Analyzing a Personal Letter

This assignment, titled 'Text Analysis,' requires students to meticulously analyze a personal letter written by a ten-year-old child to their parents. The analysis focuses on identifying and explaining the text type, examining the use of language to express and connect ideas, and evaluating the overall organization and cohesion strategies employed in the letter. Students must demonstrate a deep understanding of linguistic concepts such as exposition, verb usage, conjunctions, lexical cohesion, and formulaic sequences to effectively analyze and interpret the letter's content and purpose.

EDLA 167: Linguistics for Literacy
Assessment 1B Text Analysis
Name & Student ID:
Identify& explain text type
The aforementioned text belongs to the genre of personal letter. The letter is written from a ten year old
child to the parents. The type of the text is exposition. An exposition is an argumentative text that is
based on the view of certain topic. It is developed through clearly stating the point of view and
defending the same viewpoint. Though a personal letter does not often come to the segment of
exposition text type, this specific letter has been developed through argumentative point of view. Since
the letter is directly written to the parents, it is considered to be a personal letter. Considering the
grammatical features of the exposition, the following instances can be cited:
i) Use of general and abstract noun: privilege, decision (both of the words have been
emphatically used
ii) Action and thinking verbs: remember, sleep, came
On the other hand, there is a justification of confession. The confession relates to the choice of self. The
way this letter is written is highly convincing in nature. In this context, it can be stated that the basic
understanding would focus on the special focus on how it would be done for the specific docile
confrontation with the mother.
Use of language to express ideas
The language that has been used to express ideas is quite subtle yet bold. With the choice of the verb
groups such as “make this decision”, “I have earned the privilege”, “I want” and so on, the student has
boldly approached the ideas. Verb plays an important role in expressing ideas and the strength of the
idea has been influenced by the strength of the usage of verb. The ideas have been well connected with
the use of certain languages. The beginning sentence in the letter was highly complex thus strengthening
the approach- “Although you might not agree, I think that when a boy turns ten years old, he should be
allowed to choose his own bedtime”. The entire letter is dominated by the usage of complex sentences.
The boy seldom chooses to write simple sentence while addressing the mother. There have been several
instances where the student has used compound sentences- “I might make mistakes and stay up too late
sometimes, but then I would learn how to use my time wisely.” While judging the plethora in the
continuous use of complex and compound sentences, it can be stated that the expression of the ideas
seems to be quite effective.
Use of language to connect ideas
For the connection of ideas, this has been taken into certain consideration as this would be
focusing on the special activities as this has to be taken into certain consideration of the
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segments. Use of conjunctions plays an important role in the structure of the sentences. Here, the
specific usage has been focused through the impactful criteria of the cases. in the following
sentence the usage of coordinating conjunction has stringently flown the ideas to connect them
with the thought process or the objective of writing this letter:
“I fell asleep in the car because I was so tired”.
“I try to fall asleep, but I just lie there and toss and turn”
“Sometimes I stay awake and read or look through my coin collection, even when you think I am
sleeping”
“Last of all, I just turned ten and I think I am old enough to have more privileges.”
More than the usage of strong verbs, the usage of lexical cohesion has been identified. Lexical
cohesion has been vividly present in the following words where they are closely associated with
each other in terms of context and relevance:
“Sleep”, ‘tired”, “lie”.
Such usage ensures strong emphasis on those words.
The aforementioned sentences are highly important to convey the ideas of the student. The
strong usage of coordinating conjunctions (because, but, and) clearly shows that the ideas are
well connected to each other- often defying the deciding sentences or posing the cause of them.
The gradual development of the letter is highly effective for the parents to understand the concept
the student actually wants to portray. These very coordinating conjunctions have actually
emphasized the boldness of the thought process. However, the subordinating conjunctions such
as “My first reason is that I am the only one who knows when I am tired.” Has ensured the
strong use of syntactical expression and connection of ideas.
Organisation/structure of the text and use of cohesion strategies
In order to find out the specific understanding of the cohesive texts, thorough judgment of
conjunction and transition is required. There has been an instance of the formulaic sequence. In
the following sentence, we get to find an example of formulaic sequence: “As I just mentioned, I
am the only one who knows when I am tired.” This specific sentence has stringently focused and
emphasized on the repetition thus becoming strict to the confession of being tired at choice.
There has been no anaphoric account in this context. The sentence “I am the kind of child who
wants to make sure everything is ready for the next day” succinctly explores the Exophoric
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references. Formulaic sequence and exophoric reference have talked about the referencing tools
for cohesion strategy.
Overall evaluation
Having talked about the sentence structure thus expressively procreating a concept of the
portrayal of the idea, this has been taken into consideration that this would be focusing on the
specific understanding of the case for the entire correlation between idea and its expression. The
letter was highly compassionate in nature thus comprising of several syntactical usage. The
write-up was fewer short in terms of cohesive structure.
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