GCSE English: Writing to Inform, Explain and Advise

The writing sections of GCSE English Language ask for more than letters, articles and speeches. The DfE subject content requires students to write for different purposes and audiences – 'to describe, narrate, explain, instruct, give and respond to information, and argue' – and to select vocabulary, grammar, form and structure to suit them. Exam boards use a range of forms for their non-fiction writing tasks: depending on the board and the series, you may be asked for a leaflet, a report, a review or an essay as well as the more familiar forms. This material focuses on three of them and on the purposes they usually serve.

For the leaflet you practise writing for readers who scan: a clear title, subheadings (often questions), short sections, bullet points, direct address with 'you', imperatives for advice and a call to action that tells readers exactly what to do or where to get help. Layout is described in words, because in the exam you write it, you do not design it. For the report you practise the formal, impersonal register: a title that states the purpose and audience, an introduction, findings based on evidence such as survey results, and recommendations that follow from them, with the passive voice used where it keeps the focus on the facts. For the review you practise giving context, weighing strengths against weaknesses with specific detail, and finishing with a clear verdict in a lively but controlled voice suited to the publication.

Alongside the forms, the material shows how language changes with purpose: facts, clarity and a neutral tone to inform; causal connectives and careful sequencing to explain; modal verbs, imperatives and a reassuring tone to advise. Short original extracts inside the questions let you judge which revision, sentence or verdict best fits a given audience.

The material offers a quiz, flashcards on the conventions of each form, a written work sheet with short planning and writing tasks (a leaflet section, report findings and recommendations, a review verdict, rewriting a text for a new purpose) and an oral exam in which the examiner asks you to plan a piece aloud and justify your choices of form, register and structure.

• Use the conventions of a leaflet: title, subheadings, short sections, direct address and a call to action
• Write a formal report with findings based on evidence and recommendations
• Write a review that gives context, a balanced evaluation and a clear verdict
• Adapt vocabulary and sentence choices to inform, to explain or to advise
• Choose a register that suits the audience and the publication

Practice material written by Zestly, based on the DfE GCSE English language subject content (DFE-00232-2013: writing for different purposes and audiences – to explain, instruct, give and respond to information; selecting form, structure and register; AO5, AO6).