GCSE ENGLISH LANGUAGEFOR TEACHING FROM 2015

CPD AUTUMN 2016

COMPONENT 2 EXEMPLAR MATERIAL (UNANNOTATED)

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Component 2 Exemplar Responses

Question 2 - How does the newspaper article try to show that Ben Fogle’s expedition to the South Pole was full of danger and difficulty?

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Example 1

Ben Fogle suggests the expedition to the South Pole was full of danger by telling readers in the opening paragraph how, `they had strayed on to a giant crevasse` and going on to say `this was a huge crack in the ice hidden...by snow and ice`. This suggests it is dangerous and a big risk to the walkers and the adjective `huge` suggest it is deep and the three men could easily fall into the crack and get really hurt or die. He goes on to show that he knew how dangerous their situation was when he explains his feelings, saying “I was terrified I would be dragged down”. This suggests he was really scared but also helpless as he knew he could do nothing to prevent it. The use of the word `terrified` suggests the enormous fear he felt and emphasises how scared as a fully grown man he is.

Ben Fogle also suggests the expedition was difficult as well as dangerous by saying, `It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done.` This suggests it was more extreme than any other expedition he had been on and may make the reader feel shocked but also impressed that he has completed a task that was so difficult. The word `hardest` is a superlative, suggesting it could not have got any tougher than the conditions he encountered.

Ben Fogle also suggests the expedition was dangerous by saying, `I knew it would be tough but I had no idea it would take such a toll on our bodies.` This suggest the expedition was painful and they endured great hardships. The word `toll` suggests it was very hard, maybe that the difficulties and challenges built up bit by bit, slowing their bodies down as they weren’t used to such dangerous conditions. This could make the reader feel sympathy for them as it was so hard but they could be proud of themselves for tackling such a tough goal and achieving it. The `toll` that Fogle talked about becomes almost a list of physical problems: `It started with frostbite, then I burnt my lips, go blisters on my feet and had a bit of hypothermia. ` This suggests the dangers and the pain they faced being in such tough and extreme conditions. To know that Fogle had `hypothermia` would shock readers as it causes the body to shut down and people have died from this condition.

Ben Fogle also suggests the expedition is dangerous and difficult when he says `temperatures as low as -50˚ C`. This suggests it is too cold for them to cope, and the very cold conditions bring dangers on every part of their journey.

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Example 2

The writer shows Ben Fogle’s expedition to the South Pole was full of danger and difficulty by saying one member of the team suffered from `frostbite on his fingers and pneumonia`. He also suffered from a `chest infection` which shows the expedition was full of dangers. Also the temperature would drop as low as ` -50˚C` which shows that the expedition was very dangerous. They would also be exhausted because they had just four hours sleep each day and had to ski for around 16 hours, which would make it very difficult to keep going. During the expedition Fogle became miserable and he says, `There were many days when I thought we were not going to finish the race.`

Example 3

The writer first shows Ben Fogle’s expedition to the South Pole was full of danger when he `thought he was going to die.` This shows it’s dangerous as they were risking their lives. The journey is shown to be difficult when it is described as a `gruelling expedition.` The adjective `gruelling` suggests that the expeditions was very hard work and physically exhausting and when it describes some of the dangerous incidents it is clear that it is also life-threatening. The writer gets Fogle’s first-hand account of one dangerous incident when he talks about `snow shifting beneath me` as he realised he could easily fall into a crevasse. His reaction was that `my mouth went dry and I started to panic`, showing how scared he felt at this point. Further on in the article the writer shows the difficulty of the journey when he says it took `such a toll on our bodies`. This shows how affected they were by the expedition. The writer shows how dangerous the expedition was when Ben Fogle was worried he might `lose his nose` because of the intense cold and he talks about the problems and illnesses they had like `frostbite` on their fingers, pneumonia and hypothermia. Some of these could have led to death. The danger of the land on the expedition is shown when the writer says `vast, hostile landscape`, the adjectives suggesting the emptiness of the place, with no help anywhere near where they were if they got into serious trouble and that nothing else could survive there. Another way the difficulty of their expedition is shown is when they are talking about the food they have to eat because Fogle says `if you ate it in England you would think it was disgusting.` This shows how harsh the conditions were because there in the really difficult conditions it became `food from heaven`.

