Question 6: Language
1. Register
The register refers to the style or tone of language appropriate for a particular
situation or audience. Recognising register helps when analyzing cartoons, adverts, or
dialogue.
Formal – professional, serious, and structured.
Example: “We kindly request your attendance at the meeting.”
Informal – casual, everyday speech.
Example: “Hey, come over later!”
Sarcastic – saying the opposite of what is meant, often for humor or criticism.
Example: “Oh, brilliant! Another traffic jam…”
Ironic – language showing contrast between expectation and reality.
Example: Saying “Great weather!” during a thunderstorm.
Humorous – light, funny, playful language.
Example: “I tried cooking… the fire department liked my skills.”
Academic – precise, objective, technical, and evidence-based.
Example: “The study demonstrates a correlation between X and Y.”
Conversational – like everyday speech, often with contractions and interjections.
Example: “Wow, I can’t believe you did that!”
2. Inverted Commas (‘ ’ / “ ”)
Used for:
- Quoting speech or text – to show someone is speaking or being cited.
- Highlighting words – to indicate special meaning, irony, or sarcasm.
Tip: Check whether the commas indicate direct speech (literal) or special meaning/irony
(figurative).
3. Irony
Irony occurs when there is a contrast between what is said and what is meant, or
expectation vs reality.
- Verbal irony: words suggest the opposite of their literal meaning.
- Situational irony: the outcome is opposite of what was expected.
- Dramatic irony: the audience knows something a character does not.
- Clues: exaggeration, contradictions, visual cues (in cartoons), or tone shifts.
1. Register
The register refers to the style or tone of language appropriate for a particular
situation or audience. Recognising register helps when analyzing cartoons, adverts, or
dialogue.
Formal – professional, serious, and structured.
Example: “We kindly request your attendance at the meeting.”
Informal – casual, everyday speech.
Example: “Hey, come over later!”
Sarcastic – saying the opposite of what is meant, often for humor or criticism.
Example: “Oh, brilliant! Another traffic jam…”
Ironic – language showing contrast between expectation and reality.
Example: Saying “Great weather!” during a thunderstorm.
Humorous – light, funny, playful language.
Example: “I tried cooking… the fire department liked my skills.”
Academic – precise, objective, technical, and evidence-based.
Example: “The study demonstrates a correlation between X and Y.”
Conversational – like everyday speech, often with contractions and interjections.
Example: “Wow, I can’t believe you did that!”
2. Inverted Commas (‘ ’ / “ ”)
Used for:
- Quoting speech or text – to show someone is speaking or being cited.
- Highlighting words – to indicate special meaning, irony, or sarcasm.
Tip: Check whether the commas indicate direct speech (literal) or special meaning/irony
(figurative).
3. Irony
Irony occurs when there is a contrast between what is said and what is meant, or
expectation vs reality.
- Verbal irony: words suggest the opposite of their literal meaning.
- Situational irony: the outcome is opposite of what was expected.
- Dramatic irony: the audience knows something a character does not.
- Clues: exaggeration, contradictions, visual cues (in cartoons), or tone shifts.
