Have you ever been given a task to write about something, created a mind map, a list or a spidergram of ideas and then only written a short amount? In the end, you may have completed the task and thought I could have done so much better.

If this is the case, then watch this video on Youtube. It will show you how to plan for your writing, adding the detail you need and it is, I assure you, perfect for anything you have to write and not just in English. It can be used if writing about something in History, Geography, RE; anything that requires you to write something in detail.

The teacher in question is a Deputy Head at a school in Yorkshire. He is, in a word, a star!

AUDIENCE, FORM AND PURPOSE

Each piece of writing you will ever look at, read, digest or study can fit into three neat categories and they are Audience, Form and Purpose. To whatever piece of writing, these have to exist and as you then begin to write one of your own for your |English studies, you are required to follow the conventions they each have.

Complete the following chart to see what I mean. Each gap should be filled in to help you understand better what is asked of each style of writing.

The question mark is there because it is a contestable number. Some will disagree but it depends on the blog really.

Now, if we consider each one in turn, we see also a need to use and adopt a different style of language for each one.

For each one in the chart below, consider the style of language used. Is it formal? Should it be colloquial [using slang terms]? Should it contain imperatives? Or should it contain stylistic devices such as similes and metaphors? If so, for each one, why would this be the case? For what effect?

Cause and Effect?

Using the same chart, we need to see that the language used will change and to not use such language when we write in the same style would be disastrous. In the first column, enter some words to describe the style of language used. Give examples where necessary. COnsider, as you fill this in, the cause and effect of the language used in each piece.

Writing Competition

With this in mind, now choose one to write and have a go at creating a successful piece of writing, thinking solely of the three elements of audience [sticking to it like glue], form [making sure it stays in one format] and purpose [making sure it is a good example of that style of writing]. Once done, submit to this page for publication.

The winner will receive a prize for their efforts [hopefully just before Christmas 2016].

Deadline: December 1st 2016.

RJ