The examiner’s template in a nutshell
                               The examiner’s template in a nutshell
  The statement will be 
  The statement will be 
  related to whatever                                                                                                                          ‘In a nutshell’ 
  related to whatever                                                                                                                           ‘In a nutshell’ 
  topic you’ve been                                                                                                                            means to sum 
  topic you’ve been                                                                                                                             means to sum 
  looking at in Section                                                                                                                        up something 
  looking at in Section                                                                                                                         up something 
  A. You are allowed to                                                                                                                        complex into 
  A. You are allowed to        ‘Controversial statement that can be argued a number of                                                          complex into 
  use ideas from               ‘Controversial statement that can be argued a number of                                                         something 
  use ideas from                                                                                                                                something 
  Section A in your                                                                                                                            small. William 
  Section A in your            ways.’                                                                                                           small. William 
  Section B writing.           ways.’                                                                                                          Shakespeare 
  Section B writing.                                                                                                                            Shakespeare 
                                                                                                                                               may have been 
                                                                                                                                                may have been 
                                                                                                                                               the first person 
                                                                                                                                                the first person 
                                                                                                                                               to write this 
                                                                                                                                                to write this 
   Purpose – Why?                                                                                                                              phrase down!
    Purpose – Why?             Write a letter/speech/article/essay/text of a leaflet to                                                         phrase down!
   Audience- Who?              Write a letter/speech/article/essay/text of a leaflet to 
    Audience- Who?             [audience] explaining/informing/advising/persuading/arguing 
   Form – What?                [audience] explaining/informing/advising/persuading/arguing 
    Form – What?
                               your opinion on this statement.  
                               your opinion on this statement.  
                               (24 marks for content and organisation 16 marks for technical 
                               (24 marks for content and organisation 16 marks for technical 
                               accuracy) [40 marks] 
                               accuracy) [40 marks] 
                               You are advised to plan your answer to Question 5 before you 
                               You are advised to plan your answer to Question 5 before you                                                Oh! Planning! We’ll 
                               start to write.                                                                                              Oh! Planning! We’ll 
                               start to write.                                                                                             come on to that.
                                                                                                                                            come on to that.
    Here’s an example exam-
    style question
    ‘Markets are an important part of any community and are just as valuable as 
    supermarkets.’
    Write a letter to your local council arguing your opinion on this statement.
    (24 marks for content and organisation 16 marks for technical accuracy) [40 
    marks] 
    You are advised to plan your answer to Question 5 before you start to write. 
               Form: Letter
                Form: Letter
                                                                                                                Putting these elements into your 
               Here are the basic features the exam                                                             Putting these elements into your 
                Here are the basic features the exam 
                                                                                                                letter means you are showing 
               board are looking for:                                                                           letter means you are showing 
                board are looking for:                                                                          the examiner you can write a 
                                                                                                                the examiner you can write a 
                                                                                                                specific form of writing and also 
                                                                                                                specific form of writing and also 
                                                                                                                that you think about the register, 
               • the use of addresses                                                                           that you think about the register, 
                • the use of addresses                                                                          style and tone of your writing 
                                                                                                                style and tone of your writing 
               • a date                                                                                         carefully, too! 
                • a date                                                                                        carefully, too! 
               • a formal mode of address if                                                                                                        Tone, style, register
                • a formal mode of address if                                                                                                        Tone, style, register
                   required e.g. Dear Sir/Madam or a 
                    required e.g. Dear Sir/Madam or a                                                             •  The tone (sound of writing) is confident and 
                                                                                                                  •   The tone (sound of writing) is confident and 
                                                                                                                     changes dependent on the point being made.
                   named recipient effectively/fluently                                                               changes dependent on the point being made.
                    named recipient effectively/fluently                                                          •  The writing is appropriately formal or informal 
                                                                                                                  •   The writing is appropriately formal or informal 
                                                                                                                     (register).
                   sequenced paragraphs                                                                               (register).
                    sequenced paragraphs                                                                          •  The pace (speed) of the writing changes 
                                                                                                                  •   The pace (speed) of the writing changes 
                                                                                                                     depending on the point being made.
               • an appropriate mode of signing off:                                                                  depending on the point being made.
                • an appropriate mode of signing off: 
                   Yours sincerely/faithfully.
                    Yours sincerely/faithfully.
                                                      The address of the receiver This is 
                                                      included on the left below the writer’s          Writer’s address at the top right and the 
   Directly addressing the receiver: If you           address.                                         date written below.
   know the name of the person you are 
   writing it, you write it down formally (Mr A 
   Name, Mrs A Name). However, if you don’t 
   know their name you would put ‘Dear 
   Sir/Madam’.
   Clear indent at the beginning of the                                                                       Introductory paragraph: This sets 
   introductory paragraph: Most formal                                                                        out why you are writing to the 
   letters will include a large gap or indent                                                                 receiver and what you hope to 
   at the beginning like this.                                                                                achieve through the letter.
    Paragraphs linked with 
    connectives: This is to ensure your                                                                       The language used is very 
    writing flows well for the reader 
    and links your ideas together. It                                                                         formal, so extensive 
    provides a clear structure to your                                                                        vocabulary is employed 
    letter and writing.                                                                                       and a serious tone is 
    Signed off with ‘Yours sincerely’, a                                                                      established.
    signature and the writer’s formal 
    name. If you were writing to 
    someone whose name you don’t 
    know, you would sign off with 
    ‘Yours faithfully’. A signature shows 
    the letter is genuine and authentic. 
       Purpose: Writing to Argue
       Purpose:       WRITING TO ARGUE         When you are writing to argue, you 
                                                When you are writing to argue, you 
       What is it?    Giving the case for      are showing you understand what this 
                                                are showing you understand what this 
                      one side of a debate     purpose of writing involves.
                                                purpose of writing involves.
       What does it   Being aware of the 
       involve?       other side of a          It means you are presenting your 
                      debate                    It means you are presenting your 
                                               opinions around a topic, but you are 
                                                opinions around a topic, but you are 
       What key       Includes counter-        also showing an awareness of other 
       features do    arguments, rhetorical     also showing an awareness of other 
                                               arguments and conveying how these 
       you often find  questions, facts,        arguments and conveying how these 
                      statistics, emotive      ideas are wrong in comparison to 
       in this type of                          ideas are wrong in comparison to 
       writing?       language                 your own.
                                                your own.
                                               Writing to argue is different to writing to 
                                                Writing to argue is different to writing to 
                                               persuade, as arguing involves showing an 
                                                persuade, as arguing involves showing an 
                                               awareness of others’ ideas but arguing why they 
                                                awareness of others’ ideas but arguing why they 
                                               are wrong, whereas persuading means you talk 
                                                are wrong, whereas persuading means you talk 
                                               about your own opinions and convince the 
                                                about your own opinions and convince the 
                                               audience you are right.
                                                audience you are right.