- The exam question will usually state the genre of text you have to write in, such as an online article.
- Audience is the most important aspect to be aware of and there may be a hint in the exam question as to who your target audience is.
- Texts can be formal and informal, technical or non-technical.
- The purpose of the text you write could be to explain, inform, teach, persuade, express an opinion or to entertain.
- PEA (Point, Evidence, Explanation) is the key to writing a text, whether it is an analysis of writing or a piece of writing produced by yourself.
- Texts should contain an introduction, main body of text and a conclusion.
- Possible genres of texts you could write in your exam include a newspaper article, magazine piece or a letter. The presentational devices used for each genre will vary greatly.
- Persuasive techniques will allow you convince the reader to help you achieve your purpose, persuading them to buy a product, attend an event, support an opinion, follow advice or even simply to continue reading.
- Persuasive techniques include adjectives, alliteration, facts, opinions, rhetorical questions, repetition, emotive language, statistics, threes, imagery, similes, metaphors, personal pronouns, discourse markers and hyperbole.
- Do not forget to use a variety of sentence structures, mixing both simple sentences with the more complex ones.
- Punctuation is used to break up and signpost sentences. It helps people structure their reading as the take in the text in their heads, giving writing more clarity.
- Using a few select examples of unusual punctuation can add another element to your writing. However, you should be careful not to overdo it.
- Examiners love semi-colons!
- Try and plan your writing pieces. It will let you structure your text as a whole and will give you a prompt if you forget what to write.