ASSIGNMENT 2 2025
UNIQUE NO.
DUE DATE: 24 JUNE 2025
, Applied English Language Studies: Further Explorations
Title:
Challenging the Narrative: How Genre, Register, Context, and Meaning Are
Manipulated in “The Big Lie About Speed Limits in South Africa”
Introduction:
In the persuasive article “The Big Lie About Speed Limits in South Africa”, the author
constructs a compelling argument against the widely accepted belief that lower speed
limits reduce road fatalities. Published on a popular online platform, the piece is
designed to sway public opinion and expose what the author calls the “true” motives
behind speed regulation policies. This essay explores how the writer effectively
manipulates genre, register, context, and meaning to construct an argumentative
text. By strategically using emotive language, repetition, quoting experts, case
studies, statistics, rhetorical questions, specialist vocabulary, and even
hyperbole, the writer bolsters their persuasive stance. This analysis shows how each
technique is woven into the overall text to support the author's central claim: that speed
regulations are more about revenue than safety.
Genre, Register, and Context: Tools of Persuasion
The genre of this article is a persuasive opinion piece that blends elements of
investigative journalism with argumentative writing. This genre sets the tone for an
emotionally charged and opinion-driven exploration of road safety policy. As an online
article aimed at a general audience but written with a formal structure and informative
tone, the register shifts between semi-formal and technical. This allows the author to
appeal both to common readers (through accessible language and emotive examples)
and more informed or sceptical readers (through technical details and references to
official studies).