Purpose
As part of each of these modules, there will be a purpose that connects back to VCE English.
Understanding effect on reader is fundamental to argument analysis, as it represents 50% of the marking criteria. This core skill requires students to analyze how persuasive techniques may influence readers' thoughts, feelings, and reactions. Through a structured approach of Identify (20%), Analyze (30%), and Effect (50%), students learn to dissect how writers craft their arguments to create specific impacts on their audience.
Post-Module Learnings
Following this module, these are the following skills you should have.
I I am able to analyse how language techniques impact a reader's thoughts, feelings, and reactions.
I am able to identify and explain how different demographics (age groups, backgrounds, experiences) might respond differently to persuasive techniques.
I am able to construct detailed effect analysis considering immediate emotional responses, deeper cognitive impacts, and potential behavioral changes in readers.
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Content
Core Principles & Marking Breakdown
The Fundamental Truth About Marking
According to VCE marking criteria, your argument analysis chunks are scored as follows:
- Identify the Technique: 10-20% of the mark
- Analysing the Quote and Going In-Depth on Context: 30%
- Effect on Reader: 50% or more
Critical Insight: Effect on Reader is where "most of the marks are stored." Half your analytical effort should focus on exploring how techniques impact readers.
The Three-Part Framework
Each "chunk" of analysis contains three essential components:
Chunk Parameters
- Length: 1-3 sentences (typically 2 sentences)
- Techniques per chunk: 1-3 techniques (don't analyse in isolation)
- Structure: First sentence often covers Identify + Analyse; second sentence develops Effect
IDENTIFY: The Foundation (20%)
What Identification Really Means
Identification is NOT just naming a technique. It requires:
- Technique name (formal or informal, 2-6 words)
- Direct quote from the text (2-6 words preferred)
- Context of where/how the technique appears
The Hierarchy of Technique Names
❌ AVOID Generic Labels:
- "The author uses emotive language"
- "The author uses many inclusive language" (grammatically incorrect + vague)
- "The author uses statistics"
- "The author uses a rhetorical question"
✅ PREFER Specific Descriptions:
- "Through the visceral imagery of children 'deteriorating day by day'"
- "Commencing with the alarming figure of '47% surge in youth crime'"
- "Via the rhetorical challenge 'How many more children must suffer?'"
Deep Dive: Identification Formulas
Formula 1: Technique + Quote
Formula 2: Action + Technique + Quote
Formula 3: Contextual Introduction + Technique + Quote
Sample Identification Transformations
Basic: The author uses inclusive language.
Better: The author employs inclusive pronouns like "we" and "our".
Best: Through the possessive plea "our children need protection," the author...
Basic: Statistics are used to show the problem.
Better: The "42% increase" statistic demonstrates...
Best: Quantifying the crisis through the "42% of families affected" figure...
Critical Warning from Marking Experience
"Don't ever say, the author uses many inclusive language, when there is only 1 inclusive language. The author uses a plethora of imagery… just analyse one piece of imagery please."
Key Takeaway: One technique analysed well > multiple techniques mentioned superficially
ANALYSE: The Critical Bridge (30%)
What Analysis Actually Means
Analysis is NOT:
- Defining what the technique is
- Explaining how the technique works generally
- Repeating what the quote says
Analysis IS:
- Examining connotations of specific words IN CONTEXT
- Exploring how word choices create meaning
- Setting up the effect through deeper examination
The Four Pillars of Contextual Analysis
1. Lexical Analysis (Word-Level Examination)
Example 1: "insidious grip"
Example 2: "abandoned our children"
2. Contextual Connotations
Words gain different meanings in different contexts:
"Grip" in different contexts:
- Sports context: "firm grip" = control, mastery
- Addiction context: "insidious grip" = entrapment, powerlessness
- Business context: "losing grip" = declining influence
Sample Analysis:
3. Juxtaposition and Contrast
Example: "medicine and commerce collide"
4. Cumulative Meaning
Example: "failed," "neglected," and "abandoned"
Analysis Development Exercises
Exercise: Develop analysis for "catastrophic failure"
Context: Government's response to natural disasters
Student attempt:
"Catastrophic means very bad and failure means not succeeding."
Improved analysis:
The Bridge Function
Analysis must SET UP the effect. Consider how analysis prepares for effect:
EFFECT: Where the Marks Live (50%)
The Three-Stage Effect Formula
According to Week 10 notes, effects should progress through:
- Initial Response: Build excitement/emotion/recognition
- Deeper Impact: Add accountability/responsibility/realisation
- Call to Action: Offer hope/change/solution
Demographic Targeting
Different readers = different effects. Always consider:
- Age groups (parents, youth, elderly)
- Political leanings (conservative, progressive)
- Socioeconomic status
- Professional backgrounds
- Personal experiences
Effect Development Patterns
Pattern 1: Recognition → Responsibility → Action
Pattern 2: Shock → Anger → Mobilisation
Pattern 3: Validation → Unity → Empowerment
Sophisticated Effect Language
Tentative Phrasing (Essential for high marks):
- "may recognise"
- "likely compels"
- "potentially galvanises"
- "could prompt"
- "might induce"
- "seeks to inspire"
- "attempts to mobilise"
Action Verbs for Reader Response:
- Emotional: sympathise, empathise, recoil, bristle
- Cognitive: recognise, realise, reconsider, recalibrate
- Behavioural: scrutinise, demand, advocate, mobilise
Effect Writing Formulas
Formula 1: Demographic + Recognition + Action
Example:
Formula 2: Immediate Impact + Deeper Reflection + Broader Implication
Example:
Sample Effect Progressions by Issue
Climate Change Article:
Youth Crime Editorial:
Healthcare Crisis Piece:
Complete Chunk Construction
The Anatomy of a Perfect Chunk
Let's dissect a high-scoring chunk:
Breakdown:
- Identify (15%): "stark revelation that '42% of renters sacrifice over half their income to housing'"
- Analyse (35%): "transforms abstract economic anxiety... strips away comfortable assumptions... mathematical impossibility"
- Effect (50%): "forcing middle-class readers... unsettling recognition... children's futures..."
