Directed Writing (AQA A-Level English Language): Revision Notes
Directed writing
Understanding Question 4
Question 4 in Section B of Paper 2 requires you to produce a piece of opinion-based writing. This task asks you to assess the ideas and issues raised in the texts you analysed for Question 3. The assessment balance is heavily weighted towards language knowledge (AO2), so your main job is to inform readers about how language is used and how people feel about it.
Your target audience will be non-specialists, which means you need to explain complex ideas and demonstrate your knowledge in ways that a new audience can understand. At the same time, you must address the ideas raised in the texts, showing that you fully understand them and have a clear position to take in response.
Think of AO2 as "About Others" – you're discussing language research and what linguists have discovered. AO5 is "All Outstanding" – it's about making your own writing quality exceptional.
Dealing with AO2
AO2 focuses on your ability to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of linguistic concepts and methods. This is your opportunity to show what you know about language research and theory.
Organising your knowledge
A useful starting point is to return to the texts from Question 3 and make notes on all the ideas and issues that have been raised. Ask yourself: what are the key points to address? If you have followed proper planning and note-taking guidance during your preparation, you should already have detailed notes on the texts.
The next step involves thinking about what else you know about those ideas and issues. Consider how the ideas put forward in the texts relate to your understanding of the topic. For example, when examining texts about youth language or language change, think about:
- How do these ideas compare to other research you have studied?
- What linguists have explored similar topics, and what did they observe?
- Have you encountered relevant terms like Multicultural Youth English or Americanisation?
- Which linguistic processes are at work?
- What wider discourses about language can you identify, and what is your evaluation of different approaches?
Showing your knowledge
To achieve good AO2 marks, you need to demonstrate several key skills:
Go beyond the ideas in the texts themselves
Do not simply repeat what the texts say. Use them as a springboard to discuss wider linguistic concepts and research. Show that you can connect the specific examples to broader patterns and theories.
Critical Skill: Avoid Being Reductive
Never just summarise what the texts say. You must demonstrate that you can think beyond the source material and connect ideas to broader linguistic research and theory. The examiners want to see original thinking and wider knowledge.
Show detailed understanding of research and ideas about the topic
Demonstrate familiarity with relevant linguists and their work. For example, if discussing gender and language, you might reference the different models of gender and interaction, such as the deficit, dominance, difference and diversity approaches. Explain these models clearly and show how they help us understand the issues raised.
Give clear examples to illustrate points
Support your arguments with concrete examples. These might come from the source texts, but should also draw on other examples from your studies or observations. Make sure examples are explained clearly for your non-specialist audience.
Look at different ideas and argue why these ideas are significant
Consider multiple perspectives on the issue. Acknowledge that there are different ways of viewing language phenomena. For instance, you might take a simple starting point – such as the claim that men and women use language differently – and then examine the evidence for and against this claim.
Offer a clear evaluation of different views and challenge simplistic language ideas
Show critical thinking by questioning reductive views. If a text presents language features as belonging exclusively to one group, challenge this by offering a broader and more diverse view of language use. For example, you might question whether all men or all women use the same style, or whether gender is the only factor influencing language choices.
Remember the SHOW Strategy:
- Show examples – Provide concrete illustrations of language use
- Historical context – Give background on how views have developed
- Others' views – Reference different linguists and perspectives
- Wider connections – Link specific examples to broader patterns
Using specific examples effectively
When the texts address specific features, use these as starting points but avoid being reductive yourself. Consider the complexity of real language use. For instance, if a text describes a unique male communication style, you could:
- Provide a brief historical overview of different views about gender and interaction
- Examine the evidence supporting and contradicting specific claims
- Challenge the idea that all members of one group share identical language patterns
- Build an argument that offers a broader and more nuanced view of language use
Dealing with AO5
AO5 assesses your ability to write in a convincing, coherent way that engages the reader and conveys your knowledge accessibly and informatively. This is about the quality of your own writing.
