writingpaper


 * __Writing Paper (50 marks)[[image:writing1.jpg width="192" height="162" align="right"]]__**

You will have 1 hour and 15 minutes to do two tasks.

These are the **Longer Writing Task**, on which you should spend around **45 minutes** and is worth **30 marks** and....

The **Shorter Writing Task**, on which you should spend around **30 minutes** and is worth **20 marks**.

You will always be asked to write for a particular **audience** and for a particular **purpose** (you might have to inform them about something, explain or describe something to them, persuade them about something etc)


 * __Ten Top Tips For Successful Writing at Level 5+:__**

1) **Use a wide range of sentence lengths** - both longer and shorter sentences. Think about the effect they have. You could start your sentences in a variety of ways too but you will need to use commas accurately! 2) **Use a wide range of connectives to structure your ideas**. Do it at the start of your new paragraphs (if you are adding more information use ones like //'furthermore, moreover, in addition.// If you are showing another point of view use //on the other hand, nevertheless// etc) 3) **Use a full range of punctuation accurately**, including speech marks if necessary. Can you possibly get a question mark (?), an exclamation mark (!), and even a semi-colon or a colon  in? 4) **Organise your work into appropriate separated and indented paragraphs.** Ask yourself: does each paragraph have a topic or an idea that it is exploring? When you start writing about another idea or another time, start a new paragraph. 5) **Make sure your paragraphs are planned carefully and developed** by analysing the topic of your paragraph in more detail. Are they in an order that makes sense for that style of writing? 6) **Select your words/phrases carefully**. Have you used more interesting or unusual words for a particular effect. Think about the effect you want to have on the reader and who your reader is. If it's adults, have you used more complicated words which are appropriate for them? How might this change in a more informal situation? 7) **Use some of the features of that particular style of writing**. Do you know the features of all the different styles of writing? Can you persuade, advise, inform, explain, describe and analyse? 8) **Check the task to make sure you know what you are writing** and make sure that you do what it asks. If it's a letter, set it out in the format of a letter, for example. Do you know how to lay out: a letter, a leaflet, an article, an advert etc? 9) **Take time to check over your work**. Read through your sentences carefully, especially those with commas, to make sure they sound right. Also, have you checked to make sure you haven't made any basic mistakes? (capital letters and spelling)
 * 10) Before you begin, PLAN!** Use your ideas as topics for your paragraphs. If you need to show two ideas such as FOR and AGAINST, divide your page in two and use different paragraphs to show different ideas!


 * __Practice Tasks:__**

The tasks below will test you in a range of different ways: -to create different formats (letter, leaflet, report etc) - to write for different purposes (to persuade, describe, inform etc)


 * __Longer Writing (45 Minutes + 30 marks)__**

1) Your school has organised an exchange with a group of students from a high school in the USA. Write a **letter** to the students of this school, **describing** your school, local area and out of school activities.

2) You are a member of your school's Student Council. Earlier in the year, the Council received £1000 from the Parents' Association to spend on improving the Year 9 common room. Write a **report** for the Parents' Association, **explaining** how the Student Council have spent the £1000 on improving the Year 9 common room and what improvements need to be made in the future.

3) You work in a library on Saturdays which is always empty as no one uses it. Your boss would like to encourage more teenagers to use the library. Write a **report** to **advise** your boss about why teenagers aren't using the library now and how you think more teenagers could be encouraged to use the library in the future.


 * __Shorter Writing (30 Minutes + 20 marks)__**

1) You have volunteered to help organise the school's talent contest. Write a **leaflet** **informing** pupils about the details of the talent contest. (the things they can do, how long they can perform for, when and where it is taking place and anything they might need to bring with them.

2) Your local paper has published a story saying that teenagers only care about themselves. Write a short **article** for a teenage magazine **arguing** your point of view.

3) Your after-school youth club has received money to create a 'chill-out' room and is running a competition to decide what it will be like. The best idea for the 'chill-out' room will become reality. Write an **entry for the competition**, **describing** your dream 'chill-out' room and saying why you and others would like it.