Writing to present a viewpoint flashcards

Key points

• You argue or persuade in a set form, often a letter, an article, a speech, a leaflet or an essay.
• The task usually opens with a statement: decide how far you agree before you plan.
• Find the form, the audience and the purpose in the task, and keep all three in view.
• On AQA, 24 marks reward content and organisation (AO5) and 16 technical accuracy (AO6).

Key points

• Open with a greeting matched to the reader: ‘Dear Mrs Patel’ or ‘Dear Sir or Madam’.
• Say why you are writing in the first paragraph, then build your argument.
• Sign off ‘Yours sincerely’ when you named the reader, ‘Yours faithfully’ when you didn’t.
• End with your full name, and keep the tone respectful throughout.

An opening that sets out its stall

Key points

• A headline in the first line: short and punchy, perhaps a question or a pun.
• A standfirst under it: one sentence that sums up the piece and hooks the reader.
• An opening that grabs, such as an anecdote, a question or a bold claim.
• Subheadings can help a longer piece, but there is no need for columns or pictures.

Example

Key points

• Greet your audience directly: ‘Good morning, everyone.’
• Speak to listeners as ‘you’ and ‘we’, so they feel part of the cause.
• Use signposts a listener can follow by ear: ‘My first point is simple.’
• Build to a rallying close, then thank them for listening.

Example

Key points

• A clear title, then subheadings that break the content into sections.
• Bullet points for lists of tips: a leaflet is skimmed, not read in order.
• Speak to the reader directly, in a friendly but clear tone.
• End with a call to action, or where to find more help.

Key points

• Register is how formal or informal a piece of writing is.
• Be measured and respectful for authority, such as a head teacher; direct and lively for people your age.
• Advice sounds supportive and offers options; an argument pushes one side hard.
• Keep the voice consistent from the first line to the last.

Example

Key points

• Spend a few minutes listing three or four strong points.
• Order them deliberately, with the most powerful near the end.
• Give each point its own paragraph, opened with a clear topic sentence.
• Plan your opening hook and your final line before you start.

A plan: no cars at the school gate

Key points

• A counter-argument is a point from the other side that you raise yourself.
• Admit it fairly, then answer it: your case looks considered, not one-sided.
• Raising it yourself lets you answer it on your own terms.

Example

Key points

• A topic sentence opens each paragraph by stating its main point.
• Discourse markers link ideas and signal the shape of the argument.
• Add a point with ‘furthermore’; turn it with ‘however’; show a result with ‘therefore’.
• Link each paragraph to the one before, so the case builds.

Example

Key points

• Rhetorical question: asked for effect, so the reader supplies the obvious answer and agrees.
• Direct address: ‘you’ makes the reader feel personally involved and responsible.
• Imperatives: commands such as ‘act’ or ‘sign’ give the reader a clear action, ideal for a close.
• Place each one where it strengthens a point: where it sits is what makes it land.

Example

Key points

• Rule of three: three items sound complete and balanced, so the claim feels settled.
• Anaphora: repeating the opening words of sentences builds a drumbeat that sticks.
• Hyperbole: deliberate exaggeration that adds humour or force.
• Use each one once, where it counts most.

Example

Key points

• Anecdote: a short personal story that puts a human face on the issue.
• Statistic: a precise figure that sounds like proof, as long as it is believable.
• Expert view: a respected voice that adds authority to your case.
• Use each to back a point, not in place of one.

Example

Key points

• Long sentences carry the weight of the reasoning; a short one delivers the verdict.
• Choose words with persuasive charge: ‘neglected’ does more than ‘not looked after’.
• Precise words persuade in themselves: they show you know exactly what you mean.

Example

Key points

• Accuracy is credibility: careless slips make an argument harder to trust.
• Their shows belonging, there is a place, they’re means ‘they are’.
• After should, could or would, the word is ‘have’, never ‘of’.
• A comma can’t join two sentences: use a full stop or a semicolon.

Example