Audience, purpose and form - CCEA

The material on this page is designed to help you with revision and preparation for your CCEA GCSE English Language exams. It applies to Unit 4, Section A: Personal or creative writing.

• Unit 4 is assessed by a written exam, worth 30% of your final mark
• There is one task in Section A of the Unit 4 exam, worth 88 of the 150 marks available
• In this task, you will be expected to produce EITHER a piece of personal writing OR a creative essay – make sure NOT to attempt both

You can practice for your English Language GCSE exams with a range of CCEA past papers and mark schemes.

• Knowing the audience for your writing will help you choose the right language and style
• The purpose of your writing will influence how you write and what you include in your text
• Form is how and where your writing will be used, from a recipe to a novel; each form has its own conventions

When you establish your audience, purpose and form, you can make sensible choices about language, tone and structure.

Audience refers to the reader(s), eg could be an individual, in the case of a text message, or a broader group of people in the case of a magazine article or blog.

Purpose refers to the reason for the writing, eg to persuade the reader, to entertain them, to share information, to warn, to advise, to explain.

Form refers to how and where the writing will appear, eg an email, a blog, a recipe, a leaflet, an article.

Language simply means the sorts of words you use, eg should your language be:

• Every day or formal?
• Poetic or straightforward?
• Descriptive or clear?

Tone refers to the mood or feel of your writing, eg should your tone be:

• Friendly and chatty, or distant and polite?
• Sarcastic, pleading, or dismissive?
• Upbeat and positive, or calm and controlled?

Structure refers to the way you present your writing, eg should you use:

• Full sentences and paragraphs?
• Subheadings and bullet points?
• A sequence of linked paragraphs that lead to a final conclusion?

All writing has an intended audience – from emails, to text messages, ingredients on a cereal package to political speeches. Even graffiti on a wall. The intended audience are the readers you expect to engage with the text.

In the case of direct messages – such as emails, texts or hand-written letters – the audience is usually the one or two people you address the message to. In this case the language and style of your writing will change according to a number of factors, including how well you know the recipient.

For example, you might use chatty language with emoticons and abbreviations in an email to a close friend. However in a job application email, you would be expected to use formal language with full words and sentences.

Other texts, such as newspaper articles, blogs or leaflets, are intended for a broader audience. In this context, you are unlikely to know your readers personally and so you need to make assumptions about them. Some writers have an ‘ideal’ reader in mind. You might consider the following things about your reader:

• age
• gender
• culture
• specialist knowledge
• hobbies
• political leanings

Knowing your audience allows you to choose language and a style that will appeal to them.

For example, an article for a magazine aimed at astronomers might include technical vocabulary to do with telescopes – language less likely to appear in a fashion blog for teenagers.

Similarly, a film review in a Sunday newspaper might be sarcastic in tone and use literary language – not so useful when writing instructions for baking a cake!

The purpose of a text is what it's being written for. There are many reasons for writing. You might be writing to:

• share information
• give instructions on how to do something
• persuade someone that you are right
• persuade a group of people to buy a product
• review a film or website
• explain why you’re the best person for a job

Think about your purpose before you start:

• What do you want your writing to achieve?
• How do you expect your reader to feel as a result of reading?

For example, if your purpose were to instruct a beginner how to fold an origami swan, your language would need to be clear and concise. Simple language and imperatives would help convey your message.

If your purpose were to persuade a group of voters to support a political campaign, your writing would need to be exciting and dynamic. Rhetorical language combined with facts and figures might help to sway your readers.

Form refers to how and where a piece of writing will appear. Like audience and purpose, the form influences decisions writers make about language, tone and structure. Each form of writing has its own conventions.

Here are some examples of forms and their basic conventions.

Email:

• often more informal than a letter
• might include hyperlinks
• includes a subject line that summarises the content

Novel:

• follows a narrative arc
• includes imaginary characters
• is divided into chapters

Newspaper article:

• has a bold headline
• divided into short paragraphs
• reports a factual event

Recipe:

• includes a list of ingredients
• uses imperative language
• gives clear instructions