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Question 4 - How well do you think Scott’s diary captures his feelings about his journey to the South Pole? [10]

Example 1

Scott’s diary captures his feelings about his journey to the South Pole really well because he explains how he felt in dangerous times, like it was `utterly impossible to move` and he felt like the situation he was in was, `now serious`. Also he describes it as `utterly miserable`.

Example 2

I think Scott’s diary captures his feelings about his journey to the South Pole very well because in his first diary entry his tone was slightly annoyed about the blizzard. I get this from the line `What on earth does such weather mean at this time of year`. Next, Scott states `there are pools of water on everything, which I think shows how he is feeling because he is exaggerating how bad the puddles are to imply how annoyed he is.

Then in the second diary entry he describes his feelings as `miserable, utterly miserable`. I think Scott uses short and to the point sentences to show that he is not pleased about the weather, such as `the temperature is now above freezing and everything in the tent is soaking.` Scott also states that he has a `hopeless feeling` descending on him which I think shows that he is close to giving up and he feels as if he can’t do anything.

In his final diary entry the tone changes dramatically to a very serious and worried one. I get this from the line, `the situation is now serious.` I think the structure of the extract captures how Scott is feeling because it changes from being annoyed and frustrated about the weather in the first diary entry to miserable and hopeless in the second, to then becoming almost despairing in the final entry. I think overall the extracts show Scott feelings about the journey gradually becoming more and more negative and almost losing any hope of being successful.

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Example 3

I think Scott’s diary about his journey to the South Pole capture his feelings well because he makes it clear how terrible the weather is by saying `raging, howling blizzard.` This shows that he feels annoyed and frightened by the weather. I think Scott also captures his feelings well when he also tells us the team are hungry most of the time and that the food is running out. He tells us he had a `thin breakfast`, the adjective `thin` showing that he feels starved and unhappy to only get a small amount to fill him. I think that his diary makes his feelings clear that they have had lots of bad luck with the weather conditions that were worse than they were expecting. He says they have had `more than their share of ill fortune` suggesting that he feels it’s been unfortunate and that the expedition has no good signs to it. He doesn’t seem to think things will get better. When he writes about how wet everything in the tents has become I think he gets his feelings across well when he says `we shall be mighty uncomfortable` which shows how frustrated and disappointed he is. I think Scott’s diary capture his emotions of being fed up well because throughout the extract he has always been saying the tents are always soaked and sums it up by saying miserably `we are all very, very wet`. The repetition of `very` emphasises this.

I think Scott is relieved for a time in the expedition when he says in the diary, `signs of a break at last. ` This suggests they haven’t had a break from all the bad weather yet and this is refreshing and gives me some hope that things will improve. However, this feeling does not last and on the next day he writes `the situation is now serious.` This suggests that he fears that it is going to be even more dangerous and difficult. I think that Scott’s feelings are that he is panicking and doesn’t know what to do and he has lost hope when he says there is `no sign of an end` in his final sentence.

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Question 5 - Explain what we learn about the food Scott and Fogle took with them on their expeditions to the South Pole. [4]

Example 1

The foods that Scott took on his expedition were things like `biscuits and butter` that he would eat for breakfast. However, Fogle shows that he took things like `porridge with lots of sugar` for his breakfast which makes them both very different in what they ate. I learn that Fogle’s food that he took was powdered foods and things like `salami, chocolate, cheese and jelly babies` which shows that these are very simple foods. However, Scott’s food was a `mixture of dried beef and fat` which shows it’s bigger but they had to eat the same foods a lot of the time.

