high marks in your commentary, you must dissect your style model across the fundamental Language Levels:
1. Lexis and Semantics (Word Choice and Meaning)
• What to look for: What word classes dominate? Does the writer use elevated Latinate vocabulary or punchy Anglo-Saxon terms? Are there specific semantic fields, evocative metaphors, idioms, or colloquialisms?
• Application: Replicate the semantic register to recreate the same tone.
2. Grammar and Syntax (Sentence Construction and Word Order)
• What to look for: Look at sentence types (simple, compound, complex, minor) and sentence functions (declarative, interrogative, imperative, exclamative). Does the model use fronted adverbials, triadic structures, or non-standard syntax for impact?
• Application: Vary your syntax purposefully to mirror the pacing and rhythm of your mentor text.
3. Phonology (Sound Patterns)
• What to look for: Especially crucial for speeches and dramatic monologues. Does the text use alliteration, assonance, sibilance, rhythmic cadence, or plosive sounds to evoke emotion or create memorable phrasing?
• Application: Integrate deliberate sound patterns where speech or dramatic performance is central.
4. Pragmatics (Implied Meanings and Context)
• What to look for: How does the writer exploit shared cultural knowledge, irony, humor, or presupposition? What is conveyed "between the lines" rather than explicitly stated?
• Application: Establish a sophisticated relationship with your reader by leaving certain ideas to inference.
5. Discourse (Whole-Text Structure and Cohesion)
• What to look for: How is the text opened and closed? Look for structural framing devices (e.g., cyclical structures), cohesive ties, topic shifts, and paragraph transitions.
• Application: Plan your macro-structure so your text flows logically and mirrors the overarching shape of your model.
6. Graphology (Visual Layout and Typography)
• What to look for: Headings, subheadings, pull-quotes, font variations (bold, italics), column layouts, or spacing conventions typical of the publication.
• Application: Format your original piece to visually look like an authentic published text.
Memory Trick: Remember "L-G-P-P-D-G" (Lexis, Grammar, Phonology, Pragmatics, Discourse, Graphology) — "Linguists Gain Points Producing Detailed Guides."
---5. Assessment Objectives and the Analytical Commentary
The commentary is not a personal reflection or diary entry; it is an academic, linguistic defense of your creative decisions.
Assessment Objectives Breakdown:
• AO5 (Original Writing): Demonstrate expertise and creativity in the use of English to communicate in a relatively complex case.
• AO2 (Commentary): Demonstrate critical understanding of concepts and issues relevant to language use.
• AO1, AO3, and AO4 (Commentary): Apply accurate linguistic terminology (AO1), evaluate contextual factors such as audience, purpose, and genre (AO3), and make explicit comparative connections between your style model and your own writing (AO4).
Formula for an Analytical Commentary Sentence:
Use this structure to keep your writing analytical rather than descriptive:
[Linguistic Feature] + [Evidence from Style Model] \(\implies\) [Evidence from Original Writing] + [Intended Pragmatic/Contextual Effect on Audience]
• Example: "Following the style model's use of synthetic personalisation via direct address imperatives ('Consider your footprint'), I incorporated the imperative clause 'Audit your digital life' to immediately establish an authoritative yet intimate relationship with the target audience."
---6. Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Examiner reports highlight several frequent errors that cost students marks:
• Selecting a Weak Style Model: Choosing a text that is too brief or simplistic (like a brief social media post or promotional blurb) will leave you with too few linguistic techniques to analyse.
• Descriptive Commentary (Storytelling): Avoid writing "I wrote about X because I find it interesting" or "I used three words to make it sound catchy." Always use precise terminology: "I utilized a triadic structure of pre-modifying adjectives to heighten the emotive tone."
• Genre Mismatch: Writing a plot summary instead of a short story, or an essay instead of a journalism column. Ensure your conventions align directly with your chosen genre.
• Forgetting the Link to the Model: Every major point in your commentary should trace back to how you emulated, adapted, or diverged from your professional style model.
• Word Count Violations: Straying significantly above or below the ~\(750\)-word target for either section indicates a lack of control or insufficient analytical depth.
7. Quick Review Checklist
Before submitting Section B, verify each of the following:
• Is your Original Writing piece approximately \(750\) words and firmly within one of the three designated genre areas?
• Is your Commentary approximately \(750\) words and fully supported with accurate linguistic terminology?
• Is your style model an authentic, high-quality professional text?
• Have you explored features across multiple language levels (Lexis, Grammar, Pragmatics, Discourse, Graphology, Phonology)?
• Is a complete copy of your style model attached as an appendix?