Example of language checklist
Language
feature
Formal style
What to look for
Uses Standard English, impersonal tone,
third person
Possible effect on
reader
May suggest more
serious topic
Informal style
Uses slang, nonstandard, contractions
More personal in tone
Comparisons
Similies/metaphors
Create imagery
Increases interest
Extended
metaphor
A metaphor that is continued or developed
over several lines of text
First person
(viewpoint)
Personal pronoun I, me, mine
Is descriptive and
makes the writing
interesting
Conveys thoughts and
feelings
Second person
You, your, yours
Address reader
directly, gets them
involved
Third person
He, she, it, they
Impersonal
Emotive
language
Words or phrases that are dramatic or
shocking e.g. ‘millions of innocent, starving,
helpless children.’
Alliteration
Words starting with the same letter or
sound e.g. Waynes Winter Wonderland
Imagery
Vivid images
Exaggeration/h
yperbole
Repetition
Overstaning something e.g. he was the
worst person she had ever met in her life
The same word or phrase repeated
Makes the reader feel
something e.g.
guilt/sadness or simply
empathise with the
writer
Catchy, memorable,
interesting
Impact
Creates a visual image,
brings the writing to
life
Emphasis, can be used
for humour
Emphasis
List of three
Impact
Humour
Three phrases or words separated by
commas
Puns, rhyme, double meaning, entendre etc.
Pun
A joke/play on words
Facts
Statistics
Something that can be proven to be true
(e.g. dates, names, places)
Numbers and figures
Quotes
Quotation marks
Opinions
Someone’s personal point of view (Can’t be
proved)
Rhetorical
question
Jargon
A question that doesn’t require an answer
Can be humourous/
thought provoking
Makes you believe it is
true adds gravitas
Makes something more
believable
Makes something more
believable
When mixed with fact
makes something more
believable
Gets the reader
involved and thinking
Involved particular
audience
Adds interest
Adjectives/adv
erbs
Language relating to a specific topic e.g.
scientific/medical etc.
Descriptive words
Makes you laugh
Type of
writing/purpose
Inform
Instruct
Explain
Tabloid newspaper
Inform
Describe
Argue
Entertain
Describe
Autobiography
Describe
Complain
Persuasive
Argue
Advise
Instruct
Describe
Report
Persuade
Describe
Headlines
Describe
Argue
Describe
Persuade
Argue
Persuade
Argue
Persuade
Argue
Entertain
Argue
Headlines
Argue
Persuade
Persuade
Inform
Persuade
Persuade
Argue
Persuade
Argue
Persuade
Argue
Describe