Factual Writing

Jess Stanton

This instruction guide has been taken from how to assemble a piece of furniture. The bold wording of the type of furniture it is allows the name to stand out, also helped by the san serif font and the capital letters which make the name look modern. Very little instructions are featured here in the form of words which may hinder the audience’s interpretation of the guide and lack clarity. Due to a lot of imagery being used, this could however make the guide more effective as it would be appropriate for multiple languages however the pictures could be found too complex and may work better with clear instructions to suite anyone who would use this.The colour of this set of instructions is very bland and not interesting which may lead to audience members not paying attention to it, however this could work in the guide’s favour as any colour may detract from the imagery, resulting in the pictures being less clear.A problem with this instruction guide is that the pictures may not be clear or accurate which would lead to ambiguity as the images could appear unclear leading to false instruction. There is very little text on this piece of information however the bit of register that there is, could be seen as informative as it states what the piece of furniture is called. This guide is extremely concise however this in itself can lead to misunderstanding in the readers as there is perhaps to little text.

This guide has been created to show how to manage a toy as well as help solve any problems that it may face. The colour of the guide reflects the product colours allowing it to be bold and bright so that readers take an interest in it and for it be easily recognizable. The main wording on the front cover and labeling shown on the toy is in capitals to allow it to stand out, as these words will inform the user of the product and so need to be clearly present and easily read. Capital words are also used when cautions are given to the user in order for them to stand out as these provide important information. The use of the colour silver relates to metal, therefore relating to the idea of a gun and bullets. The register is simple to understand due to the young age range the toy is appealing to with clear labels and diagrams giving the reader context and making the text more interesting, attracting more audience members as younger members may be prone to not fully reading big blocks of text. Arrows are added to the diagrams to add to the clarity of the instructions allowing for no mistakes to be made. Avoiding ambiguity has been used on the back cover when the cautions have been stated, an important place to allow ambiguity to be prevented and ensure cautions are clear and an incident will not be the result of poor instructions.

This extract is more of an info graphic type ‘how to guide.’ The typography plays a bigger part in this example compared to the previous two as features in an info graphic have been more thought out to look as visually appealing as possible. The bright yellow banner at the top of page contrasts well with the grey background and also draws in attention straight away and allows the reader to see the title, as well as possibly notice the small text above which normally may go unnoticed. By creating the title ‘Find The Perfect Camera’ in two different fonts also achieves the purpose of making it stand out and highlight the key word camera by also putting it in a bigger size.Drawing their attention to the top of the page then allows the audience to read from the top of the page downwards, how it was intended for them to read the whole info graphic and gain as much information from it as possible. As the extract moves on, the smaller info graphics are all in the same colour not only to provide unity among the piece but to also split the page up into sections- this one being characteristics of the person to help determine which camera is best for them. Text along with each little graphic is in white text to be easily read along with the graphic on the grey background and is in capitals to make it easy to read when it is in such a small size. The last section of this flow chart determine which camera is right for the reader. In order to clearly distinguish which camera the reader should purchase, different coloured lines have been used to allow easy navigation and also provide colour amongst the info graphic. There is little text used on this info graphic and when it is used it is only in small sections. However from phrases such as language such as “Partay!” and “Jetsetter” the register seems rather informal and colloquial as this would appeal to an audience of a wide age range. Image from:

http://www.bitrebels.com/technology/camera-guide-flowchart-infographic/

This guide has been created with the intention to inform the reader on how to assemble and operate the toy. Due to the toy being used by a number of children all different ages, instructions need to be easy to understand. On this particular set of instructions numbers have been added to show which order the steps are taken in adding to the clarity of the guide. In order to ensure the guide is accurate enough to be followed easily, arrows have been added which make the guide even more accurate along with detailed pictures which clearly show which part of the toy is being used in each step; adding to the context and making the guide more interesting as there are images to look at which will benefit mostly younger readers however aid anyone who is using the guide. This will also ensure that ambiguity is avoided and mean that the instructions cannot be interpreted in any different way limiting confusion and misleading instructions. The font of all the text in the guide is a san serif font. Compared to serif fonts, san serif fonts are more modern however those which have additional ticks on the end of each letter to make reading easier, serif fonts, may benefit children reading the guide more. The register in the instructions has a limited vocabulary as children as young as 8 years old may read these instructions and all pieces of text are kept to a minimum due to younger audience member’s not prone to reading big blocks of text, much like images alongside the instructions, small amounts of text in a big font makes them easier to read. The instruction guide is not full of colour which may make younger audience member uninterested in it, resulting in them not reading the contents however a lack of colour and simple design may make the guide more effective as the reader’s full attention would be on the text and the imagery may stand out more.

This ‘you are what you eat’ leaflet is split into three sections, colour coded with topics covered from healthy eating to which fruit and veg contains what nutrients to how to limit damage to your body and lifestyle through your diet. The main title of the leaflet ‘you are what you eat’ is split into three different colours, to stand out as it spreads across the three different sections. The font is a san serif font, matching the rest of the text to give off a modern vibe as well as all being in lower case. Each page in the leaflet is a different bold colour to help grab people’s attention and draw them in. The text in a san serif font is what ties each page together however they still have their own design on each page through different colours and different layouts. Key words and sub headings are in bold and a slightly bigger size which breaks up text and allows the reader to be easily guided through the leaflet as they can see which topics are covered in the leaflet. The register in the leaflet is formal as it is giving out information to a wide range of people and needs to be factual. There is a range of information given that clearly explains which foods are the best to eat for certain nutrients which avoids ambiguity and clearly labels why certain foods aren’t good and why. This adds to the accuracy and the leaflet also tells readers of possible ways to develop their diets to vegetarian diets such as information to do with vegetarian cookbooks. This is however a bias opinion and only shows one side of the story which is the opinion of the leaflet and so even though information is given about how those who eat lots of meat will live a shorter life and gain diseases quicker than those who don’t eat meat, no good is spoken about what can come from eating meat e.g. what nutrients you can gain etc.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35188146

This article has been taken from a current news report on flooding in North Yorkshire. The news piece contains features such as facts and figures as well as quotes and with the status of the BBC, being popular and having journalists straight from the story, the source of the article is reliable meaning all facts and figures will be exact too. The article explains where in the UK flooding has effected the residents and responses to flooding up and down the country as well as advice on what to do telling “people to evacuate their homes as severe flood warnings remain in place in northern England.” This proves that the report is not concise however something factual and informal pieces may be better being long and detailed as they are there to inform the readers thus meaning more information is better.

Quotes have been added to this article where necessary with some being direct quotes from the Prime minister allowing this article to be accurate and trustworthy. Due to the lengthy article, ambiguity has been avoided as lack of detail could mislead some readers and in a case where people’s lives could be at risk, it is vital no piece of information is vague. The register of the article is very much formal with facts and figures present to inform readers. Names such as ‘Mr. Cameron’ and ‘Prime Minister David Cameron’ have been used instead of his name to refrain from giving the article a colloquial feeling.

Throughout the article, there is a mention of a north and south divide as the North had not received “anywhere near the support that we saw going into Somerset” which had flooded back in 2014 and had now lead to a “real anger growing across the North” perhaps hinting signs of bias. However the Prime Minister was quick to disagree saying the UK had spent "more per head of the population on flood defenses in the north than we do in the south".Judith Blake, a Leeds resident had been interviewed for the article in which she agreed with the claims being made about there being a ‘North and south divide.’ This shows how the article includes both sides of the argument which allows a clearer story to be told, and better writing to be written as the two opposite opinions help with explain the issues at hand.