Paper 2 : Writing Master Class

Paper 2 : Writing Master Class OBJ: to understand how to succeed in this section of the exam.

AFOREST Can you remember what this acronym stands for? Write it in your books please.AFOREST

On the exam paper In this section you will be assessed for your writing skills, including the presentation of your work. Take special care with handwriting, spelling and punctuation. Think about the purpose, audience and, where appropriate, the format for your writing.

Two writing tasks 1: You must answer both questions. Timings: • Both questions are worth 20 marks each. • For both questions you are advised to write about 1-2 sides. • You have 30 minutes for each question. • Break that down – 5 minutes planning - 20 minutes writing - 5 minutes checking

P.A.F.L. Purpose – argue, persuade, review, comment. Audience – this will be clearly given on the paper e.g. Year 11, head teacher, local paper etc. Format – normally letter, speech or article but could be a report or a review. Language – e.g. AFOREST, normally 1st person, formal/informal, detail, flair!

Sample Questions: • Write an article for a travel magazine about a place that you think would be good to visit for a holiday, either in the UK or abroad. [20] • You have to give a talk to your class with the title 'Mobile Phones: a blessing or a curse?' Write what you would say. [20]

What are the examiners looking for? • That you know who you are writing for – the audience • That you know why you are writing – the purpose • That you know the format of each text – e.g. a letter, newspaper article, leaflet. • That your writing is lively and sparky.

Lively and sparky?! Confident Accurate (with sentences used for effect) A good sense of cohesion (ideas connecting together throughout the piece) Good range of vocabulary Paragraphs of varied length. Humour, detail and a really confident awareness of your reader at all times!

A word of warning… Format • Don’t spend time making your leaflet or newspaper article have amazing fonts, or illustrations. • Use bullet points sparingly – you need to show that you can write in good sentences. • If you want to include a picture. Draw a box and write two words to indicate what would be seen. • Addresses, headings and subheadings are fine but seriously no colouring pencils!

A second word of warning… • You will sometimes be asked to write a letter to a friend which clearly invites you to write a more informal letter. • However, this is still an English language exam and you are being tested on your ability to write good English. • So, don’t use text or msn speak – the examiner won’t be L.O.L and I will be far from L.M.A.O!

Grade it! For each example response I want you to decide on a grade and give 3 reasons why the piece achieved that grade. I want to see you annotating on the text good and bad elements.

Approximate grading 8-9 = E10-11 = D12-13 = C14-15 = B16-18 = A19-20 = A*

LO:To develop planning skills.To produce a piece of persuasive writing.

To do! I’ve added a new discussion to the Lord of the Flies wiki. Please post your views. Have also invited you all to join a Grammar wiki. No idea how it works (!) so please go to the wiki and see if you’ve been asked to join. Blood Brothers Drama piece!!

Your task: Write a speech to be given in a house assembly persuading students to dispose of litter correctly. Create a plan of at least 6 paragraphs (including your introduction and conclusion)

Openings – make them stand out! • Grab your reader’s attention • Rhetorical question • Single sentence paragraph • An attention grabbing statement – perhaps with a made up statistic (Don’t be unrealistic with this though!)

Endings • Link your ending to the opening. • Use the same rhetorical question • Echo the sentence structure from the opening.

Structure • In your 5 minutes planning you should have worked out a topic for each paragraph. • Write a speech to be given in a house assembly persuading students to dispose of litter correctly.e.g. Intro 1) Explain problem 2) Consider future 3) What they could do 4) What they could get others to do Conclusion

Your task. Choose one from the exam questions in the booklet.

PAFL Purpose - Argue Audience – other readers. Make sure you don’t talk to the newspaper as if it is responsible. It is just the messenger! Form – formal letter Language - AFOREST

Remember... AFOREST – use a VARIETY of techniques: anecdotes facts to support your arguments opinions rhetorical questions expert opinion, emotive language statistics, sarcasm triplets

Remember... Use a variety of sentence types and lengths. Use a variety of punctuation (including semi-colons, commas, brackets etc...) Make sure your ideas link from one paragraph to the next. Direct opening, punchy ending – can you get them to link?

How did you get on? Tick anything you think is good e.g.Any AFOREST techniquesVaried punctuationVaried sentence structuresVaried paragraph lengths (with clear topic sentences)Cohesion (words or phrases that link ideas)Strong opening and conclusion (does it link back?)

Paper 2 : Writing Master Class