Example 2

In the text `Antarctic Adventure` we learn that the men liked the food that was taken on the expedition. Readers are told the men `enjoyed breakfast` and they also had lots of snacks during the day. They had a variety of food to eat - `salami, chocolate, cheese and jelly babies` so they would look forward to `fun foods` like the chocolate and sweets. Their foods would be quite light to carry with them because their dinners were all powdered foods that they then mixed with water from melted snow. Like the snacks they had, they enjoyed a variety of foods such as `fish pie`, `sweet and sour chicken spaghetti Bolognese and spicy mince with rice.` They must have enjoyed it because Fogle called it `food from heaven.`

On Scott’s expedition, the food was very different. They seemed to have the same food over and over but like Fogle, when they had their food it cheered them up. He says, `to raise our spirits we had a supper with horsemeat and biscuits`. Unlike Fogle though, Scott’s expedition didn’t have much food and he talked about it running out -`the last of the horsemeat` and eating a `thin breakfast`. He talks about only having pemmican left to eat but he says they will have to `ration that too`. Things get so bad at the end that he thinks the ponies will have to be killed.

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Example 3

On their journey to the South Pole it shows Robert Scott’s men have only a limited food supply. `We have had a thin breakfast. ` This shows they don’t have a lot to eat and there is barely enough to feed them all. He says they drink `strong cocoa with sugar` and this would give them some energy. They also have biscuits in the morning and at night so this shows they don’t have much choice – on one of the days in the diary they eat the same thing, pemmican, for their tea and then again for their supper before they go to bed.

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Question 6 -Compare the hardships Scott and Fogle endured on their expeditions; -Compare how Scott and Fogle get their feelings across to their readers. [10]

Example 1

Both Fogle and Scott had to endure `freezing temperatures on their expeditions. Scott describes it as being `not pleasant` to sit through the strong winds and cold temperatures, which suggest it pushed his body to another level in order to survive in the climate. Similarly, Fogle found the weather just as difficult as Scott when he said, `It all just starts to get on top of you.` This suggests that he no longer wanted to carry on in the harsh conditions as it was beginning to affect him badly. In Scott’s diary the weather is so terrible that the men cannot even move from their tents but on Fogle’s expedition they kept moving but it caused them physical problems such as frostbite, pneumonia and chest infections. Although Scott doesn’t write about any illness his diary is more depressing and he shows no sign of enjoying the expedition

Example 2

Both expeditions to the South Pole suffered major problems. Fogle’s main hardship was that he `thought he was going to die. ` This shows that he was really scared and that he had not expected the journey to be so full of danger. Fogle also suffered problems such as `frostbite.. and…hypothermia` which would make him feel as though he wanted to give up. As Fogle’s expedition was a race, he thought the problems he faced meant he `was not going to finish the race` which made him determined to get to the South Pole. They do make good progress though, even though it’s hard because they ski for 16 hours each day. However, the hardships and feelings of Robert Scott on his expedition were different. They can’t make any progress because of the terrible weather. Scott felt `miserable, utterly miserable` because of this. He also felt `mighty uncomfortable` which suggests that his expedition, unlike Fogle’s was always horrible. In contrast, Fogle did have some good times when the team `had a laugh` in the tent. Scott’s diary is constantly telling of the terrible conditions which mean the men get `covered from head to foot in fine powdery snow` and they can’t even see the tent next to them. He writes a lot about the weather and how it make them feel `hopeless`. Robert Scott’s account of three days in his expedition gives a very clear picture of how everything is against him. He describes the weather in great detail and how it affects everything. In the diary on December 5th the diary becomes a list of the hardships, `the tents are wet through, also the wind clothes, night boots etc.` He also writes about his

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moods during the day, saying that he can’t believe how bad the weather is and how he feels `hopeless`. His choice of words are almost always negative and even the pones `look utterly desolate.` In `Antarctic Adventure`, Fogle is being interviewed about the expedition and when the writer, David Harrison, gives some bare details about the journey, he then gives Fogle the opportunity to describe exactly what happened. He does this when he talks about nearly falling down a crevasse in a tone and way that is like chatting directly to an audience. When the writer gives information about the hostile landscape, it’s almost like Fogle is butting-in on the conversation, `Not even a single bird...that tells you how hostile the landscape was.` In his article, Fogle is looking back on what happened to him, whereas Scott is writing about things as they happen. This makes his account more dramatic whereas Fogle can explain about some of the difficult times but also look back on them, remembering some of the good times too.

