Questions for Analyzing a Genre:
Rhetorical:
• Who is the intended audience?
• What discourse community or (communities) is this audience in?
• What are these readers likely to know? want to know? why?
• How much time will this audience want to spend reading this document?
• What is the writer's purpose?
• What does the writer want the reader(s) to do after reading?
Content:
• How does the writer select content material to achieve his/her purpose with this particular audience?
• What types of information are considered appropriate in this genre?
• What types of information would be considered inappropriate in this genre?
• What types of evidence are acceptable to support claims?
Structure:
• How much information is considered appropriate?
• What is a typical sequence for information in this genre?
• How is the structure serving the audience's needs and the writer's purpose?
Style/language (Linguistic):
• How formal or informal is the language?
• What specialized vocabulary is used?
• How long/short are sentences and paragraphs?
• What other language features do you notice?