This document provides an overview of the writing section of the AQA GCSE English Language exam. It explains that the writing section contains two questions worth 16 and 24 marks respectively. The 16-mark question can be answered in 25 minutes and requires writing to inform, explain or advise. The 24-mark question can be answered in 35 minutes and requires writing to persuade, argue or advise. The document provides examples of persuasive writing techniques that could be used, such as emotive language, facts and statistics, rhetorical questions, and repetition. It also provides a checklist and example question to help students plan a persuasive response.

1. AQA GCSE English Language Unit 1
Part two – the long writing questions
Learning Objectives:
•Understand how you are expected to answer the two
written questions in Part B (the writing paper) of the
Unit 1
•Revise persuasive techniques and see how these
techniques can be applied to a persuasive text
•Plan an answer to the 24 mark question and write an
answer individually

2. English Language
• 40% Coursework
a. Of Mice and Men Essay
b. Don’t get me started…/relationships story
c. Spoken language study (Waterloo Road) 
• 20% Speaking and Listening
a. Presentation – Relationships poem 
b. Discussing/Listening 
c. Role Play 
• 40% Exam – 1 paper: 2hours, 15 mins
a. Reading (1 hour)
b. Writing (1 hour)

3. Today we will look at the writing paper
• 40% Exam – 1 paper: 2hours, 15 mins
a. Reading (1 hour)
b. Writing (1 hour)
In this writing section, there are 2 questions to complete in
an hour:
•a question worth 16 marks which should take 25 mins to
complete
•a question worth 24 marks which should take 35 mins to
complete

4. 16 marks 24 marks
Should take Should take
25 minutes to 35 minutes to
complete complete
Write to either: Write to either:
Inform or Persuade or
explain or argue
describe

5. Unit 1 Section B
2.Writing to inform, explain or advise (16
marks)
•Spend 25 minutes on this writing task
•Use a suitable register to suit the task (ie a formal tone if you have
been asked to write a letter to someone in authority)
•Organise your ideas into linked paragraphs (aim for 3-5 paragraphs
per A4 side)
•Use a variety of sentence structures and sentence lengths (you must
aim to show you can use simple, compound and complex sentences
structures)
•Use vocabulary that is appropriate to the task and is the best that you
can come up with – always search for the word that can say it better
•Use connectives to link you ideas

6. Possible questions:
4.Describe a recent journey you have made and explain
how it made you feel.
5.Write a letter advising a friend on how to cope with
feelings of anxiety.
6.Write an article for a magazine advising young
people how to make the most of their summer holidays.
7.Write an article for a teenage magazine describing
your bedroom.
8.Describe an event that has had a huge impact on
your and your life.

7. The last question in Unit 1 will
ask you to write to persuade,
advise or argue
• This is your chance to score lots of marks
• It is marked out of 24 and you should spend
about 35 minutes planning (!) and writing
Remember the G.A.P
You will be told what kind of text to write and who for
You must make sure your writing is appropriate to task

8. A FOREST
A Alliteration and anecdote
Facts, flattery
F
O Opinions
R Repetition, rhetorical question
E Emotive language, exaggeration
s Statistics, second person narrative
T Three – the rule of three, tone

9. A Persuasive writing checklist
•It is personal – use ‘I’ and ‘you’ and ‘we’
•There are imperatives – ‘must’, ‘should’
•Use emotive words
•Tell an anecdote to prove a point
•Use powerful words
•Include two or three short sentences at crucial moments
•Use a rhetorical question
•Use some exaggeration – not too much
•Include facts and statistics
•Enliven your writing with metaphor, simile, alliteration
•Repetition of a word or phrase will help convince the reader
•Vary your punctuation – one of two question marks and
exclamation marks would be effective

10. Remember…
3.Write in a suitable register (formal or informal) for
purpose
4.Organise your ideas into paragraphs (3-5 paragraphs per
A4 side)
5.Start and finish each paragraph with a short sentence
(this really makes your writing much more effective)
6.Use connectives to develop your argument (Furthermore,
Another reason, On the other hand etc)
7.Write AFOREST down and tick off the persuasive features
as you use them.
8.Use counter-argument (Many people seem to believe that
….; however, statistics show that ….)

11. Q: Some people think it’s wrong that primitive peoples and
their communities are disrupted by tourists and TV crews and
that they should be left in peace. (24 marks 35 minutes)
Write an article for a travel magazine which argues for or
against this idea.
Some people may say that……..; but, evidence shows….
Of course, we all think we know that….; but …
If only …
Do you think……?