ENG2602 EXAM ANSWERS
SECTION A: GENRES OF LANGUAGE
Answer only ONE of the following two questions.
ESSAY ANSWERS:
QUESTION 2: SOCIAL PERSUASIVE PROSE
Read the below social persuasive text closely and answer the question that follows.
In a post-truth world, science is under threat — we need an inoculation against fake
news
By Faadiel Essop
05 May 2021
The epidemic-like rise in alarming pseudoscience and fake news trends and associated
damaging outcomes raise a crucial question: Will the scientific process survive this onslaught or
will anti-vaxxers and other conspiracy theorists eventually hold sway in the public domain?
The forwarded WhatsApp message on my phone boldly proclaimed that an autopsy in Russia
had revealed that a radiation-exposed bacterium (and not the SARS-CoV-2 virus) is responsible
for the Covid-19 pandemic and “causes human death by coagulation in the blood”. The message
triggered a tinge of despair as I realised that the plethora of similar, fake social media postings,
with the widely reported (very rare) blood-clotting side-effects of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-
19 vaccine will only further fuel the burgeoning anti-vaxxer lobby
Of concern, the Centre for Countering Digital Hate reported that there are presently close to 58
million people following anti-vaccine groups on various social media platforms, with continued
growth expected over the next few years. Moreover, a recent Ipsos survey reported a lukewarm
response to vaccination in several countries. For example, the findings indicated that only 40%
and 53% of the French and South African populations respectively, intend to get vaccinated.
[….]
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-05-05-in-a-post-truth-world-scienceis-under-threat-
we-need-an-inoculation-against-fake-news/
(Accessed on 03 May 2022)
Write a carefully-worded essay of 1000 – 1200 words (approximately 2 to 3 typed pages) in
length, in which you critically analyse the content of the persuasive text above. Begin your essay
by BRIEFLY establishing what the text is about, who the target audience is, and what the
, Page 2 of 14 ENG2602
OCT/NOV 2023
persuasive purpose is. For each of these, your response should not be more than two
sentences.
Ensure that the majority of your essay body is an extensive critical analysis of the persuasive
strategies (persuasive appeals and linguistic devices) used in the text. This means you do
not only need to identify the persuasive strategies (including the linguistic devices used for this
purpose), but you also need to explain how they have been used.
Ignore the ellipses […] and do not comment on them!
Title: Analyzing Persuasive Strategies in "In a Post-Truth World, Science is Under Threat — We
Need an Inoculation Against Fake News" by Faadiel Essop
Introduction (Approximately 150 words):
Faadiel Essop's article, "In a Post-Truth World, Science is Under Threat — We Need an Inoculation
Against Fake News," published on May 5, 2021, serves as a compelling call to action in a world
inundated with misinformation and pseudoscience. The article addresses a broad audience
concerned about the implications of fake news and conspiracy theories on science and public
health. Its primary persuasive purpose is to underscore the peril posed by misinformation and
advocate for the crucial role of critical thinking and scientific literacy in safeguarding the scientific
process. To achieve this, Essop employs an array of persuasive strategies and linguistic devices
that engage the reader's emotions, logic, and sense of ethics. In this essay, we will delve deeper
into these strategies and devices, dissecting how they contribute to the effectiveness of the
argument.
Body (Approximately 800-900 words):
1. Rhetorical Questions (Approximately 100 words):
Essop's article begins with a potent rhetorical question: "Will the scientific process survive this
onslaught or will anti-vaxxers and other conspiracy theorists eventually hold sway in the public
domain?" This rhetorical device grabs the reader's attention and encourages them to contemplate
the gravity of the issue. By framing the dilemma in this way, Essop immediately invites the reader
to ponder the potential consequences of allowing misinformation to flourish unchecked.
2. Emotive Language (Approximately 100 words):
Throughout the article, Essop employs emotionally charged language to evoke a sense of urgency
and concern in the reader. He describes the rise of pseudoscience and fake news as "epidemic-
like" and characterizes them as "alarming." These word choices are strategically used to engage
the reader's emotions, tapping into their fears and anxieties about the proliferation of
misinformation in today's society. By painting this dire picture, Essop effectively conveys the gravity
of the issue and compels the reader to take it seriously.