Example 3

Ben Fogle’s expedition can be seen to have been difficult as his team had to survive through many `bitter` Antarctic storms. Similarly, Scott’s diary entry also shows he had to go through storms that were `raging` and `howling`. The expeditions to the South Pole show that both Fogle and Scott experienced much emotional stress, not just physical. Ben Fogle says, `It all starts to get on top of you` and Scott’s diary includes a lot about how he feels. He talks about them feeling `utterly miserable` and ` a hopeless feeling descends. ` One of the differences that they write about is in Fogle’s case how they travelled across 481 miles, skiing for up to 16 hours a day, which would be hard, physical activity whereas Scott’s diary shows how frustrated he is because the weather is so bad they cannot make any progress at all and are stuck in their tents because of the storms.

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Task

You have to give a talk to your classmates about your hobby or special interest to try to encourage others to get involved.

Write down what you would say.

Exemplar 1

My interests and hobbies

"Hello classmates, today I'm going to be sharing with you my biggest hobby and try to encourage you to get involved.

My favourite hobby is football, I love football. I love playing, watching and going to football and I have all my life. I find football very fun and entertaining from watching it on TV, to playing it over the park, and to watching it from the stadium seats.

The reason I got into football was when I was about 5 and my dad gave me my first Liverpool T-shirt, and from then I have always loved Liverpool, especially Steven Gerrard! Then when I was about 9 my parents wanted me to start playing a sport and get active, so I chose to got to a training session with …… FC and have played for them ever since. Thanks to my parents football is basically my life

This has benefited me socially as when playing with a team I made loads of friends who I have become very close with over the years and it has also made me a very active and physically fit person. Also watching football and supporting a team added a lot of excitement to my life as my emotions change based on how well my team has played that day.

So I advise you, my classmates to if you are sat in your house a lot and needs a little bit of activity or excitement added to your life, introduce yourself to football. Whether its playing for a team, watching it in TV or going to live games it’s a great hobby to have and will especially improve your social skills and give you a chance to meet new people and make new friends. And football can also interest you gaming fans out there as there is football games such as' Fifa' that can be something to play, and enjoy online with your friends.

The world of football has no restrictions in age, you can be 1 or you can be 50 and you will still be able to enjoy the thrill of football. So if you are at all considering beginning to play or watch football, get anyone else involved get your brother, sister, uncle, grandad, anyone and they along with you get involved and get active my getting at all involved in this incredible sport

Thank you."

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Exemplar 2

Hello everyone! My name is ……. and today I am going to talk to you about one of my hobbies. I have chosen to talk to you today about reading.

Now straight away I am aware that not everyone likes reading or that they believe it's a 'nerdy' thing to do. I personally think that it's absolutely ridiculous to be called a 'nerd' for simply enjoying stories. I am sure that you all enjoy going to the cinema, and what are films sometimes based off? Books! But you aren't called a 'nerd' if you go to the cinema, so what's up with that?

Reading is not only exciting but it is beneficial to the educational side of things. For example, in English you are constantly having to write and read. Now I am sure that you are all very intelligent, so you can not always appreciate how difficult English can be. However if you were reading books at a young age then that is helping you right now! When you have to read and annotate a piece of text in English lessons it is helping you. Reading also helps your vocabulary. Did you know that studies have shown that if children read or are read to at a young age then they are 50% more likely to be able to pick up things and learn quicker than children who have not. Reading helps your intelligence and will continue to increase your vocabulary knowledge.

