Question 1 Directed Writing: What the Question is Asking (CIE IGCSE English Language)

Question 1 on Paper 2 is the Directed Writing question and it is compulsory. Your piece of writing will be based on one or two reading passages, and you will be asked to write in the format of either a speech, letter or article.

The following guide will provide you with the information you need to answer Question 1: Directed Writing to a high standard. It includes:

• An overview of Question 1
• Breaking down the question
• Language, audience and purpose
• Steps to success
• Exam tips

Although Question 1 is mainly an assessment of your writing skills, your piece of writing will be based on one or two reading texts. This means that, of the total of 40 available marks, 25 are awarded for your writing skills, and 15 are based on your reading skills.

This means that you will have to use, evaluate and develop the information and ideas in the reading text or texts in order to craft your response in the form of a letter, article or speech. Ideally, you will be using some of the same skills that you demonstrated in Paper 1, Question 3, such as your written response being in your own words. You are not being assessed on your ability to quote directly from the text or texts, or to repeat the exact words of the texts.

You should write between 250 and 350 words, which is 1½ to 2 sides of A4 in standard handwriting. In order to get the highest marks, you need to demonstrate the following skills:

• The ability to write in a highly effective style, capable of conveying subtle meanings (W1)
• The ability to structure your writing carefully for the benefit of your reader (W2)
• The ability to use a wide range of sophisticated vocabulary, used precisely and accurately (W3)
• The ability to write in highly effective language and an appropriate tone for your audience and purpose (W4)
• The ability to write with virtually no errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation (W5)
• The ability to successfully evaluate ideas and opinions, both explicit and implicit (R1-R3)
• The ability to assimilate ideas from the text(s) to give a developed and sophisticated response (R3 and R5)

In Question 1, you will be given a scenario based on the themes of the reading text(s). You will be told the context, the format of your writing and who you are writing for. You should always approach this question by reading the task carefully first, and highlighting what is sometimes referred to as a GAP analysis, or the “3 Ws”:

For example:

You should spend 15-20 minutes reading and planning your response, and 40-45 minutes writing your response (allowing a few minutes at the end for re-reading and checking).

Your audience for this task will be the intended recipients or audience for your piece of writing. Part of what you are being assessed on is your ability to adapt your language and tone to suit this intended audience.

For example:

• A parent will have different concerns and values to a student
• A local MP would need convincing using facts and evidence to be persuaded by your arguments
• Readers of a local newspaper would be more persuaded by emotive language
• A letter to a headteacher or someone in authority requires formal, respectful language which is not aggressive or inappropriate
• Teenagers would need something to relate to, so personal anecdotes would work well

Addressing your audience or reader specifically is a convincing technique to persuade people to agree with your point of view, or at least to acknowledge its validity; you can also use inclusive language, such as “we” and “us”, or “fellow students” or “parents”. You should always write using Standard English, but the level of formality you should employ will be dictated by the task itself.

For example:

Question 1 will also ask you to write for a specific purpose. You will be asked to create a discursive, argumentative or persuasive response, using your own words. This means that you will be rewarded for your ability to select relevant language techniques and employ them in a sophisticated way. A useful acronym to remember some of the key language techniques for this type of writing is DAN FOREST PIE:

You could also consider using:

It is also important to carefully consider the purpose of the task. “Giving your views” about a subject can mean to explain what you think, to argue your point or to persuade your audience to agree with you. Most importantly, your language and tone needs to match your intended audience and purpose.

Above all, remember: your arguments and point of view must be based on the reading passages you are given. If you just write without establishing a clear summary of the main points in the text(s), you will not score high marks.

1. Read the task carefully:
• Identify and highlight what you are writing, who you are writing for and why you are writing
• Also highlight the main focus in each bullet point in the task
2. Read the text(s):
• Highlight evidence or information relevant to the focus of each bullet point
3. Plan your response:
• Turn what you have highlighted in the text(s) into bullet points, summarising the information or idea in your own words
4. Make your point of view clear in your introduction:
• If you are writing a letter, state what you are writing about, why you are writing and what your point of view is
• If you are writing a speech, introduce your audience to the topic of your speech and your point of view
• If you are writing an article, consider an introduction that grabs your reader’s attention while also indicating your viewpoint
5. Start each paragraph with an appropriate connective and topic sentence
6. Develop each paragraph in detail:
• Make your point using the information or ideas from the text:
1. To do this, you need to read between the lines in the text(s)
2. Your ideas and opinions must be derived from the passage
• Explain what you mean
• Develop your point, assessing its implications with clear and persuasive arguments
• Make sure you have developed your point thoroughly before moving on to your next point (which should be a different point or argument)
7. Try to leave five minutes at the end to re-read your writing carefully, correcting any obvious mistakes you have made

• Make sure that you employ fluent, varied sentence styles and a wide range of vocabulary
• Structure your ideas and organise your responses effectively to persuade, discuss ideas and engage the reader
• Do not just copy from the reading texts:
• This will seriously limit both your reading and writing marks
• Likewise, do not quote from the text(s)
• Nor should you just repeat the ideas in the text(s):
• You need to select relevant points and evaluate them
• Remember, you are not producing a summary of the text(s)
• Make sure you do not just lift points from the text and discuss them generally
• It is important to plan your response and decide what your arguments are going to be:
• Recognise that there may be implicit meanings in the text, which you need to be aware of
• The careful use of rhetoric, such as questioning or exclamations, can help to convince and persuade your intended audience
• Remember, you are required to consider and evaluate the ideas in the text(s) and use them to develop your own argument
• Ensure you keep to the suggested word limit:
• Writing significantly under or over the suggested word count will affect your marks

You can download the specimen question paper mentioned in the video hereAnd the insert here

THINK

• This question is split between PURPOSE and FORM.
• The purpose of the paper is to persuade/argue/discuss. So remember the Persuasive Writing Theory (ethos/pathos/logos).
• The form will be a letter, article or speech. So remember those techniques.
• Analyse the question and actively read the insert, just as you would for the Paper 1 Reading exam.

FEEL

• Write down three words that sum up how you feel about the arguments presented in the text.

DO

• Write a quick table like this:

• Find 5-6 arguments from the text (4 For, 1 Against / 4 Against, 1 For – depending which side you’re arguing).
  • Sum them up into bullet-points and write them under the corresponding headers.
  • Remember to be aware of the counter-arguments, as that’s what you should start with.

• Focusing only on your side of the argument, label your bullets with the following argument type:
  • E (emotional)
  • L (logical)
  • A (authoritative)
  • This will make sure you have a varied and multi-faceted argument.