Cheryl Kim

IB English: Period 6
January 21, 2014
Antigua and Barbuda: Paper 1
This text is a website advertising the twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda
as a holiday destination. Although the advertisement appeals to both the affluent and the
more economically minded, it focuses more on attracting the better off. To do so, the
website employs persuasive language, but often in a subdued way, so that it resembles a
half advertisement and half informational text. In order to attract the targeted audience,
the advertisement utilizes structure and imagery.
The text is deliberately structured in such a way that the reader can easily peruse
it. The text begins with a rhetorical question, Why Antigua and Barbuda? and below it,
it answers with the words Beaches, Antigua, Barbuda, and Luxury in bold type.
Immediately below are three linked photos, which obviously encourage the reader to
click on the links to Top 5 Things To Do, and Photos. Overall, the overview is
divided into two main parts. The first section focuses solely on the larger and more
developed Antigua. It is organized into three paragraphs, the first of which focuses on
hotels, the second of which describes the islands geography, and the last of which
provides information on the islands history, places to see, and things to do. Although
each of the paragraphs stresses the favorable aspects of Antigua as a tourist destination,
the author has used concessionary language, such as overpriced [food] and lack [of]
presence of a US-based chain. By doing so, the advertisement seems more informational
rather than strictly persuasive, and therefore, more objective to the reader. The second
half of the overview is split into four paragraphs, this time on the smaller Barbuda. The
first of these paragraphs focuses on the airport, highlighting the islands exclusive and
slightly remote nature. The second relays the islands geography, and the third paragraph
mentions popular sites. The accommodation is not mentioned until the final paragraph.
Unlike the first section, this part does not have any concessions, and indeed, the final
paragraph emphasizes the islands exclusiveness with phrases such as a very private
redoubt and rich and famous. Below the overview are five photographs, highlighting
the variety of experiences that the islands offer. The first three pictures are connected to
the overview as they depict one of the things to see and the British influence on the
islands. However, the last two photographs, one of which shows a man holding a stingray
presumably in the ocean and the other of which portrays an elaborately dressed female
more suggestive of a Brazilian carnival than the islands, are not linked to any of the
description in the overview, so are included to suggest the variety on offer to the visitor.
The advertisement includes an assortment of imagery and descriptive language
that is designed to entice the reader. The factual language is used to convince the reader
of the compactness and history of the island as well as its varied topography. Thus the
reader comes across phrases such as, about 108 square miles, British Empire is still
evident, and mangrove swamp. To appeal to the select nature of the destination, the
advertisement uses words and phrases such as, upscale, luxury, and for the very
rich. Moreover, phrases such as, rugged mountain peaks, undulating fields, and
desert-like conditions, allow the reader to imagine the diversity of scenery on offer. To
persuade the reader of the islands attractiveness, the advertisement makes use of
superlatives such as, the largest and most developed, and best known. The text also
includes words and phrases, which are suggestive of fun; for example, party and
barbecue, and infectious dance music. Imagery is also utilized to conjure up an image
of a peaceful, more exclusive Barbuda with language such as, wild, woolly, and barely
inhabited, beautiful, and uninhabited.
To sum up, the advertisement aims to attract a more affluent clientele. It does so
by employing a reader friendly structure, and a rich use of imagery to inform and
convince the reader. If I were to desire a vacation on an island destination, I would find
Antigua and Barbuda, as described in this website, very tempting.