Okay! Information side of things are out of the way, now we're on to the exciting and magical things. The actual stories! Now as I previously said people (such as yourselves) enjoy going to the cinema because they love stories. Isn't it incredible that a few combinations of letters on a page can take you to a magical, incredible and unknown world. That you can pick up a book and it's like a time machine shooting you into the future or the past, to places you've only ever dreamed of seeing. That is the real purpose of a book. To put you in new and foreign situation, to make you see a story through someone else's eyes. You can be caught up in a book and not realise the hours flying past just like the pages. I am sure that you being the intellectual group of people you are, are very conscious of your exams and grades in school and that can sometimes make you stressed. Personally, if I am ever feeling stressed I pick up a book a get wrapped up in the words. You should try it, it honestly helps!

Another perk to reading books is that they're cheap. So much cheaper than an iPad or X-box yet they still provide the same levels of entertainment. I am sure that you can all see my point being the open minded people that you are. Also, you can read fiction or non-fiction it is completely up to you! Non-fiction helps expand your general knowledge whereas fiction helps inspire your creativity.

Finally, there are also health benefits to reading as well as helping to reduce stress. A book is not a screen, therefore straight away you won't get headaches that you get from the bright lights on your phone or electronical devices screen. Also you have a much higher chance of not getting eye strain from the lights. Aren't these all valid

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reasons to read? I'm sure your parents are constantly trying to get you to read a book aren't they?

In conclusion, there are many benefits to reading from intellectual to creative to health! The positives completely obliterate the negatives. So why don't you get over associating reading with nerds and pick up a book. Thank you for giving your time and listening to me I hope you feel encouraged to read.

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Exemplar 3

Good Morning, my name is…... Now Today I am going to be discussing one of hobbies. My hobbie is fitness. I have only just starting back out again with fitness.

Firstly, I am going to discuss outdoor fitness. Now personally I hate running however, once or twice a week (mostly once!) I like to get out for a quick once around the park. This is really great to do with friends or with your dog or on your own. Although, I don't enjoy running, I do enjoy watching young or old couples strowling through the park or seeing the old man read his paper on the bench opposite the lake.

Also, while I am away in Cornwall with my nan and Grandad I quite often like to throw out my yoga mat and go through my yoga routine while facing the beach and watching the sun rise. Yoga has so many benefits and that I have started to enjoy doing it back in rainy Wales. I mean theres no beach or sunrise however there are still a high amount of benefits.

Secondly, I am going to discuss my indoor fitness. Okay, hand on heart I hate the gym so much. Whenever, I enter I always feel really judged by people who are a lot fitter than me. However, five nights a week I like to venture out to the gym now I am quite boring when it comes to the gym. I like to stick to my cardio, my sit-ups and squats and get out of there.

I know what your thinking, how does she still have a life around all this work and working out…Well some weeks it tougher than others. My favourite is exam week. I have to spend a lot of time revising. Most people say to me just don't go to the gym however, I sometime like exercising for example, if I am stressed and my head is in the air, going for a quick half an hour cardio session really helps me to clear my head.

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Exemplar 4

Hello, I'm ……, as I'm sure most of you already know, and today I'm going to talk to you about a great passion of mine-Football. At the age of eight I joined my first club, Marlborough, and from that moment my love for the sport and for the club has grown infinitely. Today I hope to encourage more of you to take up this fantastic sport.

Firstly and most importantly, football is a team sport. Personally I love to play football with my friends, as there is nothing like scoring a team goal and recounting the marvellous tale for weeks to come. Not only is it amazing to play with friends, but football provides an incredible opportunity to make new friends. I met some of my best mates by playing football and you will too. Furthermore the rewards of team participation are endless. Strong bonds form, the team will support you on and off the pitch and rivalries seem to dissolve into the rain when you are working side-by-side with your arch nemesis. Football is a team sport, and the unit is inseperable.

Secondly football is a great way to exercise, and in today's society this is becoming increasingly important; two thirds of adults in the Uk are overweight. Do you want to be one of them? If your answer is no then I urge you to take up this magnificent sport. Playing just twice a week will have a resounding impact on your physical wellbeing. You will become overweight in the near future. Its down to you to combat the grip of obesity, so take the initiative and start playing now. I assure you you'll thank yourself later on in life.

