T2.3.1 Writing for audience and purpose Quiz: KS3 English, Unit 2

The 20 questions

1. Which choice of language is best for a text aimed at Year 7 pupils about school trips?

   • Formal, old-fashioned language with complex clauses and archaic words from the Victorian period.
   • Clear, friendly language with short sentences and familiar examples that suit young readers.
   • Dense technical language with long sentences and specialist words that only experts would understand.
   • Slang and text abbreviations that adults would find hard to read but teenagers might enjoy reading.

2. A writer wants to persuade a council to build a skate park. Which purpose and audience match best?

   • Warn residents that skateboarding is dangerous, using frightening language to make them feel afraid.
   • Entertain a group of toddlers with a silly story about a dog who loves skateboarding in the park.
   • Persuade local councillors, using evidence and respectful language to show the benefits to young people.
   • Inform a university audience about the physics of skateboarding with detailed mathematical formulas.

3. Why does a writer consider the audience before writing?

   • The audience is only important when the text is going to be published in a national newspaper.
   • The audience affects which tone, vocabulary and examples will be most effective for the purpose.
   • The audience decides how many words the text must contain, whatever the purpose of the writing.
   • The audience chooses the font and colour of the text, which has no effect on the message itself.

4. Which text is most likely to have the purpose of entertaining?

   • A report on local bus timetables with a table of times and fares for each route.
   • A list of safety rules for using a kitchen knife, with a warning at the end.
   • A set of instructions explaining how to assemble a bookcase using numbered steps.
   • A humorous short story with a surprise ending that makes the reader laugh.

5. Which feature shows that a writer has thought about the audience of a leaflet for older residents?

   • Tiny print with long paragraphs packed close together so that the leaflet looks more serious.
   • Large, clear text with a simple layout and no unexplained jargon or small print.
   • A dense table of unexplained codes that only staff members in the local office could read.
   • Heavy use of text messaging abbreviations, so that the leaflet feels modern and up to date.

6. What is meant by 'purpose' in writing?

   • The number of paragraphs that the writer plans to include in the finished piece of writing.
   • The name of the publisher that will print the text when it has been written and checked.
   • The reason the writer is producing the text, such as to inform, persuade, advise or entertain.
   • The length of time that the reader will spend reading the text from start to finish.

7. A pupil writes a letter of complaint to a shop. Which tone is most appropriate?

   • Joking and casual, so that the shop manager will smile when reading the complaint in the post.
   • Vague and apologetic, saying sorry for bothering them even though the product was faulty.
   • Angry and insulting, using capital letters and exclamation marks to show how upset they feel.
   • Polite but firm, stating the problem clearly and asking for a specific resolution.

8. Which choice best suits a text for a school newsletter read by parents?

   • A technical report on the school's heating system with measurements and wiring diagrams included.
   • A slangy tone with street expressions, designed to sound cool and up to date for teenagers.
   • A list of random thoughts without headings, so that parents must work out the main points themselves.
   • A formal but warm tone, with clear headings and information about upcoming events.

9. Which feature helps a text to suit its purpose of advising readers?

   • Clear, direct sentences that use the imperative form, such as 'Wear a helmet when cycling'.
   • Vague sentences that describe feelings in great detail without telling the reader what to do.
   • A set of questions that the writer never answers, leaving the reader to guess what is advised.
   • Long narrative passages about a character who once considered cycling but never tried it at all.

10. Why might a writer use the second person 'you' in a text?

    • It makes the text sound like a court document, which makes the message more legally binding.
    • It shows that the writer is talking about a third party who is not present in the text at all.
    • It removes the writer from the text, so that the reader feels the message is entirely neutral.
    • It involves the reader directly, which can make the advice or message feel more personal.

11. A writer wants to inform readers about a new park. Which feature best serves this purpose?

    • Factual detail, such as opening times, facilities and location, presented in clear sections.
    • Imaginative descriptions of imaginary animals that might live in the park one day in the future.
    • A dramatic story about a child who is lost in the park and rescued by a friendly stranger.
    • Opinions about whether the park is beautiful, with no facts to support the writer's views.

12. Which change best improves a text for a young audience of Year 7 pupils?

    • Removing all examples so that the text becomes shorter and the young readers have less to read.
    • Making each sentence longer and more complex to show that the writer is clever and sophisticated.
    • Replacing a long, technical word with a simpler word and explaining any necessary new term.
    • Adding more technical terms without explanation so that the text sounds more impressive to readers.

13. Which feature shows a writer adapting language to a formal audience?

    • Slang words such as 'mate' and 'cheers' to show that the writer and reader are on equal terms.
    • Full sentences, no contractions and polite forms of address such as 'Dear Mr Patel'.
    • Emojis and playful expressions that make the reader feel relaxed and comfortable with the writer.
    • Contractions like 'can't' and 'won't' with exclamation marks to show warmth and enthusiasm.

14. A text is going to be read aloud to a school assembly. Which feature suits this audience?

    • Dense statistics in small print, which the audience can study at their own pace during the talk.
    • Footnotes and references at the bottom of each slide, which the audience can read while listening.
    • Long chains of subordinate clauses with many brackets, which are easier to follow when seen on paper.
    • Short, clear sentences with rhythm and direct address, which are easy to follow when heard.

15. Which feature best supports a writer's purpose of persuading readers to recycle more?

    • A story about a rubbish collector who loves his job, with no suggestion for the reader to act.
    • A clear claim, supported by facts, and a direct call to action for the reader to follow.
    • A neutral list of recycling bins with no comment on whether the reader should use them.
    • A detailed history of the first rubbish tip, with no reference to recycling in the modern world.

16. Which text is written for a specialist audience?

    • A birthday card with a short rhyming verse wishing the recipient a happy day filled with cake.
    • A poster in a bus shelter with a short slogan and a picture of a happy family on holiday.
    • A children's book with bright pictures and a simple plot about a dog who loses his favourite ball.
    • A journal article using technical vocabulary and assumed knowledge about the subject's methods.

17. A writer knows the audience already agrees with the point. What is the best purpose to choose?

    • To reinforce or extend their existing view, for example by offering new ideas to act on.
    • To entertain them with a joke that has nothing to do with the topic they already agree with.
    • To persuade them to change their minds completely, using insults about the opposing view instead.
    • To confuse them with contradictory facts so that they stop thinking about the topic altogether.

18. A writer is producing a blog for teenagers about healthy snacks. Which language choice best suits this?

    • Legal wording with numbered clauses that set out the terms under which snacks may be eaten.
    • Formal, passive language with long Latinate words and no direct address to the reader anywhere.
    • Academic language with footnotes and a full bibliography that cites every single claim in detail.
    • Friendly, direct language with a conversational tone and simple everyday examples, such as a favourite fruit.

19. Which feature shows that a text is designed to inform rather than persuade?

    • It presents facts and explains information neutrally, without trying to push the reader towards a view.
    • It uses rhetorical questions and exclamation marks to make the reader feel excited about the topic.
    • It ends with a call to action asking the reader to sign a petition before the end of the week.
    • It uses emotive words and direct appeals to make the reader feel strongly about the issue at hand.

20. Why might a writer use headings in a long text for adult readers?

    • Headings hide the most important information so that readers must read every section to find it.
    • Headings help the reader find information quickly and show how the text is organised.
    • Headings make the text look more expensive, so that readers trust the writer more easily overall.
    • Headings replace the need for paragraphs, so the whole text can be written as one long block.

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