Form, Audience & Purpose

Fiction & Non-Fiction Texts

Text Forms, Purpose & Audience

Please note that I have made this resource to supplement the book: Oxford Revise AQA GCSE English Language - Complete Revision & Practice. For answers, please see the book.

Tutors may wish to use this resource for online tutoring sessions, or learners may find it helpful as a revision tool.

What effects do writers create in different texts?

Text Form

What are the two main types of texts?

1.________________________

2.________________________

Which type of text will you cover in your English Language exam in:

Paper 1?________________________

Paper 2?________________________

Which of these text forms could you be asked to read in the exam?

Which could you be asked to write?

speeches

letter

accounts

speech

travel writing

essay

reports

article

Audience

For these two text forms:

Personal Letter
Speech

Decide on the:

Audience
Tone
Content

Purpose

What types of texts have these purposes?

Give some examples.

To inform
To instruct
To argue a case
To persuade
To advise
To entertain

Explicit & Implicit Meaning

What’s the difference?

Which of these is explicit and which is implicit? Why?

Toby was frightened of the dark.
‘Could you leave a light on?’ said Toby nervously.

Connotation

What is the connotation in the example below?

As they approached the house, night suddenly fell and the moon disappeared.

Effects in Texts - Extract 1

Match and explain these effects in this text:

Connotation
Implicit meaning x3
Explicit meaning

Through the Pyrenees on the Little Yellow Train by Gavin Bell

The train I board has a choice of four closed and two open-air carriages, all painted bright yellow, and as the sun is beaming from clear blue skies I opt for one of the latter. With a shrill whistle we are off, quickly reaching our cruising speed of about 15mph, as we rock and roll past Vauban’s battlements.

This is the way to travel through tumultuous scenery, at a gentle pace with time to gaze on fast flowing streams, deep forests, and dizzying gorges. Mountain villages are etched on the skyline, clinging to impossible slopes, their church towers like rockets poised to take off for the heavens.

The eyes are constantly drawn upwards to forests in the sky, and convoluted valleys snaking up to barren peaks, a grand, sweeping symphony of nature. At times the railway seems to defy gravity, and when we halt there is no rumbling of diesel engines, only silence broken by the rushing of a river below.

Article Link - The Telegraph

Effects in Texts - Extract 2

Match and explain these effects in this text:

Direct address
Implicit meaning
Explicit meaning
Exaggeration

‘Apple’s software updates are like changing the water in a fish tank. I’d rather let the fish die’ by Charlie Brooker

Updates are awful. All you want to do is watch TV and rot in your own filth. Instead you spend the evening backing up your phone, downloading a gigantic file and sitting around while your phone undergoes an intense psychological makeover, at the end of which it may or may not function. Often, it takes an hour or more. Fiddly, time-consuming admin – it’s like having to change the water in a fish tank. …it’s why I don’t have an aquarium. I’d rather let the fish die.

Article link - The Guardian

Text removed in Oxford Revise version but in original article = ‘I can’t be arsed:’

Writing About Different Texts

What are some different genres?

What are your favourite and least favourite genres?

Why does identifying a text’s genre help you to understand and write about it?

Extract 3

Read this extract and write one or two paragraphs commenting on the effect of the writer’s language choices.

Tips:

Focus on what is implied and the meaning
Embed quotes to support your points
Idea - you could consider the characters mood or feelings

Extract 3: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

This extract is from a novel, and is about Maureen and her husband, Harold, as they eat breakfast. Harold has received a letter.

'Well?' said Maureen again.

'Good lord. It's from Queenie Hennessy.'

Maureen speared a nugget of butter with her knife and flattened it the length of her toast. 'Queenie who?'

5 'She worked at the brewery. Years ago. Don't you remember?'

Maureen shrugged. 'I don't see why I should. I don't know why l'd remember someone from years ago. Could you pass the jam?'

'She was in finances. She was very good.'

'That's the marmalade, Harold. Jam is red. If you look at things before you pick

10

them up, you'll find it helps.'

Sample Responses to Extracts

Sample Response to Extract 2

The writer uses dialogue and small domestic details to reveal the distance between Harold and Maureen. Maureen’s sharp, critical tone, shown when she says, “Jam is red. If you look at things before you pick them up, you'll find it helps,” suggests irritation and impatience, implying she is often frustrated with Harold. The focus on routine tasks, like buttering toast and passing jam, contrasts with the lack of warmth in their conversation, emphasising how familiarity has replaced emotional closeness in their marriage.

Harold, in contrast, reacts with surprise and mild excitement to the letter, saying, “Good lord. It’s from Queenie Hennessy,” which shows he is more engaged with the past or the emotional significance of the news. Maureen’s dismissive response—“I don’t see why I should [remember her]”—underscores her detachment and hints at underlying resentment or indifference. Through these subtle exchanges, the writer captures the quiet tension and unspoken unhappiness that exists beneath the surface of an everyday breakfast.