Thirdly football is immensely entertaining. To be scientific about it when you exercise your body releases endorphins, a hormone that makes you feel great. So how do you become happier in school, at home, on weekends? Simple-play football. As well as releasing endorphins football is also a fantastic way to escape from the extreme pressure of school and exams. Whilst others bite their nails raw with worry you will be running around in the park having the time of your life, the only thought in your head being SCORE! SCORE! SCORE! We all crack under the strain of exams, but football goes a little way to mending those cracks and helping you to avoid buckling under the weight of exams. Its a support structure for everyday life, whilst providing some much needed entertainment.

I will tell you now that nothing can compare to winning a match in the 92nd minute. Nothing. The sense of achievement from that sweet victory is hands down the greatest feeling in the world. And when you scored the winning goal? Forget superman, Tony Stark and the Incredible Hulk, you are the hero.

Football is an incredibly rewarding sport, and that sense of victory naturally spills into everyday life. A research study at Oxford recently proved that achievement in sport has a hugely positive impact on all other areas of life: school, self-confidence and

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relationships all benefit from scoring that final goal that wins your team the match in the 92nd minute.

Finally, I'm sure many of you are feeling that perhaps its too late to start football, that maybe you missed your chance. It is not too late, and with 100 people taking up the sport every day you will easily gain the ability level of the others around you. Not only can you join teams, but there is coaching aimed at beginners-aimed at you! So why not start this fantastic sport? In fact, many of the greatest footballers started late. Frank Lambert, one of England's greatest, started the sport at the age of 18, he was two years older than you and yet he made it to the top. It is never too late to start a sport that you will love and enjoy greatly for the rest of your live.

So I urge you year 11, start playing football now! You will get exercise, your team will become family and the entertainment is endless.

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Task It has been suggested that the age for drinking alcohol should be raised to 21 in the United Kingdom as it is in the United States. Write a letter to a newspaper giving your views on this subject.

Exemplar 1

Dear Mr Jones,

I am writing to you today as you are the head of the Daily Mail, to discuss the proposal of the age for drinking alcohol to be lifted to 21 in the UK.

My name is…..I completely disagree with the proposal and feel the age should definitely not be raised.

How can people in todays society be expected to wait until they're 21 to legally drink alcohol? They are able to do things such as smoke or even join the army when aged 16. These are both things that can lead to death in different ways. However, they are not able to enjoy the luxury of alcohol until 21. That seems rather dispicable.

Another thing you are able to do at the age of 16 is to live independently. How can someone of such as young age be capable to live alone, provide for themselves, cook, clean but are still not old enough to buy and drink alcohol legally. Not only can you live independently you can also have children. If someone of that age is able to be entrusted with caring for another human being, I'm more than sure they can handle drinking alcohol.

Another problem raising the age limit would cause is an increase in underage drinking. Those who are against the age limit being raised will want to rebel and will therefore continue to drink alcohol at the age they feel is suitable.

On the other hand, there are some benefits to lifting the age limit such as people can focus more on their education before drinking alcohol becomes a distraction. It may also decrease the number of fights and problems caused from the drinking of alcohol.

Overall I feel the age limit should not be raised and if anything should be lowered. The negatives of raising the limit outweigh the positives. Thank you, for taking your time to read my letter.

Yours sincerely,

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Exemplar 2

13th June, 2016

Dear Sir or Madam,

I feel that it is crucial that I write to you to express my views regarding the proposal to raise the age for the legal consumption of alcohol to 21. There has been considerable debate regarding this issue and it is vital that you are aware of the impacts this could have on our society today.

You may think that there is little difference between drinking at 18 and 21 and I understand why you may be under this impression. At 18, perhaps many consider 'a night out down the town' to be a right of passage. If the legal age was raised to 21, perhaps exactly the same would happen just at a later stage, perhaps exactly the same would happen just at a later stage meaning there would be little effect in raising the age. You may be thinking that once 18, they are considered an adult and so it is their own choice as to whether they want to consume alcohol.