SECTION A: GENRES OF LANGUAGE
Answer only ONE of the following two questions.
ESSAY ANSWERS:
QUESTION 2: SOCIAL PERSUASIVE PROSE
Read the below social persuasive text closely and answer the question that follows.
In a post-truth world, science is under threat — we need an inoculation against fake
news
By Faadiel Essop
05 May 2021
The epidemic-like rise in alarming pseudoscience and fake news trends and associated
damaging outcomes raise a crucial question: Will the scientific process survive this onslaught or
will anti-vaxxers and other conspiracy theorists eventually hold sway in the public domain?
The forwarded WhatsApp message on my phone boldly proclaimed that an autopsy in Russia
had revealed that a radiation-exposed bacterium (and not the SARS-CoV-2 virus) is responsible
for the Covid-19 pandemic and “causes human death by coagulation in the blood”. The message
triggered a tinge of despair as I realised that the plethora of similar, fake social media postings,
with the widely reported (very rare) blood-clotting side-effects of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-
19 vaccine will only further fuel the burgeoning anti-vaxxer lobby
Of concern, the Centre for Countering Digital Hate reported that there are presently close to 58
million people following anti-vaccine groups on various social media platforms, with continued
growth expected over the next few years. Moreover, a recent Ipsos survey reported a lukewarm
response to vaccination in several countries. For example, the findings indicated that only 40%
and 53% of the French and South African populations respectively, intend to get vaccinated.
[….]
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-05-05-in-a-post-truth-world-scienceis-under-threat-
we-need-an-inoculation-against-fake-news/
(Accessed on 03 May 2022)
Write a carefully-worded essay of 1000 – 1200 words (approximately 2 to 3 typed pages) in
length, in which you critically analyse the content of the persuasive text above. Begin your essay
by BRIEFLY establishing what the text is about, who the target audience is, and what the
, Page 2 of 14 ENG2602
OCT/NOV 2023
persuasive purpose is. For each of these, your response should not be more than two
sentences.
Ensure that the majority of your essay body is an extensive critical analysis of the persuasive
strategies (persuasive appeals and linguistic devices) used in the text. This means you do
not only need to identify the persuasive strategies (including the linguistic devices used for this
purpose), but you also need to explain how they have been used.
Ignore the ellipses […] and do not comment on them!
Title: Analyzing Persuasive Strategies in "In a Post-Truth World, Science is Under Threat — We
Need an Inoculation Against Fake News" by Faadiel Essop
Introduction (Approximately 150 words):
Faadiel Essop's article, "In a Post-Truth World, Science is Under Threat — We Need an Inoculation
Against Fake News," published on May 5, 2021, serves as a compelling call to action in a world
inundated with misinformation and pseudoscience. The article addresses a broad audience
concerned about the implications of fake news and conspiracy theories on science and public
health. Its primary persuasive purpose is to underscore the peril posed by misinformation and
advocate for the crucial role of critical thinking and scientific literacy in safeguarding the scientific
process. To achieve this, Essop employs an array of persuasive strategies and linguistic devices
that engage the reader's emotions, logic, and sense of ethics. In this essay, we will delve deeper
into these strategies and devices, dissecting how they contribute to the effectiveness of the
argument.
Body (Approximately 800-900 words):
1. Rhetorical Questions (Approximately 100 words):
Essop's article begins with a potent rhetorical question: "Will the scientific process survive this
onslaught or will anti-vaxxers and other conspiracy theorists eventually hold sway in the public
domain?" This rhetorical device grabs the reader's attention and encourages them to contemplate
the gravity of the issue. By framing the dilemma in this way, Essop immediately invites the reader
to ponder the potential consequences of allowing misinformation to flourish unchecked.
2. Emotive Language (Approximately 100 words):
Throughout the article, Essop employs emotionally charged language to evoke a sense of urgency
and concern in the reader. He describes the rise of pseudoscience and fake news as "epidemic-
like" and characterizes them as "alarming." These word choices are strategically used to engage
the reader's emotions, tapping into their fears and anxieties about the proliferation of
misinformation in today's society. By painting this dire picture, Essop effectively conveys the gravity
of the issue and compels the reader to take it seriously.
