Communicating effectively

    AQA
    GCSE

    Candidates must demonstrate the ability to decode complex texts through the identification of explicit and implicit information, while simultaneously synthesizing evidence to support interpretive claims. In production, responses must exhibit conscious control over register, tone, and structural organization to suit specific audiences and purposes. Assessment rigorously evaluates the precision of vocabulary choice and the technical accuracy of syntax and punctuation as vehicles for clarity and impact.

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    Objectives
    4
    Exam Tips
    4
    Pitfalls
    4
    Key Terms
    4
    Mark Points

    What You Need to Demonstrate

    Key skills and knowledge for this topic

    • AO5 (Content): Tone and register must be convincingly matched to the specified audience (e.g., formal for a broadsheet article, engaging for a speech).
    • AO5 (Organisation): Structural features (discourse markers, cyclical structures) must be used to craft a cohesive whole, not just a sequence of paragraphs.
    • AO6 (Accuracy): Sentence demarcation must be consistently secure; comma splices are a primary cause of capped marks.
    • AO6 (Vocabulary): Vocabulary should be extensive and ambitious, used with precision to create specific effects rather than just for complexity.

    Marking Points

    Key points examiners look for in your answers

    • AO5 (Content): Tone and register must be convincingly matched to the specified audience (e.g., formal for a broadsheet article, engaging for a speech).
    • AO5 (Organisation): Structural features (discourse markers, cyclical structures) must be used to craft a cohesive whole, not just a sequence of paragraphs.
    • AO6 (Accuracy): Sentence demarcation must be consistently secure; comma splices are a primary cause of capped marks.
    • AO6 (Vocabulary): Vocabulary should be extensive and ambitious, used with precision to create specific effects rather than just for complexity.

    Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for maximising your marks

    • 💡Allocate 5 minutes for planning: A lack of structural planning often caps marks at Level 2/3 for Organisation.
    • 💡Use the 'Drop-Shift-Zoom' method for Paper 1 description to ensure structural variety and avoid static lists.
    • 💡Proofread specifically for sentence boundaries; a single comma splice can prevent a response from reaching the top band for accuracy.
    • 💡In Paper 2, explicitly identify your audience in the opening (e.g., 'Fellow students...') to establish the correct register immediately.

    Common Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

    • Comma splices: Joining two independent clauses with a comma instead of a semicolon or full stop, limiting AO6 marks.
    • Tone drift: Starting with a formal register (e.g., in a speech) but slipping into colloquialisms or narrative storytelling.
    • Formulaic structure: Over-reliance on basic connectives (Firstly, Secondly, Finally) rather than sophisticated discourse markers.
    • Neglecting the counter-argument: In transactional writing (Paper 2), failing to acknowledge and dismantle opposing views reduces the 'convincing' nature of the argument.

    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    Likely Command Words

    How questions on this topic are typically asked

    Write a description suggested by...
    Write a story about...
    Write a speech...
    Write an article...
    Write a letter...
    Explain your point of view on...

    Ready to test yourself?

    Practice questions tailored to this topic