However, Britain's young adults today are not aware of the damage they are causing to themselves. At age 18, the body is still developing. The body does not suddenly halt and so the consumption of alcohol is having a detrimental impact on the health of our young people today. The body is sensitive to the toxic products and so they are at risk of liver damage. At 21, the pressure from peers would decrease and so young people maybe less likely to consume the vast quantities some do at present.

It is without a doubt that the consumption of alcohol is having a negative impact on health. Alcohol related illnesses have already cost the NHS £3.2 billion pounds in the last 5 years. Previously, the UK's biggest killer was heart disease due to obesity. However, this is soon to change. Alcoholism killed over 5,000 people in the last 5 years in the UK alone. What if those deaths were preventable by simply raising the drinking age? We could save over 1,000 people per year! This would allow the NHS a larger budget to invest in other areas that may include cancer treatments.

I am sure that you are able to see the benefits to this proposal. The habits formed when we are yong are proven to be more likely to stay with us for life. If we are able to encourage people to postpone drinking until 21, they will be more likely to stick to safe alcohol limits. Per week, the guidelines suggest a maximum of 14 units that should be distributed over at least three days. However, 1 unit certainly does not equate to 1 can. A serving of spirit mixer can contain anywhere between three and

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five units. This means that our young people could easily double their weekly serving in one night! These horrifying statistics prove that something must chage: now.

It is said that if alcohol was discovered today, it would be a banned substance. So why do we persist to consume it? I feel strongly that we must raise awareness of the damage it is having on our population. There are so many other ways that one can enjoy time with friends, for example, 'coffee culture' is becoming increasingly common. In my opinion, young people should enjoy their youth by spending time playing sport as this will not only provide an escape from the stresses of day to day life but it will increase activity levels and promote a healthy lifestyle. I hope that you will consider my views seriously as it is clear that this proposal should be supported.

Yours Faithfully,

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Exemplar 3

Monday, 13th June 2016

Dear Editor,

Did you know that by the age of eighteen, every teenager in the country has had to make decisions that will determine their entire future? This may appear to you as an extremely far-fetched, absolutely ridiculous notion, but I assure you, it is true. So, with this in mind, I now ask you to consider what possible benefits that taking away the right to drink alcohol from young adults would bring. I am almost certain that there are none.

You may have guessed by now that I am writing to you in regard of the suggested law to raise the age of drinking alcohol to twenty one. You may also have guessed that I am not at all in favour of this proposition. In fact, I think it is preposterous, and a complete dismissal of our free will. In my opinion, this suggestion is merely a result of the misconceptions of-dare I say it-ignorant adults, and their prejudices against young adults.

Despite the fact that teenagers are often presented in the newspapers and on television as a generic group of hooligans, always seen skulking about, concealed beneath hoods, with the unanimous aim of scaring helpless old ladies on street corners, the truth is that this is a complete sterotype. Now, I'm not declaring that there is not a single teenager in possession of the aforementioned characteristics, but I promise you, we're not as bad as you think. Spraying graffiti, smashing shop windows, and vandalising vehicles, are not always done by us. And it certainly bears no relation to eighteen year olds who drink alcohol. No young adult is foolish enough – once they reach their eighteenth birthday, and gain the right to drink – to then abuse this right, as we are well aware of what it is like if this right is taken away. So what other excuse is there, to support this ridiculous proposition? If current laws are not doing any damage, why change them if there is no problem? In fact, by changing them, you may only initiate more problems, as we are more than capable of retaliating…

If drinking alcohol is dependent on maturity, then it should be banned for everyone! Even adults can be the most immature of people – trust me, I live with two of them. By the age of eighteen, most young adults have either completed their A-levels, heading off to university, or have a job. With responsibilities as great as this, who has the right to deny then small pleasures in life, if adults are entitled to this?