Writing for non-specialist readers
A crucial part of the directed writing task involves explaining linguistic concepts to a non-specialist audience. You need linguistic ideas to discuss, but you must develop ways of making them clear, engaging and intelligible to your readers.
In practice, this means you should:
Explain who researchers and theorists are
When mentioning linguists, provide context about who they are and why you are quoting or referring to them. For example, rather than simply stating "Lakoff argues...", introduce her properly: "The feminist linguist Robin Lakoff, a professor emerita at the University of California, Berkeley, who has researched the study of language and gender..."
Worked Example: Introducing a Linguist
Poor approach: "Lakoff says women use more hedges."
Better approach: "The feminist linguist Robin Lakoff, who pioneered research into language and gender in the 1970s, argued that women use more hedges – words like 'perhaps' and 'maybe' – which she initially interpreted through a deficit model."
Notice how the better approach provides:
- The linguist's credentials and area of expertise
- Historical context for when the research was conducted
- A clear definition of the technical term "hedges"
- Reference to the theoretical framework being used
Give clear explanations of technical terms
Define any specialist terminology and show examples of it in use. If discussing concepts like the deficit model (the assumption that something is lacking or deficient), explain what this means in accessible language before applying it to your argument.
Key Terminology to Define:
- Deficit model: An assumption that something is lacking or deficient
- Byline: A line below the headline of a newspaper article that gives the name of the writer
- Strapline: The subsidiary headline at the start of a newspaper article
- Cohesion: The way sentences or utterances join together to form a whole text
Always provide examples when introducing these terms to your non-specialist readers.
Untangle complicated ideas
Break down complex linguistic concepts into manageable parts. Make them clear and accessible for readers who may not have studied language before.
Present different arguments and identify where they come from
Acknowledge different perspectives and make clear which researchers or schools of thought support particular views. This helps readers understand the debate and follow your reasoning.
Show an overview of issues
Provide context before diving into details. Give readers a sense of the bigger picture so they can understand where specific examples fit.
Demonstrate language practices in use with examples
Show how language actually works by providing concrete examples that readers can relate to and understand.
Engage your readers with an effective headline and strapline
Opinion pieces need attention-grabbing headlines and informative straplines (the subsidiary headline that gives more detail). These should be creative, relevant and appropriate for your target publication.
Show your own line of argument
Guide your readers through the topic with clear signposting and a logical progression of ideas.
Understanding genre
Opinion pieces appear in various publications, both physical and online. It is important to study a range of these to understand what you should be writing. Key features to notice include:
Headline features
Headlines should be engaging and may use wordplay, examples of the language being discussed, or provocative statements to draw readers in.
Byline
The byline appears below the headline and gives the writer's name, making clear this is a personal stance.
Strapline
The strapline provides the key message in a more straightforward way than the headline, helping readers understand the article's main argument.
Opening paragraphs
Articles often begin with a broad sociolinguistic point that hooks the reader before becoming more specific.
Genre Conventions Matter
Understanding the conventions of opinion writing is crucial for success. Your piece should look and read like a real opinion article from a publication like The Guardian or The Independent. Study professional examples to understand:
- How headlines balance creativity with clarity
- When to use first person vs third person
- How to weave references naturally into the text
- What tone is appropriate for different publications
Use of quotations and references
Effective articles quote linguists and experts, providing their credentials to establish authority. References should be woven naturally into the text to support your argument.
Personal voice
Writers may speak in the first or third person, presenting themselves as forthright and unafraid of expressing opinions. Some writers use a deliberately hyperbolic style to describe negative impressions they think might be created through language use, making reference to popular culture that audiences might recognise.
Cohesion
Cohesion refers to the way sentences or utterances join together to form a whole text. Your piece should flow logically, with clear connections between paragraphs and ideas. Links back to the headline or opening can provide a sense of closure.
Making your piece lively and interesting
While demonstrating your knowledge is essential, you should also show creativity by making the piece engaging to read. Study how professional journalists balance information with entertainment, and consider how you can adopt an effective style for your target publication.
