1. English Unit 2

2. In this section, the most important thing to remember before you begin writing is: Purpose Audience Language Layout You must keep these three things in mind throughout your task. why you are writing who you are writing for and how you will choose to address them how you will organise the style and layout of your writing

3. Writing to argue/persuade/advise Two tasks EACH worth 20 marks Spend 30 minutes on BOTH! Write about 1-2 pages For EACH TASK

4. Writing for these purposes may be in the form of: formal letters leaflets/factsheets reports speeches Transactional Writing (argue/persuade/advise)

5. Formal Letters Points to remember write your address (the writer’s) at the top right of the letter date underneath the writer’s address put the name and address of the person you are writing to on the left, above the body of the letter for letters that start with ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ end with ‘Yours faithfully’ for letters that start with ‘Dear Mr/Mrs…’ end with ‘Yours sincerely’ keep your tone formal and polite – avoid abbreviations such as ‘don’t’ and ‘can’t’

6. Example tasks write a letter to your MP arguing for or against fox hunting A newspaper has recently printed a article arguing that movie stars are paid too much money. Write a letter to the newspaper giving your views on this issue A local hotel/restaurant is advertising for part- time staff. Write your letter of application Write a letter to your headteacher with your recommendations for improving your school uniform

7. Leaflets/factsheets Points to remember Use headings and sub-headings so the reader can digest information easily Write in standard English Use both fact and opinion Address the reader directly as ‘you’ Draw an empty box or space at the appropriate part of the leaflet/factsheet with a caption to show you are aware that this type of text needs pictures Use bullet points (but do not over-do them) If possible, write in columns to show that you are aware of the style Do not fold your paper to make it into a real leaflet!

8. Example tasks Write a leaflet for parents offering advice about recycling in the home Write a leaflet for teenagers offering advice for giving up smoking Write a factsheet for younger students highlighting the dangers of taking drugs

9. Reports Points to remember Use a clear title that indicates the topic of the report, the writer and the recipient (person receiving the report) Give an introduction which explains the contents of the report Use sub-headings to focus the attention of the reader on specific aspects of the overall issue Write in standard English Do not address the reader directly Remember that reports are to advise a body of people to take certain actions based on argument and evidence End your report with a summary or set of recommendations (use bullet points)

10. Example tasks The governors of your school would like the views of students about improving the appearance of the school. Write a report for the governors detailing these views Write a report for your local council outlining ways in which the area surrounding your home could be improved Your school is holding a charity event. Write a report for your head teacher outlining worthwhile charities that should benefit from your fundraising Write a report for an American company that is thinking about opening a factory in the UK. Outline the facilities available in your area that would make it appealing as a location for the factory.

11. Speeches Points to remember It is very important that written expression in a speech is clear because you only have one chance to get your views across Open your speech with a welcome to your listeners and introduction to the topic, then summarise the issues you will be discussing (convincingly and powerfully) You can use ‘I’ and ‘me’ in a speech and also use evidence from your own experience to support your comments Write in a formal tone using standard English Conclude your speech by summarising (very briefly) the points you have covered, with possible solutions to any problems discussed Use rhetorical questions and strong repetition of key phrases (eg. rule of three) but not too much or your speech will lose impact and sound corny! Punctuation is crucial – well-judged punctuation will slow down the delivery of the speech for the benefit of the listener, who will normally only have one opportunity to digest the contents of the speech

12. Example tasks Write a speech for your fellow students in favour of raising the age limit of driving to 21 Write your contribution to a national radio phone-in o the use of animals in the circus Write your contribution to a radio phone-in on the use of cigarette companies as sponsors for sporting events

13. Discursive Writing (analyse/review/comment) Writing for these purposes may be in the form of: Articles Reviews

14. Points to remember Articles and reviews generally require your opinions on a subject as well as information about it. It is acceptable to express strong likes or dislikes OR take a more balanced, reflective view Always adopt an appropriate style and tone – does the task ask you to write in a lively, informal way or to adopt a more serious tone? Format is not a major issue – use a heading but sub-headings are not vital – a more continuous piece of writing is the main requirement Try not to display a totally negative attitude in articles or reviews as this will alienate the reader (in this case, the examiner!) Think like a journalist who also has to write under pressure – focus on the situation at hand and think of a angle that will start you off and allow you to develop an interesting personal response

15. Example Tasks Write an article for the school magazine discussing the options for students once they have completed their GCSEs Write an article for a travel magazine that describes the attractions of a place of your choice Write a magazine article reviewing one aspect of ‘ Life in the noughties ’. You might like to choose your topic from one of the following: music, fashion, sport, film and television

16. How to gain A* in technical accuracy

17. Connectives and conjunctions These are the ‘ link ’ words that help good writing to flow. Connectives are words and phrases (like ‘ however ’, ‘ unfortunately ’, ‘ in contrast ’, ‘ secondly, ‘ in fact ’ etc.) that relate a sentence closely to a previous one. Conjunctions (like ‘ if ’, ‘ when ’, ‘ although ’, ‘ so ’ etc.) are words that actually join sentences together.

18. Above all, they have to have control … However, as I am sure you ’ ll agree, these youth clubs have to be run with a friendly and caring atmosphere … The sea and the sky have seemingly merged into a grey mass, yet the beach is packed with holidaymakers showing off their ‘ Dunkirk Spirit ’ as they resolutely continue their holidays amidst the horrible conditions. Take ‘ Elbow ’ for example … If you aim to eat five types per day then you will be fighting fit in no time at all. You should also try to exercise about three times a week …

19. Passive Voice The passive voice is impersonal and is associated with a formal style of writing. Some writing types (eg. a formal report) need a greater degree of formality than others (eg. brochure writing). The passive voice adds to the range of sentence styles and also adds a sense of authority. When considering passive voice, look at the verbs you use.

20. … the finger of blame is often pointed at the wrong people … Youth clubs should be run by people who …..we can all be blamed in equal measure … … these people are paid ridiculous amounts of money …

21. argue / persuade / advise analyse / review / comment PurposeAudienceFormat Style of language Connectives Paragraphs & Topic Sentences Tone of language Technical accuracy