Selecting appropriate style

    AQA
    GCSE

    Mastery of style requires the deliberate manipulation of register, tone, and vocabulary to suit specific audiences and purposes, a core requirement of AO5. Candidates must demonstrate the ability to modulate their voice, shifting between formal, objective academic registers and informal, subjective colloquialisms as dictated by the task. In reading assessment (AO2/AO4), this necessitates the evaluation of how writers employ lexical and syntactical choices to establish authority, build rapport, or alienate the reader. Assessment focuses on the consistency of this voice and the sophistication of the intended effect.

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    Objectives
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    Exam Tips
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    Pitfalls
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    Key Terms
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    Mark Points

    What You Need to Demonstrate

    Key skills and knowledge for this topic

    • Award marks for sustained and consistent register matched to the specific audience (e.g., broadsheet newspaper vs. local council).
    • Credit the manipulation of complex vocabulary and sentence structures to establish a sophisticated, authoritative voice.
    • Candidates must integrate form-specific conventions (e.g., rhetorical indicators in speeches, headlines in articles) naturally, not mechanically.
    • Reward conscious stylistic choices that enhance the purpose, such as using emotive language for persuasion or sensory detail for description.

    Marking Points

    Key points examiners look for in your answers

    • Award marks for sustained and consistent register matched to the specific audience (e.g., broadsheet newspaper vs. local council).
    • Credit the manipulation of complex vocabulary and sentence structures to establish a sophisticated, authoritative voice.
    • Candidates must integrate form-specific conventions (e.g., rhetorical indicators in speeches, headlines in articles) naturally, not mechanically.
    • Reward conscious stylistic choices that enhance the purpose, such as using emotive language for persuasion or sensory detail for description.

    Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for maximising your marks

    • 💡Identify the TAP (Type, Audience, Purpose) in the first minute to determine the required level of formality.
    • 💡Adopt a specific persona (e.g., 'expert', 'concerned citizen') to maintain a consistent voice throughout the piece.
    • 💡Use a cyclical structure to reinforce the style; return to the opening motif in the conclusion for a polished effect.
    • 💡Vary sentence lengths deliberately; use short, punchy sentences to create an assertive or dramatic style.

    Common Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

    • Adopting a generic 'essay' tone regardless of the specified form (e.g., failing to use direct address in a speech).
    • Inconsistent register, such as drifting into colloquial slang within a formal letter to a headteacher.
    • Over-reliance on 'thesaurus' vocabulary that obscures meaning rather than clarifying the chosen style.
    • Neglecting the 'purpose' of the task, resulting in a narrative response when an argument was requested.

    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    Likely Command Words

    How questions on this topic are typically asked

    Write a letter to...
    Write an article for...
    Write the text for a speech...
    Write a story...
    Describe...
    Explain your view...

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