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Audience, purpose and form in your own writing
Every GCSE writing task tells you who you are writing for, why, and in what form. Spotting these three things before you plan is a Key Stage 3 habit that pays off at GCSE.
Ask three questions
Audience: who will read or hear it? Age, knowledge, relationship to you.
Purpose: why are you writing? To inform, explain, describe, narrate, argue, persuade or advise.
Form: what type of text? A letter, article, speech, review, guide, story or description.
Purpose: why are you writing? To inform, explain, describe, narrate, argue, persuade or advise.
Form: what type of text? A letter, article, speech, review, guide, story or description.
Register: formal or informal
Formal: for people you do not know well or in authority (a headteacher, a council, a newspaper's readers). Standard English, no slang, polite tone.
Informal: for friends or peers. More relaxed, but still accurate.
Most exam tasks need a mostly formal register, even when the audience is young.
Informal: for friends or peers. More relaxed, but still accurate.
Most exam tasks need a mostly formal register, even when the audience is young.
Form features
Task: 'Write a letter to your local council arguing that your town needs a new youth centre.' Identify the audience, purpose and form.
- Audience: the council, adults in authority who do not know you.
- Purpose: to argue and persuade.
- Form: a letter, so use 'Dear...', paragraphs and a polite sign-off, in a formal register.
Answer: Audience: the local council. Purpose: argue and persuade. Form: a formal letter.
Before you plan, underline the audience, purpose and form in the task. They decide your register, your structure and the features you use.
The interactive lesson includes the diagrams for this topic.
Check you have got it
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