Making use of the source texts
Your task is perhaps slightly more challenging than that faced by professional journalists because you must assess the ideas and issues raised in the texts you analysed for Question 3. The source texts need to work as a springboard for you into wider issues and ideas. You also need to find ways to refer to these ideas and explain to your readers how you came across them, in a way that fits with the article you are writing.
When incorporating ideas from the source texts:
- Reference them naturally within your argument
- Explain their relevance to the broader discussion
- Show how they connect to wider linguistic concepts
- Use them to support your own line of reasoning rather than simply summarising them
Worked Example: Incorporating Source Texts
Instead of writing: "Text A says that women use more hedges and tag questions."
Write something like: "Recent discussions about women's language highlight the ongoing debate about whether it should be seen as deficient or simply different. Linguists such as Lakoff, Tannen, Coates and Fishman have all studied this issue and reached different conclusions."
This approach:
- Places the source material in a broader context
- Shows awareness of multiple perspectives
- Demonstrates wider knowledge beyond the texts
- Maintains an engaging, flowing style
Writing your own piece
When planning and writing your directed writing response, use this comprehensive checklist to ensure you have covered all essential elements:
Planning and Writing Checklist
Argument and structure:
- Do you have a clear line of argument?
- Are you responding to the ideas in the texts and showing evidence of wider knowledge and ideas from language study?
- Are you using a lively and engaging voice and style?
- Do you have a clear sense of your target audience and publication?
Opening elements:
- Is your headline effective?
- Does your strapline offer a clear enough sense of the argument to your readers?
- Do you introduce who you are and your expertise or credentials with a byline?
- Have you written an opening line that grabs your reader's attention?
- Have you got a 'peg' (a topical news hook) to hang your argument on?
Development:
- Have you clearly signposted your argument from idea to idea, and paragraph to paragraph?
- Have you used accurate and effective punctuation?
- Have you shown clear control of style and structure choices to show your creativity and skill?
Conclusion:
- Have you written a conclusion that links back to your opening?
Overall coherence:
- Ensure your piece demonstrates strong cohesion, with ideas flowing logically and connecting clearly throughout
Exam tips
Before the Exam:
- Practise writing opinion pieces in exam conditions using past paper questions
- Study examples of opinion writing from various publications to understand different styles and approaches
- Review key linguists and their theories so you can reference them confidently and accurately
- Prepare a mental toolkit of ways to explain complex linguistic concepts simply
During the Exam:
- Spend time planning your argument before you start writing
- Make notes on the key ideas from the Question 3 texts that you want to address
- Think about what wider linguistic knowledge you can bring in
- Consider your target audience throughout – are you explaining things clearly enough?
- Keep track of time to ensure you can write a complete, well-developed piece
Time Management is Critical
The directed writing task requires significant planning time. Don't rush into writing! Spend at least 5-10 minutes planning your argument, identifying which linguists to reference, and deciding how to structure your piece. A well-planned article will be much stronger than one written hastily.
Writing Style Tips:
- Be confident and assertive in your opinions while acknowledging different perspectives
- Use a variety of sentence structures to keep your writing engaging
- Include specific examples to illustrate abstract concepts
- Make sure technical terms are always explained for non-specialists
- Vary your vocabulary but keep language accessible
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- Question 4 is heavily weighted towards AO2, so demonstrating language knowledge is essential
- Write for a non-specialist audience, always explaining technical terms and complex ideas clearly
- Use the source texts as a springboard for wider discussion, not just a summary exercise
- Show critical thinking by evaluating different perspectives and challenging simplistic views
- Make your writing engaging and lively while maintaining an appropriate style for your chosen publication
- Plan carefully, structure logically, and ensure strong cohesion throughout your piece
- Remember: SHOW your knowledge (Show examples, Historical context, Others' views, Wider connections)
- Think of AO2 as "About Others" and AO5 as "All Outstanding"