Style of language

The style of language in the article “This is my England” by Andrea Levy is mostly informal. Levy uses contractions, such as “didn’t” (l. 75) or “wasn’t” (l. 126). The words she uses are usually also informal, making the speaker more approachable and relatable: “my mum” (l. 44), “my dad” (l. 26), “bloody awful” (ll. 103-104). At the same time, there are also some formal words, such as “quintessentially” (l. 46), “genealogy” (l. 120), and “intrepid” (l. 148). Levy’s mix of formal and informal words keeps the readers engaged and highlights the seriousness of the topic, as well as her personal experiences of it.

The article also contains many fragmented sentences, such as: “Born and bred, as the saying goes.” (l. 182), “Hot, violent, poor” (l. 104), or “Never in trouble. Always polite. Never diddled the electricity meter” (l. 56). This gives the article a dynamic feel and offers the impression that we are taking...