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Document Sample
Language is a Manipulator
Student Worksheet
You should click on the context links to read the documents listed and fill in the gaps on the worksheet to help you build up an understanding of the features that speakers and
writers use to manipulate your thoughts and behaviours. This list is not an exhaustive one; you may see other examples and language features as you are working through this
exercise. You should record these additional examples/ features at the bottom of your sheet so that you can discuss these with your teacher and your class.
Context Example Name of feature / Purpose of the language feature How is it intended to manipulate?
description of
feature
“Dulce et Decorum est” “we cursed through Connotative/ To give a negative image of the The writer wants his audience to feel sorry
(see sludge” emotive words environment for the plight of the soldiers
http://home.cogeco.ca/~
rayser3/dulce.txt)
“Dulce et Decorum est” “like a devil's sick of Simile(see To create a strong visual image The writer is using this exaggerated image to
(see sin” http://www.1upinfo. try to convince the audience of the total lack
http://home.cogeco.ca/~ com/encyclopedia/ of glamour involved in war
rayser3/dulce.txt) S/simile.html)
Imperatives (see
http://owl.english.p
urdue.edu/handout
s/grammar/g_vmoo
d.html)
Strong verbs (see
http://www.antimoo
n.com/terms/verb.h
tm)
“Pride and Prejudice” “It is a truth Irony (see To mock a social attitude Jane Austen is making fun of society‟s
(see universally http://www.1upinfo. attitude to marriage and she wants us to
http://www.geocities.co acknowledged, that a com/encyclopedia/I laugh at it
m/TimesSquare/Dome/8 single man in /irony.html)
242/Austen/Pride/Chap1 possession of a large
.htm) fortune must be in
want of a wife.”
“Pride and Prejudice” “Mr. Bennet was so To characterise
(see odd a mixture of….,
http://www.geocities.co sarcastic humour,
m/TimesSquare/Dome/8 reserve, and caprice
242/Austen/Pride/Chap1 ….She was a woman
.htm) of mean
understanding
….uncertain temper
Tony Blair’s speech (see “brutal states”/
http://www.number- “tyrannical states” /
10.gov.uk/output/Page3 “barbarous rulers”
327.asp)
Tony Blair (see “deep divisions of Euphemisms (see
http://www.number- opinion”/ “disarm him http://www.wordref
10.gov.uk/output/Page3 by force”/
“deal with erence.com/english
327.asp) present threats with /definition.asp?en=
resolve” euphemism)
Tony Blair (see freedom, democracy, Abstract nouns
http://www.number- security (see
10.gov.uk/output/Page3 http://www.chompc
327.asp) homp.com/terms/a
bstractnoun.htm)
Tony Blair (see “disorder and chaos” Collocation (see To exaggerate
http://www.number- http://www.shunsle
10.gov.uk/output/Page3 y.eril.net/armoore/l
327.asp) ang/semantics.htm
#12)
Helen Clark’s speech “…Resolution 1441 Jargon (see To suggest knowledge and
(see …by unanimous http://www.arches.u authority
http://www.beehive.govt. resolution of the ga.edu/%7Ebryan/
nz/ViewDocument.cfm? Security Council” AAVE/lexicon.html)
DocumentID=16266)
Helen Clark (see “I regret that a Passive verbs (see To avoid naming the agent of the
http://www.beehive.govt. solution could not be http://owl.english.p action
nz/ViewDocument.cfm? found”
“…agreement urdue.edu/handout
DocumentID=16266) could have been s/grammar/g_actpa
reached..” ss.html)
Saddam Hussein’s letter “the criminal Hyperbole (see To label the enemy Hussein wants to engender hate in his
(see Bush/”the infidel, http://www.1upinfo. audience for Bush
http://www.guardian.co. criminal, cowardly com/encyclopedia/
uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,946 occupier” H/hyperbole.html)
805,00.html)
Saddam Hussein (see “Resist/ Boycott him”
http://www.guardian.co.
uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,946
805,00.html)
Keith Locke’s statement “..unleash a murder Dysphemism (see To offend or embarrass by a less
(see machine…” http://thestar.com. sensitive choice of word
http://www.greens.org.n my/lifestyle/story.as
z/searchdocs/speech61 p?file=/2002/11/19/f
27.html) eatures/moe1911)
John le Carre’s essay in “worse than Allusion (see
Britain’s Sunday Herald McCarthyism, worse http://www.tnellen.c
(see than the bay of om/cybereng/lit_ter
http://www.sundayherald Pigs….” ms/terms/1terms.ht
.com/30700) ml#Allusion)
John Le Carre (see “the hounding of non-
http://www.sundayherald national US
.com/30700) residents…”
Advertisement 1 (see “Beauty begins with Alliteration (see To create a sense of harmony By repeating the „b‟ sound the advertiser is
http://scriptorium.lib.duk the skin” http://www.learn.co. creating a smoothness which is intended to
e.edu/adaccess/BH/BH1 uk/default.asp?WCI be transferred to the consumer‟s image of
3/BH1382-150dpi.jpeg) =Unit&WCU=3442) the product
Advertisement 1 (see “If your skin is Parallel structure
http://scriptorium.lib.duk youthful …..correct it
e.edu/adaccess/BH/BH1
3/BH1382-150dpi.jpeg)
Advertisement 2 (see Rhetorical question
http://scriptorium.lib.duk
e.edu/adaccess/BH/BH2
2/BH2255-150dpi.jpeg)
Advertisement 2 (see “sweet, clean and
http://scriptorium.lib.duk pure”
e.edu/adaccess/BH/BH2
2/BH2255-150dpi.jpeg)
Winston Peters’ speech “Clark V Canute”
(see
http://www.nzfirst.org.nz/
content/display_item.ph
p?t=1&i=1096)
Winston Peters (see “the clinical
http://www.nzfirst.org.nz/ diagnosis… is
content/display_item.ph megalomania”
p?t=1&i=1096)
Richard Prebble’s press “gobbledegook”
release (see
http://www.act.org.nz/ite
m.jsp?id=24523)
Polysyllabic words
(see
http://www.wordref
erence.com/English
/definition.asp?en=
polysyllable)
Inclusive pronouns
