Paper 2 – Section B Writing to Inform, Explain, Describe

Planning Advice from the AQA Chief Examiner: Advice from the AQA Chief Examiner: “You need to plan what you are going to write. this is a vital part of success in the examination. If you do not plan, you might fall into the trap of telling a story. This happens to thousands of students every year. Do not be one of them.” “You need to plan what you are going to write. this is a vital part of success in the examination. If you do not plan, you might fall into the trap of telling a story. This happens to thousands of students every year. Do not be one of them.”

Choosing the Question Choose something you know about. If the writing to inform question is on something you don’t know anything about, then do not answer it. Choose something you know about. If the writing to inform question is on something you don’t know anything about, then do not answer it. Make sure you stick to the task you have chosen – informing, explaining or describing. Make sure you stick to the task you have chosen – informing, explaining or describing. Start by generating ideas, which you can then organise into a sequence. Start by generating ideas, which you can then organise into a sequence. Know how you are going to finish and write towards it. Know how you are going to finish and write towards it. For writing to inform or explain, make your introduction and conclusion mirror one another. The introduction suggests what you are going to say and the conclusion sums up what you have said. For writing to inform or explain, make your introduction and conclusion mirror one another. The introduction suggests what you are going to say and the conclusion sums up what you have said.

Writing to Inform Introduction: Introduction: Make it clear in the opening what it is you are going to inform the reader about. Do not do this directly, i.e. by saying, “In this essay I am going to inform you about…..” Make it clear in the opening what it is you are going to inform the reader about. Do not do this directly, i.e. by saying, “In this essay I am going to inform you about…..” Simply make it clear where your writing is going to go: Simply make it clear where your writing is going to go:

Keeping reptiles can be a very rewarding hobby. Whereas most people might choose cute, fluffy animals as pets, there is a real challenge to keeping a tropical lizard in your living room.

Writing to inform I went hang-gliding once and it was great. I saw lots of things from high up and I flew over fields and I stayed up for ages and I landed safely in the end. I saw…. I went hang-gliding once and it was great. I saw lots of things from high up and I flew over fields and I stayed up for ages and I landed safely in the end. I saw…. Hang-gliding is an exciting sport which is open to adults of all ages. It involves strapping yourself into a hang-glider and taking off from a suitable spot, probably on a hillside. Once you are in the air you can look for rising warm air……… Hang-gliding is an exciting sport which is open to adults of all ages. It involves strapping yourself into a hang-glider and taking off from a suitable spot, probably on a hillside. Once you are in the air you can look for rising warm air………

Writing to Explain A person who has been very important in my life is my grandfather. This might seem obvious because most people like their grandad. Mine is a little different from most though. Let me explain. A person who has been very important in my life is my grandfather. This might seem obvious because most people like their grandad. Mine is a little different from most though. Let me explain. My grandad is great because he used to take me out to the park and push me on the swings. He used to push me so high I thought I was going to fly. After the park we would always go for ice- cream. I would always have chocolate because it is my favourite. My grandad is great because he used to take me out to the park and push me on the swings. He used to push me so high I thought I was going to fly. After the park we would always go for ice- cream. I would always have chocolate because it is my favourite.

Writing to Describe This is a very different task to any other type of writing you might choose in the examination. All the other types – inform, explain, argue, persuade and advise – are found in everyday situations. Descriptive writing is almost always part of something else, such as a novel or a travel book. This is a very different task to any other type of writing you might choose in the examination. All the other types – inform, explain, argue, persuade and advise – are found in everyday situations. Descriptive writing is almost always part of something else, such as a novel or a travel book. For this reason, different requirements apply. For this reason, different requirements apply.

Key points Have a clear idea of what you are going to describe. Have a clear idea of what you are going to describe. It is better to write a lot about a little than a little about a lot. It is better to write a lot about a little than a little about a lot. You can be inventive. This is not factual writing. You can be inventive. This is not factual writing. Descriptive writing does not need a formal introduction – try to make an impact on your reader, with a strong image or very short sentence for example. Descriptive writing does not need a formal introduction – try to make an impact on your reader, with a strong image or very short sentence for example. To structure your writing, use a journey, a camera or the passage of time to make the different stages/paragraphs in your answer. To structure your writing, use a journey, a camera or the passage of time to make the different stages/paragraphs in your answer.