Can you identify at least five features of language and/or content which are typical of the genre.
Extract One (the first two sentences of Chapter One of the novel)
The day was off to a promising start. He woke up early before the rest of the family, put on his clothes as quietly as possible, and managed to sneak out unnoticed.
Extract Two (the first sentences of a second section of Chapter One with different characters)
Sweat made the sheet stick to her body. Erika tossed and turned in bed, but it was impossible to find a comfortable position. The bright summer night didn't make it any easier to sleep, and for the thousandth time she made a mental note to buy some blackout curtains to hang up, or rather to persuade Patrick to do it.
Extract Three (from Chapter Two of the novel)
Ernst and Martin had come back to the station from the call they’d been on, and Patrick decided to start by getting them up to speed in the case. He called them into his office and couldn’t help noticing that Ernst was beet-red with anger ….
“I assume you’ve already heard about what happened?”
“Yes, we heard it on the police radio,” said Martin. Unlike Ernst, he was young and enthusiastic, and sat bolt upright in the chair with a notebook in his lap and his pen poised
Extract Four (from Chapter Two)
Patrick sat deep in the bowels of Tanumshede police station and dug through old documents… even though he didn’t know exactly what he was looking for, it had to be there somewhere.
Extract Five (the first sentences of Chapter Five)
Robert found him out in the shed. They knew each other so well and he knew that’s where his brother went when he was worried about something.
Scroll down for some suggestions.
Content
1a. Narrative text with the events reported in the third person: He woke up early…; Erika tossed and turned… Ernst and Martin had come back…; Patrick decided to start by…
1b. However, the narrator is “omniscient” – ie can “see into the mind” of the protagonists: Patrick decided to start by…; He couldn’t help noticing that…; She made a mental note to…; he knew that’s where his brother went…
Linguistic features
2. Text narrated as a sequence of past events and therefore a predominance of past tense verbs: it was impossible; Ernst and Martin had come back; he didn’t know exactly what he was looking for; Robert found him out in the shed.
3. Descriptive text with adjectives used to allow the reader to visualise the scene and the characters: the bright summer light; a comfortable position; he was young and enthusiastic
4. Use of direct speech to give the reader the impression of listening to the conversation:
“I assume you’ve already heard about what happened?”
“Yes, we heard it on the police radio,” said Martin
5. Use of imagery and figurative language to create powerful mental images and convey abstract ideas:
…a promising start; Erika tossed and turned…; Patrick decided to start by getting them up to speed…; Ernst was beet-red with anger…; … and sat bolt upright in the chair; Patrick sat deep in the bowels of Tanumshede police station and dug through old documents…
6. Cataphoric reference used to create suspense and make the reader want to read on to find out who is being described: He woke up early.., put on his clothes …; Sweat made the sheet stick to her body; Robert found him out in the shed.
