IB English A Lang & Lit Topic How to Write About Advertisements Revision Notes (SL/HL)

IB English A Lang & Lit Topic How to Write About Advertisements Revision Notes (SL/HL) | RevisionDojo

Written by official IB examiners

The Core Analytical Move

Every analytical sentence should follow: device, effect, purpose. Name what the creator chose, explain the effect on the reader, connect to the ad's goal.
Knowing what devices appear in an advertisement is only half the task. The other half, the part that earns marks, is explaining how those devices work together to achieve the advertisement's purpose.

Example

Weak: "The advertisement uses bright red colours."
Strong: "The bright red colour palette creates urgency and excitement, positioning the limited-time offer as something the reader cannot afford to miss."
- The second version names the device, explains the emotional effect, and connects it to the persuasive purpose.

Four Steps for Writing About Ads

Step 1: Name Purpose and Audience

Open by identifying what the advertisement is trying to achieve and who it targets.
Be specific: not "to sell shoes" but "to associate the brand with personal autonomy and outdoor lifestyle, targeting active women aged 25-35 with disposable income."

Example

"The advertisement's primary purpose is to associate the brand with personal autonomy and outdoor lifestyle, targeting active women aged 25-35 through aspirational imagery and second-person address."

Step 2: Analyse Verbal Devices

Examine the headline, body copy, slogan, and call to action.

Nice try, unfortunately this paywall isn't as easy to bypass as you think. Want to help devleop the site? Join the team at https://revisiondojo.com/join-us. exercitation voluptate cillum ullamco excepteur sint officia do tempor Lorem irure minim Lorem elit id voluptate reprehenderit voluptate laboris in nostrud qui non Lorem nostrud laborum culpa sit occaecat reprehenderit

Definition

Paywall

(on a website) an arrangement whereby access is restricted to users who have paid to subscribe to the site.

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

Note

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam quis nostrud exercitation.

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit.

Tip

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris.
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum.

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The Core Analytical Move

Every analytical sentence should follow: device, effect, purpose. Name what the creator chose, explain the effect on the reader, connect to the ad's goal.
Knowing what devices appear in an advertisement is only half the task. The other half, the part that earns marks, is explaining how those devices work together to achieve the advertisement's purpose.

Example

Weak: "The advertisement uses bright red colours."
Strong: "The bright red colour palette creates urgency and excitement, positioning the limited-time offer as something the reader cannot afford to miss."
- The second version names the device, explains the emotional effect, and connects it to the persuasive purpose.

Four Steps for Writing About Ads

Step 1: Name Purpose and Audience

Open by identifying what the advertisement is trying to achieve and who it targets.
Be specific: not "to sell shoes" but "to associate the brand with personal autonomy and outdoor lifestyle, targeting active women aged 25-35 with disposable income."

Example

"The advertisement's primary purpose is to associate the brand with personal autonomy and outdoor lifestyle, targeting active women aged 25-35 through aspirational imagery and second-person address."

Step 2: Analyse Verbal Devices

Examine the headline, body copy, slogan, and call to action.

Definition

Paywall

(on a website) an arrangement whereby access is restricted to users who have paid to subscribe to the site.

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Note

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam quis nostrud exercitation.

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Tip

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris.
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum.

Everything You Need to Know About Analysis6 subtopics

Paper 1 Lang & Lit4 subtopics

Paper 2 Lang & Lit4 subtopics

Individual Oral (IO)4 subtopics

Higher Level Essay3 subtopics

Text Types13 subtopics

Literary Forms4 subtopics

IB English A Lang & Lit How to Write About Advertisements Notes

Everything You Need to Know About Analysis6 subtopics

Paper 1 Lang & Lit4 subtopics

Paper 2 Lang & Lit4 subtopics

Individual Oral (IO)4 subtopics

Higher Level Essay3 subtopics

Text Types13 subtopics

Literary Forms4 subtopics

The Core Analytical Move

Four Steps for Writing About Ads

Step 1: Name Purpose and Audience

Step 2: Analyse Verbal Devices

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Unlock the rest of this chapter with a free account

The Core Analytical Move

Four Steps for Writing About Ads

Step 1: Name Purpose and Audience

Step 2: Analyse Verbal Devices

anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit

Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident

Unlock the rest of this chapter with a free account