Chunk Construction Workshop
Step 1: Select Your Technique + Quote
Article: Government's response to aged care crisis
Technique: Metaphor
Quote: "warehouses for the elderly"
Step 2: Develop Contextual Analysis
Consider:
- What are the connotations of "warehouses"?
- How does this contrast with "care homes"?
- What does this reveal about treatment?
Analysis:
Step 3: Craft Multi-Layered Effect
Effect:
Sample Chunks by Technique Type
Anecdotal Evidence
Statistical Evidence
Expert Opinion
Image Analysis Integration
The Golden Rules of Image Analysis
- Never analyse images in isolation - always connect to textual techniques
- Use compositional terminology: foreground, midground, background
- Analyse specific elements, not the whole image
- Consider how images compound textual arguments
Image Analysis Vocabulary
Compositional Terms:
- Foreground: Immediate visual impact, usually the main subject
- Midground: Supporting elements, context
- Background: Environmental/atmospheric elements
Visual Techniques:
- Positioning, scale, perspective
- Colour symbolism, contrast
- Facial expressions, body language
- Symbolic objects, visual metaphors
Integrated Image-Text Analysis
Example 1: Vaping Article + Product Image
Example 2: Climate Protest + Crowd Image
Image Analysis Integration Strategies
Strategy 1: Image as Evidence
Use the image to prove/disprove textual claims:
Strategy 2: Image as Amplification
Use the image to intensify textual arguments:
Strategy 3: Image as Revelation
Use the image to add layers unstated in text:
Body Paragraph Architecture
The Complete Structure
According to the notes, a full body paragraph contains:
- Topic Sentence (Tone + Approach + Target)
- Chunk 1 (Foundation technique)
- Chunk 2 (Building technique)
- Chunk 3 (Culminating technique - can include image)
- Linking Sentence (Connection to overall argument)
Topic Sentence Formulas
Formula 1: Tone + Approach + Purpose
Formula 2: Strategic Opening + Target Audience
Formula 3: Rhetorical Strategy + Intended Outcome
Complete Body Paragraph Samples
Sample 1: Support → Condemn → Solution Structure
Context: Article about youth climate activism
Sample 2: Victim → Condemn → Solution Structure
Context: Editorial on housing affordability crisis
Linking Sentence Strategies
Strategy 1: Synthesis
Strategy 2: Culmination
Strategy 3: Transformation
Advanced Strategies
Multi-Technique Integration
Rather than analysing techniques separately, weave them together:
Technique Layering
Show how techniques build upon each other:
Demographic Intersection
Consider how different reader groups interact:
Common Errors & Solutions
Error 1: Generic Sentence Starters
❌ Weak: "This shows that readers will feel sad about the issue."
✅ Strong: "Such visceral imagery likely triggers parental anguish as they recognise their own vulnerabilities within Sturgess's narrative."
Error 2: Technique Name Obsession
❌ Weak: "The author uses a metaphor which is effective."
✅ Strong: "Through the industrial metaphor of 'processing plants' for schools, Chen strips education of its humanistic pretensions."
Error 3: Missing Contextual Analysis
❌ Weak: "The word 'abandoned' is emotive."
✅ Strong: "Within the childcare context, 'abandoned' transcends mere neglect to evoke primal childhood fears of desertion, transforming policy failure into psychological trauma."
Error 4: Vague Effects
❌ Weak: "Readers will be concerned about this issue."
✅ Strong: "Middle-class parents previously insulated by private school options may experience creeping recognition that systemic education failure threatens even their purchased advantages."
Error 5: Definitive Claims
❌ Weak: "All readers will definitely demand change."
✅ Strong: "Such exposure likely galvanises politically engaged readers toward electoral punishment while potentially inspiring previously apathetic citizens toward first-time activism."
Error 6: Isolated Image Analysis
❌ Weak: "The image shows protesters looking angry."
✅ Strong: "Complementing textual warnings about 'civic unrest,' the photograph's foregrounded protester's raised fist transforms abstract political dissatisfaction into embodied physical resistance."
Final Mastery Checklist
Before submitting any chunk, verify:
□ Identify: Specific technique named with embedded quote?
□ Analyse: Contextual connotations explored, not just definitions?
□ Effect: 50% of chunk exploring reader impact?
□ Language: Tentative phrasing (may, likely, could)?
□ Demographics: Specific reader groups considered?
□ Flow: Avoiding "This/The" sentence starters?
□ Evidence: Supporting quotes throughout?
□ Context: Words analysed within their specific situation?
□ Progression: Clear journey from identification to impact?
□ Integration: Techniques woven together, not listed separately?
Remember: Excellence in argument analysis comes not from identifying maximum techniques but from demonstrating sophisticated understanding of how language manipulates specific audiences within particular contexts. Every word matters, every reaction counts, every effect deserves exploration.
