GCSE English Language revision · Writing

Writing forms: letters, articles and speeches

The idea

Each form has its own conventions. A letter needs a greeting and sign-off, an article a headline and engaging opening, a speech direct address to a listening audience.

Identify the form in the task.
Use its conventions: layout for a letter, headline for an article, address to the audience for a speech.
Keep the purpose and audience in view throughout.

Watch out Writing an essay with no features of the requested form loses marks for task awareness.

See it worked

Worked example

Task: a speech to Year 7s about joining clubs. Name two features to include.

Form: a speech, heard not read.
Feature 1: direct address ("you", "we").
Feature 2: rhetorical questions or repetition to hold attention.

Answer Direct address to the audience and rhetorical devices such as questions or repetition.

Your turn

Question 11 mark

A formal letter that begins "Dear Mrs Patel" should end with:

Question 21 mark

Which feature belongs to a newspaper article?

Question 32 marks

Write a headline and a one-sentence opening for an article arguing that school should start later.

Write your answer, then see a model answer

Make the headline short and punchy.
Open with a hook that sets up your view.

Answer Example headline: "Let Them Sleep: Why 10am Starts Make Sense". Opening: "Every morning, thousands of teenagers sit in first lessons with their brains still switched off."

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