Sample Response to Extract 1

The writer presents the train journey as bright and uplifting, emphasising the cheerful yellow carriages and the clear blue sky, which creates a sense of a fresh, new day. The use of a short, sharp sentence with ‘with a shrill whistle, we are off’ gives the impression of speed and excitement, while the word ‘shrill’ highlights the energy of the moment. The train itself evokes a sense of nostalgia and comfort, reinforced by descriptions such as ‘cruising’ and the ‘gentle pace’, suggesting that the journey is both relaxing and enjoyable.

The scenery is described in a way that makes it feel grand and dramatic, with the eye drawn to towering peaks and winding valleys, creating a sense of awe. Phrases like ‘forests in the sky’ and the railway seeming to ‘defy gravity’ give the landscape a magical, almost otherworldly quality. Similarly, the comparison of church towers to rockets conveys a feeling of movement and wonder, emphasising the extraordinary beauty of the natural surroundings.

Writing Particular (Non -Fiction) Text Forms

What is the purpose and audience for each of these text forms? Give examples of phrases they could contain?

Newspaper article
Magazine article
Letters
Speeches

Key Terms

Make sure you can define all of these key terms:

Audience

Connotation

Explicit

Implicit

Fiction

Non-Fiction

Genre

Infer

Inference

Purpose

Text form

Revision Q&A - Texts & Their Meanings

Questions:

All texts are either fiction or non-fiction. True or false?
What type of source text will you be given to read and comment on in Paper 1?
Name at least four different types of non-fiction text forms that you might be given to read and comment on in Paper 2.
Name at least four different genres of fiction.
What are the three key features to identify in a text, and why are they important?
Name at least four possible purposes of a non-fiction text.
What is explicit information?
Which of these sentences contains an implicit meaning, and what is that meaning?
(a) ‘Cricket: just when you think the game has to be nearly over, it goes on – and on, and on.’
(b) ‘Rugby is a contact sport.’
What does infer mean?
Why is it important to think about audience when writing a text?
What is the connotation of a word or phrase?

Answers:

True.
Prose fiction – an extract from a novel or short story.
Report, travel writing, biography or autobiography, diary, speech, letter, argument, article.
Science fiction, fantasy, romance, historical fiction, thriller, mystery, horror.
Text form, audience, purpose. They strongly influence the structure, language, and style of a text.
To inform, to entertain, to persuade, to instruct, to argue, to explain.
Information that is clearly stated. The reader does not have to infer the meaning.
Sentence (a). It implies that cricket is boring.
To work out meaning that is only hinted at, rather than explicitly stated.
The audience are the people you hope will read your text or listen to your speech. You need to write in a way that is appropriate and appealing to your audience.
It is the additional meaning that it commonly carries, as well as its main, explicit meaning.

Reading/Comprehension Activity

Read this article or another of your choice.

NBA Team Physicians Admit They Only Know Medical Stuff About Legs

https://theonion.com/nba-team-physicians-admit-they-only-know-medical-stuff-about-legs/

Write a summary of this text focussing on:

Form
Purpose
Examples of explicit and implicit meaning
Reader reaction
Effect of exaggerated language

Writing Activity

"Game-Winning Shot!"

This activity requires you to complete a writing task (Section A) and then reflect on your work using key terminology (Section B).

Task: You attended the final match of the local schools' basketball league where your school won in a thrilling, last-minute finish.

Section A: The Writing Task

Write the text for an article that you will submit to the school newspaper or local sports blog to report on and review the game.

Text Form: Newspaper/Blog Article (Review)
Audience: Schoolmates, teachers, and local sports supporters (enthusiastic, knowledgeable).
Purpose: To inform about the result, describe the action, and entertain the readers with a vivid account of the victory.

Your article must:

Use a fast-paced, exciting tone appropriate for a sports report.
Include a clear explicit meaning (the final score, who won, and the facts of the match).
Use vivid language with strong connotation (e.g., words like 'clashed,' 'heroic,' 'stole,' 'roared') to convey the excitement and intensity.
Suggest an implicit meaning about the team’s dedication or the importance of the rivalry without stating it directly.
Employ exaggeration (hyperbole) at least once to describe a particularly dramatic moment (e.g., the final shot).

Section B: Reflection and Analysis

After you have written your article, answer the following questions to demonstrate your understanding of the concepts:

Audience and Tone: Explain the tone you chose for the article. Give one example of a language choice that shows you were writing for your specific audience (schoolmates/sports supporters).
Connotation: Identify one word or phrase you used that has a strong connotation. Explain how the chosen word’s connotation enhances the excitement of your report.
Meaning: What is the main explicit meaning of your article? Where did you use implicit meaning to suggest something deeper than just the score?

Effects in Texts: Identify where you used exaggeration in your article. Why is this effect particularly useful when writing a sports report for a purpose like entertainment?