AO5-2 Select and adapt tone, style and register Quiz: AQA English Language, Unit 3

The 20 questions

1. What does AO5 'select and adapt tone, style and register' require?

   • Choosing the register of the examiner rather than the reader's own needs and expectations
   • Using the same formal tone in every piece of writing, whatever the task or audience
   • Adapting the question paper's font and layout to suit the writer's own preferences
   • Choosing the tone, style and formality that suit the form, purpose and audience

2. Which register suits a formal letter to a bank manager?

   • Abrupt and rude, to show the writer means business at all times
   • Casual and chatty, with contractions and jokes throughout the letter
   • Playful and informal, with emojis to show a friendly approach
   • Polite, precise and formal, with no slang

3. Which tone suits a persuasive speech to a school assembly?

   • Cold and distant, avoiding any direct contact with the audience
   • Confident and energetic, with direct address to the listeners
   • Monotone and apologetic, with the speaker asking permission to speak
   • Sarcastic and dismissive, mocking the audience for listening

4. A blog post for teenagers about a film review should use which style?

   • Informal and engaging, with a conversational voice
   • Dense and technical, with specialist terms explained at length
   • Archaic and formal, using the language of centuries past
   • Neutral and detached, with no personal voice or opinion at all

5. What is the difference between 'tone' and 'register'?

   • Tone and register are exactly the same thing with two different names
   • Tone is the font used in print; register is the paper colour chosen
   • Tone is the attitude conveyed; register is the level of formality used
   • Tone is the length of sentences; register is the number of paragraphs

6. Which style choice suits a magazine article for adults?

   • A chant of repeated words with no development of any point
   • A list of bullet points with no sentences or any personal voice
   • A legal style with numbered clauses and archaic words throughout
   • A lively but measured style that mixes anecdote with evidence

7. Which feature makes a letter to a friend sound authentic?

   • A relaxed tone, personal references and a natural conversational voice
   • A formal address line and numbered paragraphs with headings throughout
   • A neutral report style that avoids any personal reference at all
   • A list of technical terms defined in a glossary at the end

8. A writer adapts their tone for an audience of young children. Which is the best choice?

   • Sarcastic remarks that the children will be expected to decode for meaning
   • Long, complex sentences with many subordinate clauses and technical terms
   • Harsh, blunt commands with no warmth or encouragement at all
   • Simple words, short sentences and a warm, encouraging tone

9. Which is an example of a formal style feature?

   • Passive constructions and precise, impersonal wording
   • Contractions such as 'it's' and 'we're' used in every sentence
   • Slang, abbreviations and emojis throughout the whole response
   • Second-person address to a friend by name, with informal jokes

10. Which choice best shows adaptation of style to purpose?

    • Using slang in a formal letter that is meant to impress a court judge
    • Using persuasive techniques in a speech that aims to win over listeners
    • Using a list of facts in a speech that aims to move listeners emotionally
    • Using a neutral report style for a letter meant to win over a friend

11. What does 'adapting' a register mean in practice?

    • Moving between formal and informal language according to the situation
    • Using one fixed register for every writing task regardless of audience
    • Changing the register each sentence to confuse the examiner reading it
    • Writing in a dialect that only a small group of people understand

12. A review of a restaurant is written for a national newspaper. Which tone is most appropriate?

    • Authoritative and engaging, with balanced judgements
    • Flippant and dismissive, with no judgement of the food or service
    • Angry and abusive, to show the writer's strong dislike of the meal
    • Sycophantic and flattering, praising every single aspect of the meal

13. Which tone would be least suitable for a condolence letter?

    • Quiet and sympathetic, acknowledging the loss clearly
    • Warm and personal, recalling a kind memory of the person
    • Sincere and gentle, with respectful and comforting wording
    • Light-hearted and jokey, with comic asides about the deceased

14. How should a writer adapt style for a speech to be read aloud?

    • Use a dense table of figures that listeners can study on the page
    • Use silent, unspoken gestures that the printed page can convey
    • Use rhythm, repetition and direct address to suit the listening audience
    • Use very long sentences with footnotes that listeners can read later

15. Which is the best reason to choose a formal register for a university application?

    • It allows the applicant to include slang that shows a playful personality
    • It shows respect for the reader and suits a serious, professional setting
    • It means the applicant can avoid stating any achievements at all
    • It makes the writing shorter so that the admissions officer finishes quickly

16. A writer uses a deliberately blunt tone to shock the reader in an argument. Why might this be effective?

    • It confuses the reader so that they stop reading the text at once
    • It makes the reader laugh so that they forget the argument completely
    • It signals that the writer does not care whether anyone reads it
    • It grabs attention and makes the reader take the issue seriously

17. Which description best matches a 'neutral' tone?

    • Balanced and even-handed, without strong personal feeling
    • Sad and wistful, dwelling on loss in every single paragraph
    • Joyful and excited, with many exclamation marks in each paragraph
    • Angry and bitter, with the writer's frustration clearly visible throughout

18. Which choice shows a writer has adapted register to a formal interview?

    • Answers that insult the interviewer to show confidence and wit
    • Respectful, measured answers that avoid slang and stay on topic
    • Chatty answers with slang and jokes about personal life throughout
    • Silent answers with no words spoken to the interviewer at all

19. Which feature signals an informal tone in a piece of writing?

    • Precise measurement units and a formal list of numbered references
    • Subordinate clauses and technical terms defined in footnotes
    • Contractions and conversational phrases such as 'you know'
    • Passive constructions and nominalisations used across the whole piece

20. A student writes a formal speech but uses a jokey sign-off. What is the issue?

    • The sign-off is too long, and it should be replaced by a single full stop
    • The sign-off breaks the register and undermines the formal setting
    • The sign-off uses a question, which is never allowed in formal speeches
    • The sign-off is the only correct part of the speech and must be kept

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