Paper 2: Contemporary Texts - 1.2 Writing — Edexcel GCSE English Language
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Paper 2: Contemporary Texts - 1.2 Writing explained
This criterion requires you to produce clear, coherent writing that is accurate and effective for a range of purposes and audiences.
Read the full explanation
You must be able to describe, narrate, explain, instruct, give and respond to information, and argue. For each task, select vocabulary, grammar, form and structural or organisational features judiciously to suit the audience, purpose and context. Use language imaginatively and creatively, and use information provided by others to write in different forms. Maintain a consistent point of view throughout, and keep coherence and consistency across the whole text. For example, when writing a letter to a local council arguing for a new cycle lane, you would adopt a formal tone, use persuasive devices, organise points logically, and keep a consistent first-person perspective.
Your focus
- Produce clear and coherent text that is accurate and effective for different purposes and audiences.
- Select vocabulary, grammar, form, and structural and organisational features judiciously to reflect audience, purpose and context.
- Use language imaginatively and creatively, and use information provided by others to write in different forms.
Show all 4 objectives
- Maintain a consistent point of view and coherence and consistency across a text.
Paper 2: Contemporary Texts - 1.2 Writing exam tips
Marking Points
- Produces clear and coherent text that is accurate and effective for the specified purpose and audience.
- Adapts writing to different purposes: to describe, narrate, explain, instruct, give and respond to information, and argue.
- Selects vocabulary, grammar, form, and structural and organisational features judiciously to reflect audience, purpose and context.
- Uses language imaginatively and creatively.
- Uses information provided by others to write in different forms.
- Maintains a consistent point of view throughout the text.
- Maintains coherence and consistency across the whole text.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Plan your response by identifying the purpose, audience and form, then select vocabulary and structural features that will best achieve your aims.
- 💡Use a range of sentence structures and rhetorical devices where appropriate, but always ensure they serve the purpose and audience.
- 💡Proofread your work to check for accuracy in spelling, punctuation and grammar, and to ensure your point of view and overall coherence are maintained.
Common Mistakes
- Misunderstanding: Writing in a single style regardless of audience or purpose. Correction: Adapt tone, vocabulary and structure to suit each specific task, such as using formal language for a letter to an official but a conversational tone for a blog post.
- Misunderstanding: Ignoring the need to use information provided by others. Correction: When a task requires it, integrate the given information accurately and reshape it into the required form, ensuring it supports your own writing.
- Misunderstanding: Shifting point of view unintentionally. Correction: Decide on a consistent perspective (first, second or third person) and maintain it throughout, checking for accidental shifts.
- Misunderstanding: Neglecting coherence and consistency across a text. Correction: Use connectives, topic sentences and a clear overall structure to link ideas and ensure the text flows logically from start to finish.