Paper 2 : Writing Master Class

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

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

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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!

6. 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]

7. 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.

8. 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!

9. 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!

10. 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!

11. Argue and Persuade Let’s see how the professionals do it and see what we can nick!

12. Analyse their use of persuasive devices Underline every time Paxman uses: • Anecdotes • Facts • Opinions • Rhetorical questions/Repetition • Experts ideas/ Evidence • Statistics (facts and figures) • Triplets • Inclusive address (you, we, us) • Choose the best one in your opinion and write down a sentence to explain why it is so effective.

13. Analyse their diction Circle words that are • Colloquial/chatty • Scientific / formal / sophisticated • Euphemistic • Emotive Choose your favourite example and explain why you think the writer has selected this word, what effect does it have?

14. Persuasive devices Anecdotes Facts Opinions Rhetorical questions Evidence/ Experts’ ideas Statistics Triplets Inclusive address Language Devices Emotive Sophisticated Structural Devices Topic sentences Connectives Logical order Opening and ending with impact Single sentence paragraphs for effect Single word sentences for effect Argument that comes full circle. Argue / Persuade crafting for success checklist

15. Starter: Imagine you have been asked to write a letter to Mr. Hourigan to argue either for or against year 11 having to take part in PSHE days in the Spring term. I want you to write the opening paragraph. Remember: lively, original, flair.

16. LO:To explore a texts structure and cohesionTo develop planning skills

17. Analyse their text structure / paragraphing • Draw a cloud around each connective at the start of a paragraph. • Draw a wiggly line under each topic sentence. • Put a box around every single word sentence or single sentence paragraph. • Are their arguments put into a logical order? • Is their opening attention grabbing? • Does their ending have impact? • Does the end of their article tie back up to their opening statement? If it does is it effective? If not, re-write the ending yourself.

18. Originality and Flair • Have they entertained or engaged you? How? • Have they used humour? Write a sentence about one particular example that you enjoyed. • How have they shown originality and flair?

19. Sentences and vocabulary • Vary your sentence structures for effect. • Use the most powerful or interesting vocabulary you can to suit your audience and purpose. • Remember that the examiner wants to see sparky and lively writing – use your sense of humour fittingly (Nothing to make the examiner blush!)

20. Persuasive devices Anecdotes Facts Opinions Rhetorical questions Evidence/ Experts’ ideas Statistics Triplets Inclusive address Language Devices Emotive Sophisticated Structural Devices Topic sentences Connectives Logical order Opening and ending with impact Single sentence paragraphs for effect Single word sentences for effect Argument that comes full circle. Argue / Persuade crafting for success checklist

21. Writing devices / techniques • Rhetorical questions • Lists of three or triplets • Anecdotes – brief and relevant • Statistics and facts – can be made up but must seem realistic • Similes and metaphors • Humour

22. 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.

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

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

25. 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!!

26. 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)

27. 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!)

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

29. 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

30. Structure • Use connectives to make your writing flow. • Use topic sentences • Vary the length of your paragraphs to suit their content. e.g. a short paragraph to tell a quick anecdote about a fat man dive bombing into the hotel pool and being ejected!

31. To be able to identify the qualities in a piece of work To practise writing your own work.

32. Your Task: Write a lively article aimed at intelligent youngsters about the eating habits of the British public. You should try to make your writing humorous and engaging. (20 marks)

33. Your Task: Write a lively article aimed at intelligent youngsters about the eating habits of the British public. You should try to make your writing humorous and engaging. (20 marks)

34. Using your coloured pencils: Shade over any connectives (words or phrases) that link paragraphs. In a different colour, shade over any language features e.g. rhetorical questions, use of we/you; repetition; rule of 3 etc. and annotate in margin. Underline any particularly short sentences used for effect and annotate in margin. Highlight anything else you think is interesting and annotate your comments on the side

35. What Does a Good One Look Like? TASK: Award the response a mark out of 7 and a mark out of 13. Then, use the total out of 20 to give the piece a grade.

36. Numerical Grade Break-Down • U: 0-3 • G: 4-5 • F: 6-7 • E: 8-9 • D: 10-11 • C: 12-13 • B: 14-15 • A: 16-18 • A*: 19-20 YOU HAVE TO GET AT LEAST 5 OUT OF 7 TO GET INTO THE “A” GRADE BOUNDARY.

37. Now... Do the same for the work you produced yesterday! Grade it! Annotate it!

38. LO:To develop skills in varying sentence structures.To know how to use a semi-colon.

39. BANNED! IF you are asked to write a letter to a newspaper, head teacher or your granny you are BANNED from opening it with... I am writing this letter to... WASTING TIME! EVERY WORD COUNTS!

40. EQUALLY... (good connective!) If you are asked to give a speech, avoid opening (i.e. Your FIRST sentence) with... I am here to talk about... YOU ONLY HAVE 30 MINUTES TO PLAN AND WRITE! DON’T WASTE WORDS OR TIME!

41. As we read... Circle any semi-colons (;) Underline any short sentences.

42. Semi-colons Look back at those you spotted. Could an alternative piece of punctuation be used? Yup..but semi-colons add a little sophistication to your writing (they make you look clever!)

43. Semi-colons Use instead of a connective to link to independent clauses that are linked in terms of topic. E.g. I love fruit; it’s good for you.(never use a comma to link independent clauses)I love fruit, it’s good for you. WRONG!

44. Semi-colons... Also good for separating items in lists when each item consists of a few words. E.g. I like cows because they give us milk, which tastes good; they give us beef, which also tastes good; and they give us leather, which is used for shoes and coats.

45. Varying sentences Dropping in clauses that add more information. E.g. The weather, we all agreed, was unusually cold for the time of year.The weather was unusually cold for the time of year.

46. Helps add detail; can look like this... The weather, we all agreed, was unusually cold for the time of year. The weather (we all agreed) was unusually cold for the time of year. The weather – we all agreed – was unusually cold for the time of year.

47. Highlight... Any examples of this you can find in the text. Now write two of your own sentences with ‘dropped in’ information.

48. Highlight... The topic sentences in the article Notice how they help direct the reader through the argument.

49. Your turn. Look back at your work from last lesson and see if you can find anywhere you could’ve used either a semi-colon or a ‘drop in’ clause. Re-write (or add a new paragraph) in which you aim to use both.

50. Correct the following. 3 different ways of correcting this sentence. I want to know ALL 3! Some students think they can study for an important exam by “cramming” all night, they are probably wrong.