Article Analysis: Government Must Lead the Charge on Electric Cars
Analysis: “Government Must Lead the Charge on Electric Cars”
The Australian government needs to “lead the charge” on the electric car revolution, according to Megan Flannery. She writes this in response to a feature in a national newspaper. Flannery writes her article with a mostly matter-of-fact tone, which is also formal. She uses facts and evidence to support her argument; she also includes persuasive, emotive and inclusive language to influence the reader’s belief on this issue. Her article is targeted at people planning to buy a new car and to the Australian government.
Flannery begins and ends her article with a humorous pun, introducing and concluding the piece in a light-hearted manner. By suggesting at the beginning that government must “lead the charge” and at the conclusion that consumers should “plug in” to the future of vehicles, the writer hopes to position readers to be sympathetic to the point she is making. By appearing friendly, the reader is more likely to agree.
A key feature of the article was the author’s frequent use of inclusive language. Expressions such as “we’re all aware”, “most of us” and “in the interests of all of us” are used with the intention of positioning the reader to make us feel as though we believe what the writer believes. The authors frequent use of inclusive language throughout the article has a cumulative effect of positioning readers to agree with her main arguments.
Flannery argues that “the chief barrier to uptake” of electric sales is their price, giving the example of a petrol-powered car being “less than half” the cost of a “typical electric car”. This encourages the reader to agree that the benefits of electric cars outweigh the initial investment, especially for future generations. The author’s focus on consumer costs continues later in the article, where she quotes George Papandakis, head of research at Broadbank School of Science and Development. Papandakis is quoted as saying that electric cars “will be
The Australian government needs to “lead the charge” on the electric car revolution, according to Megan Flannery. She writes this in response to a feature in a national newspaper. Flannery writes her article with a mostly matter-of-fact tone, which is also formal. She uses facts and evidence to support her argument; she also includes persuasive, emotive and inclusive language to influence the reader’s belief on this issue. Her article is targeted at people planning to buy a new car and to the Australian government.
Flannery begins and ends her article with a humorous pun, introducing and concluding the piece in a light-hearted manner. By suggesting at the beginning that government must “lead the charge” and at the conclusion that consumers should “plug in” to the future of vehicles, the writer hopes to position readers to be sympathetic to the point she is making. By appearing friendly, the reader is more likely to agree.
A key feature of the article was the author’s frequent use of inclusive language. Expressions such as “we’re all aware”, “most of us” and “in the interests of all of us” are used with the intention of positioning the reader to make us feel as though we believe what the writer believes. The authors frequent use of inclusive language throughout the article has a cumulative effect of positioning readers to agree with her main arguments.
Flannery argues that “the chief barrier to uptake” of electric sales is their price, giving the example of a petrol-powered car being “less than half” the cost of a “typical electric car”. This encourages the reader to agree that the benefits of electric cars outweigh the initial investment, especially for future generations. The author’s focus on consumer costs continues later in the article, where she quotes George Papandakis, head of research at Broadbank School of Science and Development. Papandakis is quoted as saying that electric cars “will be