Text 1a) is an extract from a short story named "The Test", written by Njabulo Ndebele (1983). It is about a young boy called Thoba and its passion for playing street football with his friends, before he heads home. Text 1b) is a newspaper article (sports report) from the New York Times (2005) which treats the World Cup, a real event happening every four years.
Both texts share the theme of football, however they approach this sport in a different manner: Text 1a) is about street football on a local scale while text 1b) is about professional football on an international (world cup) scale.
In this commentary we will analyze the global theme of football in the texts using the sub themes of playing football on an international or local scale, and competition.
Text 1a) is a short story and text 1b) is a sports report. Text 1a) is therefore fiction, whereas text 1b) is non fiction.
Quarter-finals Round of 16
Português do Brasil: Seleção brasileira estreia...
Street football in SingaporeBecause of the differences in genre, the tone and structure of the texts are also different.
When it comes to the structure, 1b) is split into very short paragraphs (giving information on each team), which is a sign that it is a newspaper article. In 1a), there are three longer paragraphs, because the paragraphs follow the events of the narration: L.1 to 9, Thoba's feelings are described. L.9 to 19, the game is described in a very intense tone and L.19 to 26, the game is over and the boys go home.
The narrative tone of text 1a) is quite emotional, since it follows the character's feelings. L.2"He shivered briefly, and his teeth chattered for a moment as a cold breeze blew and then stopped." Using sensory images such as "shivered" and "teeth chattered" makes the narration more authentic and the situation...