You re
not going to write a decent answer if you don t look carefully at the
question first.
Read the QuestionIt s always tempting to start writing straight away, but
it s not a good idea.
Take the time to read the
question and think about
what it s asking you to do.
Make sure you know
what
you re supposed to write about before you get going.
Write in the Style that the Question tells youAlways think about what kind of writing the question is
asking you to do.For example, you might be asked to
imagine
you re someone else, such as a teacher, or a character in a story. You have
to think about
what words they would use when they write or say
something.
Philip
stood in the museum looking at the dinosaur bones. There was a sign saying
Do Not Touch , but Philip didn t see it. After a while, he reached out and
grabbed hold of a bone. The museum attendant quickly ran over and told him to
stop.
Q. Imagine you
are the museum attendant. Write an account of the same event. In this question, you re a
museum
attendant. You should
write in the way that
he or she would speak. For example, you might be angry about
children mucking around in the museum.
Children have no respect for the rules of the museum. Only today
I had to stop a young boy from touching the dinosaur bones. Did he not
realise how old and precious these artefacts are?
The style of your writing will depend on
who you re writing
to, why you re writing, and
what kind of text a question is asking
you to write. If the question tells you to write a
speech, be
snappy,
punchy, and
direct to get the reader s attention. Like this:
The
faulty pelican crossing has caused ten accidents. That s ten accidents in six
months. Another tragedy almost every fortnight. Do you want to run that risk?
Are you comfortable letting your children run that risk? Your grandparents?
We must take action now before someone else is injured or even killed.
Write to your councillor at once!
If you re asked to write a
travel brochure, use loads
of
fancy phrases to appeal to the reader. Like this:
Golden
sandy beaches and gently lapping waves await you on the island of Noonos.
Soak up the sun and forget your worldly cares with a refreshing swim in the
warm, crystal-clear Mediterranean Sea.
It may sound an obvious thing to say, but reading the
question carefully is incredibly important. No matter how good your answer is,
if
it doesn t do what the question asks you, it s no good. Exercise:The
following questions fall into one of four categories listed below. Colour the
questions in the same colour as the correct category.
FICTION1ST
PERSON POINT OF VIEW (FICTION/NON-FICTION)LETTERSJOURNALISM
Use
the title The Day Trip to produce an interesting piece of imaginative
writing.
Write
a story (true or made up) about a visit you make to some relations of your
own.
Write
a letter to the Prime Minister about the damage we are doing to the
environment, e.g. plastics, pollution, food waste, fossil fuels, etc.
Imagine you are King Tutankhamon. Write a diary
entry describing some of your adventures.
Write
a clear descri ption of an animal you know well for a magazine about
animals.
Use
the title The Abandoned House to produce an interesting piece of
imaginative writing.
Write
a letter to a cousin inviting him to stay with you. You should try and
interest him in some of the varied and unusual activities he can take part
in.
Write
a story with Alone as the title, where you suddenly realise that you are
on your own. It may be a true or entirely made up, but it should
include your thoughts and feelings as well as what happened.
Write
an article for a travel brochure about the place you live, describing what
it looks like and what the people are like, as well as interesting things
to do.
Use
the title The Broken Window to produce an interesting piece of
imaginative writing.
Write
a letter to a new person who has just started at your school, advising
them on the best way to make friends.
Write
an article for a newspaper informing readers of the benefits of joining
their local library.
