STEP 1: Collect several samples of the genre.
STEP 2: Make observations about the situations in which the genre is used:
Setting:
Where does the genre appear (e.g. in newspapers, private online blogs, etc.)? How is it
used? Is the genre combined with another genre (e.g. travel review + leisure
entertainment)?
Subject:
What topics does the genre address?
Participants:
Who are the writers? Who are the readers? What is the relationship between the readers
and writers (e.g., professor and student)? Who has more power, the reader or the writer?
Purpose:
Why do writers write this genre? Why do readers read it?
STEP 3: Identify 2 or 3 representative samples (i.e. *almost perfect examples*) of the genre.
STEP 4: Make observations about the text of those representative samples.
General observations about the text as a whole:
What are striking features of the text?
What content is included?
How is the content organized?
What is the tone of the text?
Specific observations about each section or paragraph in the text:
1. Does the organization of the sections/paragraphs follow a pattern? What is the purpose of
the pattern?
2. What are the specific language characteristics of the text?
a. Sentence types (e.g. declarative, questions, commands)
b. Verb tenses used in the sentences (e.g. past, present)
c. 1st, 2nd, 3rd person point of view (e.g., we, you, etc.
d. Passive or active voice
e. Formal or informal language
f. Complexity of sentences (e.g. simple, compound, complex, uses long noun
phrases, etc.)
g. Hedging: how are modals used? (e.g. using “may have implications” or
“suggests” instead of using the verb “proves”)
STEP 5: Compare / Contrast the representative samples you have analyzed.
What is similar or different?
Why might those variations exist? (e.g., text is used for slightly different purposes,
genre has evolved)
What textual features must be included in your text? Which textual features seem
optional?
What might be the consequences of omitting the optional textual features in your own
writing?
Requirements: 1000 words
