What counts as a non-literary text
A literary text is written mainly to be art: a poem, a novel, a play. A non-literary text is written to do a job in the real world, such as sell a product, report an event, warn a reader or explain a process. Adverts, news articles, leaflets, speeches, blogs and social media posts all sit in this group.
The trick with Criterion A is to remember that nothing in these texts is an accident. A designer chose that colour, an editor chose that headline, a writer chose that verb. Analysis means asking two questions about every choice: what has been done, and why does it work on me.
- Non-literary text
- A text made to serve a practical purpose in the world, such as informing, persuading or instructing, rather than existing chiefly as art.
Where this is assessed
Identifying features and explaining their effect is Criterion A, Analysing. Shaping your response into a clear, well-ordered answer is Criterion B, Organizing. Writing your own media text is Criterion C, Producing text, and controlling accurate, well-chosen wording is Criterion D, Using language.
Structural features and their effects
Structure is the shape of a text: the order things come in and how they are laid out on the page or screen. Before you read a single sentence closely, notice how the text is put together.
| Feature | What it is | Typical effect |
|---|---|---|
| Headline | The largest, boldest line at the top | Grabs attention and frames how you read everything below it |
| Subheadings | Smaller titles that break up the text | Guide a skimming reader and make the text feel easy |
| Opening line | The first sentence or hook | Sets the tone and decides whether you keep reading |
| Images and captions | Photos, logos and the words beneath them | Anchor a feeling before the argument even starts |
| Ending | The final line or call to action | Leaves a lasting impression or tells you what to do next |
A newspaper, for example, front-loads the most important facts so a busy reader who stops after one paragraph still gets the gist. An advert does the opposite: it holds back the product name until you are hooked by a feeling.
Language features and their effects
Once you have the shape, zoom in on word choice. You do not need to name dozens of devices; you need to explain a few well. Here are the ones that repay close attention in media texts.
- Emotive language: words chosen to stir feeling, such as heartbreaking or outrage. They nudge the reader towards a reaction before they have thought it through.
- Direct address: speaking to you, which makes a mass message feel like a private one.
- Imperatives: command verbs like discover, join, imagine, which push the reader towards action.
- Statistics and quotation: numbers and named voices that borrow the authority of evidence.
- Repetition: an idea returned to so it lodges in memory.
Name it, then explain it
Spotting a device earns you almost nothing on its own. The marks live in the sentence after you name it, where you explain the effect on a real reader. Always ask: so what does this make me think or feel?
Writing about effect, not just spotting features
The strongest analysis follows a simple move: name the feature, quote the evidence, then explain the effect. A neat way to remember it is point, evidence, effect. The effect is the part examiners reward, so give it the most words.
A charity poster reads: "Tonight, one more child will sleep on a pavement. You can change that." Analyse how the writer positions the reader.
Notice that the answer never just says "this is effective". It says how and on whom. That is the difference between describing a text and analysing it.
Check yourself
1. Why is naming a device, on its own, worth so little in Criterion A? +
Because Criterion A rewards analysis, not spotting. Naming "alliteration" shows you recognise a term, but the marks come from explaining the effect it has on the reader, which shows you understand why the writer used it.
2. A news report puts its key facts in the first sentence. What is the effect of that structural choice? +
Front-loading the facts means a reader who stops after one line still gets the most important information. It suits a busy, skimming audience and signals that the piece values speed and clarity over suspense.
3. Turn this into analysis: an advert uses the imperative "Discover more." +
The imperative "Discover more" gives the reader a gentle command that frames buying as exploring rather than spending. It flatters the reader as curious and adventurous, so the action feels like their own idea rather than the seller's push.
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