Some would say that being allowed to drink alcohol is just another step towards becoming an adult. If this is the case, surely you would want us to have this available to us, so that we can use it when we feel we are ready. Being allowed to

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drink doesn't necessarily mean that we will do it straight away. Most people wait till they feel they are ready, and having this age set lower also diffuses any pressure that young adults may feel from their peers.

Overall, I think the new raise would be a travesty of justice, and I hope that I have managed to convince you by this letter. Stand up for justice! Do not take away any more of our rights. After all, it is for the benefit of our future.

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Exemplar 4

No Addresses included No date included Dear Sir/Madamme, I am writing to you to voice my opinion on the subject of the age of drinking alcohol should be raised to 21 in the United Kingdom. As a parent I want the safest care for my children, in that case I agree entirely with the subject. I feel drinking at any time under the age of 21 is highly innappropriate as it includes many dangers. Although the law states that children become adults at the age of 18, and that the present law legalises drinking at 18, I feel children are still voulnerable an unnaware of the dangers still. Alcohol is a substance that is exteremely easy to missuse when used. It can lead to all kinds of dangers such as innapropriate behaviour without knowing, liver and kidney failure, cancer, alcoholics and addiction, by letting young people drink at 18 it is giving them an ever bigger and earlier chance to become addicted and misstreat their vital organs which will effect them massively in the future. I am aware that many teenagers of today drink alcohol at an even earlier age than 18, because they feel preassure to due to all of their friends doing so, even in the United States this occurs but is a lot more controlled. Children are unnaware and uneducated on the subject of underaged drinking and I believe further education is needed as it is a very big but dangerous concept in our lives. I feel the law of rising the legal drinking age is extremely appropriate and important Although teenagers would argue us adults are “ruining their lives” by introducing the new law, I’m sure they’d rather healthy and undamaged bodies for longer in their lives, increasing the rates of people living for longer. Also I feel that adults should be educated on the subject, especially local shop keepers because how on earth would underraged children receive or buy alcohol if the shop owners are made more aware of the dangers. Today I feel the set law’s aren’t taking enough notice of as many illegal laws seem to become legal. By increasing the legal drinking age it would lead to decreasing in crimes and illegal behaviour as there would be less drinkers on the streets and house parties, also bringing me to my final point of strict enough punishment if underrage drinkers are caught drinking, it would scare and encourage children to obey the law’s and avoid any unecessary punishment.

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I strongly believe and hope that parliment increase of the age of drinking to 21 like the United States as it would bring safety to our children’s health and well being. I also hope I have succeeded to change any reader’s minds on the subject aswell, just think of your child in any dangerous situation due to the missuse and uneducation of alcohol at a young age. What would you decide what’s best for them? Yours sincerely,

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Example Transactional Writing Tasks

1) Write a lively article for a teenage magazine with ONE of the following titles. • My Kind of Music. • My Kind of Fashion. • My Kind of Movie.

2) You have seen an advertisement for a summer job in a popular holiday resort. Write your letter of application in which you try to persuade the company that you are the right person for the job. 3) You are organising a series of exciting sponsored events in order to raise money for charity. These will include bungee jumping, parachuting and white-water rafting. You are going to give a lively talk to your year group to persuade them to take part. 4) Many schools and colleges have an end of year celebration event or trip. This year students at your school/college have been given the chance to plan their own event or trip. Your teacher has asked you to give a talk to your class giving details about your plans and persuading them to support your ideas. Write down what you would say. 5) There is a plan to close one school or college in your area. It has been suggested that it could be your school or college. You feel strongly about this proposal and decide to write a letter to your local newspaper. 6) Technology affects everyone’s life. Write a lively article for your school magazine explaining how you feel technology has affected your life. 7) The National Lottery are giving money for school improvements. One school in your area will be chosen to receive the funding. Write a letter to the National Lottery persuading them that your school deserves to be chosen. 8) You have to give a talk to your classmates about your hobby or special interest to try to encourage others to get involved. Write down what you would say. 9) Your school/college is keen to save energy. Write a report for the school governing body on ways in which this could be done in your school. 10) Write a review of a television programme, or a book, or a film, for a teenage magazine.

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