Reading and Viewing: Meaning, Purpose and Audience in Written and Multimodal Texts
What you must understand
Reading here means analysing how a text works, not only what it says. You need to identify purpose (to persuade, inform, entertain, instruct, satirise), audience (age, expertise, values) and register (formal, informal, technical, conversational). You must recognise text structures - problem–solution, cause–effect, compare–contrast, chronology, argument–counterargument - and how cohesion is built through reference, substitution, ellipsis and lexical chains. For multimodal texts (websites, advertisements, infographics, film sequences), analyse layout, colour, image–text relations, salience and camera angle, and ask how each mode contributes meaning that words alone do not carry.
Traps to watch for
- Confusing topic with purpose: the topic may be recycling, but the purpose may be to persuade readers to change behaviour.
- Ignoring the counterargument: a writer who presents an opposing view may be rebutting it, not endorsing it.
- Literal reading of figurative language: irony, hyperbole and understatement are common.
- Over-reading visuals: not every colour is symbolic; link visual choices to the stated context.
- Answering from general knowledge rather than evidence in the text.
Rule of thumb
Use the three-pass method: (1) skim headings, images and first sentences to predict purpose and audience; (2) read closely, annotating signposts and evaluative adjectives; (3) return to the question and quote or locate the exact evidence. When analysing an image, ask: What is shown, how is it framed, and what does that make the viewer feel or do?
Worked example
A school newsletter headline reads: “Our canteen goes green - and it's about time.” The dash and the phrase about time signal an evaluative, mildly critical stance; the audience is the school community; the purpose is to celebrate change while nudging further action. A question asking for the writer's attitude expects supportive but impatient, not simply positive.
Building the skill
Compare two texts on one issue and chart differences in tone, evidence and assumed reader.