Achieving A/A* in the writing section of the exam

Objectives

• 1. To answer any questions you may have about this section of the exam.

• 2. To offer you tips which will help you to tick the top end of the mark scheme.

The question…• Students will:• • demonstrate their skills in reflecting on ideas, issues,• experiences and events, rather than on their narrative or• descriptive skills• • write in a form such as a newspaper article, formal

report,• magazine review or a contribution to a media programme.• The target audience for the communication will be given• • reflect and comment on contemporary issues, situations

or• problems that are within their general experience – such

as• lifestyle, school/college life, local issues or national

issues that• affect young people.

Mark Scheme

Structure

• This is not just talking about ‘writing in paragraphs’. This is taken for granted.

• The STRUCTURE that the mark scheme is talking about here is COHESION between paragraphs.

• This is a feature that usually only the more able students are able to implement.

Cohesion

• This basically means that when you begin a new paragraph, you think about what your last paragraph said, and you try to link them together.

For example…

• And its not just that!

• But look at it another way.

• So what should you do next?

Sentence lengths/types

• One of the most important things you have to do in writing tasks is to vary your sentence types and lengths for effect. Like this:

• “As teenagers, we often have the rough end of the deal, and are forced to walk the streets like lions on the prowl, searching for the slightest morsel of entertainment on a cold and wet winter’s evening. This will not do!”

Sentence types

• We are not happy. = SIMPLE

• Because of this, we are not happy. = COMPLEX

• We are not happy and we will not put up with it. = COMPOUND

However…

• All of these things are pretty basic. In order to ACHIEVE a the highest level, we have to be BRAVE and SHOW OFF again.

Tip 1 – Pretend someone is there!

Pretend someone is there

• I know this sound stupid, but I believe it really works.

• Don’t see this exam as a ‘pointless exercise’. • Whoever you are told to write to, actually

imagine them reading your letter/article etc when you are writing it.

• Imagine their reaction to your words. • Imagine any arguments/questions they may

have and make sure you have answered these in your writing.

Tip 2 – Pretend to Care

Pretend to Care

• Whatever the question is that is thrown at you, you CARE DEEPLY about it.

• Why?• Because if you pretend you care, just for

45 minutes, it will show in your writing. • I realise many of you don’t care about

litter, or youth clubs etc.• But if you PRETEND that you do, it will

make your writing far more impressive.

Example…

• When I walk around my local area and see the beautiful canal choked up with discarded bottles and cans, it makes my blood boil!

Tip 3 – It is OK to cheat

It’s ok to cheat

• English is probably the only subject in school where it is OK to cheat. In fact, all of the best students do it.

• What I mean by this is that you can lie, make stuff up, exaggerate…

• And you get rewarded for it!• By putting made up facts, figures and quotations

into your writing, it makes the writing far more interesting and convincing.

• No one cares if you’re telling the truth or not!

Example…

• And it is not just me who thinks this. Last week, our local newspaper (The Maghull Champion) published a startling statistic. A survey carried out amongst local youths reported that 74% of youths aged 11-16 drop litter because ‘they do not feel there is enough punishment for those who do’. In a town where some 1,324 residents fit into this age bracket, it would appear that we have a major problem on our hands!

Tip 4 – Don’t be afraid to be OTT

Over the top…

• It is hard to be OTT in this exam. Any attempt you make to be EMOTIVE or to use IMAGERY will simply be seen as effort to make your writing stand out.

• There is nothing worse than reading a bland response where you can tell that the candidate is simply counting down the minutes.

Example…

• When I was given the opportunity to write this article, I simply could not pass it up. I feel so passionately about this issue, and I believe that you should too…

Tip 5 – Get the introduction right

Introduction

• It is absolutely essential that you allow your intro to make an impression on the reader.

• You may want to begin with a rhetorical question to involve the reader directly.

• You may want to start on a mysterious note to leave people wondering (making them read on)

• My tip is, leave the ‘purpose’ of your letter til the END of your first paragraph.

Example…

• Carrier bags. Used needles. Dog faeces. Hardly things which we would associate with our ideal English country scene. Yet, increasingly, these and other ‘blots on the landscape’ are becoming increasingly commonplace for residents in areas such as ours. Once upon a time, this area would have been seen as desirable – even enviable! But do people think about it the same way now? I’m Jessica Brown, a local resident, and I am writing to you to discuss my concerns about litter in our local area, and what I think needs to be done about this growing epidemic.

Tip 6 – Use imagery

• Metaphors, similes, emotive language.• It is all good, so make sure your writing is

FILLED with it!• ‘out of control’• ‘makes my blood boil’• ‘brings a tear to my eye’• ‘epidemic’• ‘blot on the landscape’• Etc• We all know tons of ‘sayings’, so get them in

there. It shows that you are thinking!

Tip 7 – Plan, plan, plan

• One of the main problems that people seem to face when completing a writing task such as this is that they ‘run out of steam.’

• Do not let this happen to you.• Use a spider diagram in order to help you

structure your work.• Each leg is a paragraph, and each hair on

the leg is a sentence or focus.

• Often, the problem is that people can think of points to make, but they can’t think of ways to ‘pad the paragraph out’.

• There are loads!

• Quotes from residents

• Surveys

• Anecdotes

• etc

Plan in advance

• Those of you who are more able will be able to make a rough plan before you even know the question.

• If you know you are going to start off ‘mysteriously’ or with a rhetorical question, you should be able to make this fit any topic.

• Likewise, if you know that your first paragraph is going to be discussing the findings of a recent survey, then this should be interchangeable too!

Task!

• There have been a number of serious traffic accidents involving

• children on a busy road in your area.

• Write a letter to your local Council, suggesting ways in which such

• accidents could be avoided.

• 10 minutes, write the first two paragraphs.

• Go!