The context of a text is the place and time in which it was written, who it was written by, and where it was published. All of these affect the purpose and effect of the text.
The context of a text is not the things that appear on the page but the circumstances in which it was written. The context helps to build up a background of how and why the piece of writing may have been written - events happening in the world at the time, how men or women were regarded in society, or even people’s opinions of religion or social rules can be reflected in a piece of writing.
It can be useful to think about:
The type of text - if it is a newspaper article about a topic that was important in that particular time in history.
When it was written – texts from the Victorian era are very different to something written in the last ten years.
Where it was written – is it from the UK, or from somewhere else? Or on a smaller scale, was it written in a school, a home, a prison?
Who wrote it – individual people will have different intentions. A child will write something different from an adult. A fan will write differently from a critic Someone who reviews books, film or music professionally. about a band.
Where it was published – a newspaper – tabloidA newspaper with small pages, usually with simpler writing. or broadsheet A newspaper that uses formal language and tends to be regarded as more serious and business oriented than a tabloid.? A magazine – is it for football fans, or for a general audience?
What it was written for - the purpose may have been more important in a different era; for example, a woman’s traditional role was in the home, and the text may show that.