Guidelines text types mock 2014

Article

The term 'article' applies to a very wide range of styles and approaches. Clearly, it carries the notion of a journalistic discourse, but the context – which includes where it is to be published, and to whom it is to be addressed – will have a powerful influence on how it is written (see NB, below).

Basic Format

- Headline / title

- Sub-headline, summarising

- Byline (author, date, location)

- Short paragraphs (possibly)

- Sub-headings (possibly)

Approach

> 'Duty to inform' ? A defining element of any 'article' is that it sets out to inform – does the script actually tell people something?

> Precise nature of task ? Is the main purpose to :

Inform ? In which case, is the flow of information methodical and clear?

Discuss ? In which case, is there a reasonably balanced coverage of different points of view?

Give opinion ? In which case, is a clear point of view presented? And is it coherent / consistent?

> Opening & closing? Is the opening, in particular, attractive / attention-catching ?

> Address? Is there a sense of effective address to the public ?

NB A basic problem of the 'article' as a task is that articles appear in many contexts, and these contexts may define style and approach. Unless the question specifies publishing context very carefully, one should beware of jumping to conclusions – for instance, a 'school magazine' may be written in many different ways, from jokey / colloquial to formal / serious. Usually, accept any approach which is credible and consistent.

Blog/diary entry

A distinction: both text types typically present personal experience and comment, but a blog is more of a public statement, whereas a diary is more of a private reflection. Beyond that, there is a problem: are there conventions for the relatively new blog - or for the anarchically personal diary ?

Basic Format

- Heading : Blog - title (perhaps quirky, witty); Diary - date; or dates, if multiple entries ('Dear Diary' is unbelievable!)

- Conclusion : Blog - request for comment / responses from the readers ; Diary - nothing conventional (possibly something along the lines of "more tomorrow"?)

- Lucid paragraphing

(While one can think of real examples of both blogs and diaries which ignore basic paragraphing, students writing an exam script should be expected to show that they understand that sensible paragraphing aids clarity.)

Approach

> address : blogs set out to have regular readers, so are likely to have touches of direct address ("As you regular readers know ...") ... diaries have no similar convention, but the best examples give a sense of the writer conversing with himself / herself ("As usual, I'm thinking of..."; "Why do I always...")

> register : informality enriched with sophistication - if both text types are personal, some informality can be expected in register and rhetoric, but higher marks will go to exam scripts which combine colloquialism with dashes of complex phrasing and effects.

> organisation - What should govern the effective organisation of these text types?

- if a blog is a 'public statement', ideas can be expected to be organised to show some evident + consistent purpose

- even if a diary is a (more) private reflection, an exam script can still be expected to show a clear and organised flow of ideas. This may include :-

> control of narration – the diary is usually set to address a narrative of some sort, so effective explanation and control of the events is expected

> narration plus comment – what distinguishes the diary from other forms of narrative is that the diarist reflects on the events and draws personal conclusions.

Introduction to debate, speech, talk, presentation

This text type involves the written form of a discourse to be presented orally. The task may emphasise clear explanation (talk, presentation), or convincing argument (introduction to debate, speech).

Basic Format

- 'address' established : direct address to audience at the beginning

- 'address' maintained : use of the pronouns 'you' and 'we' to maintain direct links with the audience ? … and/or, how consistently?

- clear opening / introduction : statement of purpose

- appropriate closing / conclusion : summary of case / point

Approach

> 'MAP' Does the student aid the audience's understanding by giving an early summary, or 'map', of what is going to be said?

> lucid development: How clearly does the script present ideas in order to explain, and/or impress?

> cohesive devices: How clear is the use of sequence markers to guide the audience?

> opening & closing: How forcefully does the script catch the audience's attention at the beginning, and leave a clear impression at the end?

> rhetoric: To what extent, and how effectively, are common rhetorical techniques used? Such as – rhetorical question … references … metaphorical tropes … irony … exaggeration (understatement?) ... etc etc

Written correspondence

This group of text types involve writing directly to a specific reader – as opposed to the other text types, which all involve writing for a generalised or notional audience. The fundamental distinction between 'formal and 'informal' is that in the formal type the purpose of the letter is more important than the relationship with the reader, whereas in the informal type, the relationship between writer and reader is at least as important as the purpose.

Formal letter

Basic Format

- sender's address

- date

- opening/closing salutations ('Dear Mr/Ms ...' / 'Yours sincerely...' etc)

> register : nature of 'formal' tone - what address + attitude to the recipient is expressed ?

- recipient's address (very optional)

Approach

> relevance: How consistently is the text focused on the set task / purpose?

> development of explanation: How succinct + clear/forceful is the presentation of the ideas?

Materials & models

> Basic formal letter ... includes writing frame + imaginative example

> Senior citizen ... a somewhat ironic formal letter, involving a complaint - provides a model of structure + examples of formal phrasing + practice in understanding ironic phrasing

> The IB Threat ... the third handout 'Beard reply' contains an actual 'letter to the editor' responding to an attack against the teaching of the IB in the US

> Dam Beavers ... pretty challenging and sophisticated, but plays humourously with 'formal tone'

Informal letter

Expectations for Informal letters and for Emails are very similar – but it may be useful to look at the small but significant differences between the two sets of recommended features.

Basic Format

- date (or simply day: 'Saturday')

- opening/closing salutations (personal + friendly - 'Dear Joe ...' / 'All the best / A big kiss...' etc)

Approach

> 'address': To what extent is it clear that the email is addressed to a specific person? (Contrast with Email , below - less sense of 'dialogue' is expected since letters do not receive such rapid replies !)

> relevance & organisation: Contrast with Email: is it fair to say that written letters may be produced rather more slowly, and so with more consideration? If so, would require more careful attention to structure?

> focus on task: Since the question will always propose a task, does most of the message deal with the task? And if so, how effectively?

> control of digression: One key could be to assess whether the 'digressions' are purposeful or accidental – for instance, chatty asides, jokes, personal references (see concept of 'dialogue' under 'address', above) may actually indicate good control of attention.

> register: To what extent is there evidence that the candidate has command of a range of register - informal combined with formal … colloquial with sophisticated ? ('command' means 'moving deliberately from one register to another')

Materials & models

The e-spot ... contrasts informal-letter-on-paper with the email ... when does brevity (e.g. text messages) become a failure of communication? ..

Emails

The email is a relatively new form of text, and no generally-agreed codes of formal expectations have yet evolved – quite apart from the fact that there are vast variations in how the type is used in practice. That said, for marking purposes there are a few ground rules that can be advanced, based on a common-sense approach to the communicative function of the type.

The basis of the following suggested 'rules' is that any email produced in an English B exam will be produced in response to a question, and that question will always have a specific task – candidates will never be asked simply to produce idle chat.

Basic Format

- standard heading of 'from / to / date ...etc'

- informal opening and closing salutations (many and various)

Approach

> 'address': To what extent is it clear that the email is addressed to a specific person? This may be extended to include a sense of 'dialogue' – direct questions, comments which require an answer – since it is inherent in the email form that replies can be received very rapidly.

> focus on task – Since the question will always propose a task, does most of the message deal with the task? And if so, how effectively?

> control of digression - One key could be to assess whether the 'digressions' are purposeful or accidental – for instance, chatty asides, jokes, personal references (see concept of 'dialogue' under 'address', above) may actually indicate good control of attention, if handled clearly and with discipline.

> register: To what extent is there evidence that the candidate has command of a range of register - informal combined with formal … colloquial with sophisticated ? ('command' means 'moving deliberately from one register to another')