Revision Library

revisionlibrary.co.uk

KS3 · English Language - Writing

KS3.E4 Writing: Persuasive and Transactional

AQA AQA-style KS3 English (non-statutory) · Calculators not allowed · about 140 minutes

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Answer ALL questions. Show all your working.

Every Bottle Counts

Source written for Revision Library (original, copyright-free). A persuasive speech written for a Year 9 school council meeting. All names and events are invented for teaching purposes.

Paragraph 1

Members of the council, teachers, and fellow students: how many plastic bottles do you think our school throws away in a single week? Fifty? Two hundred? The real answer is closer to eight hundred, and every single one of them will still be sitting in a landfill site long after we have all left this school. It is time to ask a simple question: are we willing to keep filling that landfill, or are we ready to change?

Paragraph 2

According to the Marine Conservation Society, a single plastic bottle can take up to four hundred and fifty years to decompose. Last year alone, our canteen sold more than nine thousand bottles of water. If we placed those bottles end to end, they would stretch further than the length of our school field twenty times over. These are not just numbers on a page. They are a warning.

Paragraph 3

Two summers ago, a group of Year 8 students visited our local beach as part of a geography field trip. They did not find golden sand and rock pools. They found tangled fishing line, crushed cans, and, worst of all, plastic bottles half buried in the mud, some of them still bearing the label of a well-known brand. One student, Amelia Osei, said she would never forget the smell of the rotting plastic or the sight of a seagull with a bottle ring caught around its beak. That image should trouble every single one of us.

Paragraph 4

Some of you will say that plastic bottles are convenient, that they are cheap, and that changing our habits is simply too much effort. I understand that concern. But convenience should never come before conscience. We are not asking for a miracle. We are asking for a water fountain in the canteen, a discount for students who bring a reusable bottle, and a clear, visible reminder of why this matters. Small changes, repeated every day, become a habit. A habit becomes a culture. A culture becomes a legacy.

Paragraph 5

So I ask you again: are we the generation that noticed the problem and looked away, or are we the generation that acted? Vote for the plastic bottle ban today, and let every student who walks through these gates in ten years' time inherit a school, and a planet, that we chose to protect.

Read paragraph 1 of 'Every Bottle Counts' (beginning 'Members of the council, teachers, and fellow students...').

(4)

Look at the whole speech.

(a)State the purpose of this speech.(1)

(b)State the intended audience of this speech.(1)

Which persuasive technique is used in this sentence from paragraph 1: 'How many plastic bottles do you think our school throws away in a single week?'

A) Rhetorical question
B) Statistic
C) Anecdote
D) Statement of fact

Read each statement below, based on ideas in the speech. For each one, write Fact (F) or Opinion (O).

(a)A single plastic bottle can take up to four hundred and fifty years to decompose.(1)

(b)Convenience should never come before conscience.(1)

(c)The school canteen sold more than nine thousand bottles of water last year.(1)

(d)A water fountain in the canteen is the best possible solution to this problem.(1)

Define the following persuasive writing terms.

(a)Define: rhetorical question(1)

(b)Define: tricolon (rule of three)(1)

(c)Define: emotive language(1)

(d)Define: anecdote(1)

Explain how the writer uses facts and statistics in paragraph 2 to persuade the audience that the school should ban single-use plastic bottles.

(6)

Explain how the writer creates a sense of urgency in paragraph 3 (the paragraph about the Year 8 students' visit to the beach).

(6)

Identify one example of the rule of three (tricolon) used in paragraph 4 and explain its effect on the audience.

(3)

A listener says: 'This speech is completely convincing and there is nothing weak about the argument.' Evaluate how far you agree with this statement. In your answer you could write about: the persuasive techniques the writer uses; how convincing you find the argument; the effect the speech has on its intended audience.

(8)

You are planning a formal letter to your headteacher.

(4)

Which of the following is the correct greeting to use in a formal letter when you do not know the name of the person you are writing to?

A) Dear Sir or Madam
B) Hi there
C) Dear Friend
D) To whom it may be interested

Give three differences between the typical format of a formal letter and a formal email.

(3)

Rewrite this weak persuasive sentence, adding one persuasive technique to make it more effective: 'I think the school should get more recycling bins.' State which persuasive technique you have used.

(2)

Write the opening paragraph (about 50-70 words) of a persuasive speech to your school council, arguing that the school should introduce a 'no mobile phones at lunchtime' policy. Use at least two persuasive techniques.

(6)

Write a formal letter to your headteacher persuading them that the school should ban the sale of single-use plastic bottles in the canteen. Use appropriate persuasive techniques and the correct conventions of a formal letter.

(20)

Write the text for a leaflet aimed at Year 7 students, persuading them to join the school's new lunchtime recycling club. Use sub-headings, bullet points and persuasive techniques appropriate to the format.

(12)

Write a speech to be delivered to your school council, persuading them to fund a new mental health and wellbeing support room for students. Your speech should be well organised, use a range of persuasive techniques, and directly address a counterargument.

(20)

Write a short paragraph (about 40-60 words) using emotive language and a tricolon (rule of three) to persuade readers of a charity appeal leaflet to make a donation.

(6)

Each sentence below, taken from a student's draft persuasive letter, contains one technical error. Identify and correct the error in each sentence.

(a)Its clear that we need to act now.(1)

(b)Every student deserve a chance to be heard.(1)

(c)We must reduce plastic waste, we must act today.(1)

Plan a persuasive article for the school newsletter, arguing that the school should extend library opening hours to include lunchtimes.

(a)Note down your main argument.(1)

(b)Note down two supporting points.(2)

(c)Note down three persuasive techniques you will use, with a brief example of each.(3)

Mark scheme · KS3.E4 Writing: Persuasive and Transactional

Question 1

B1 identifies one word/phrase showing the writer is trying to persuade rather than simply inform, e.g. the direct address 'Members of the council, teachers, and fellow students' (oe)
B1 identifies a second persuasive word/phrase, e.g. the rhetorical question 'how many plastic bottles do you think...' (oe)
B1 identifies a third persuasive word/phrase, e.g. 'It is time to ask...' (oe)
B1 identifies a fourth persuasive word/phrase, e.g. the closing rhetorical question 'are we willing to keep filling that landfill, or are we ready to change?' (oe)
Answer: Any four of: 'Members of the council, teachers, and fellow students' (direct address); 'how many plastic bottles do you think...' (rhetorical question); 'It is time to ask a simple question'; 'are we willing to keep filling that landfill, or are we ready to change?' (rhetorical question/choice).

Question 2

(a) B1 identifies the purpose as to persuade the audience to support/vote for a ban on single-use plastic bottles in the school (oe)
(a) Answer: To persuade the school council (and audience) to ban single-use plastic bottles from the school canteen.
(b) B1 identifies the audience as the school council/teachers/students (oe)
(b) Answer: The school council, along with teachers and fellow students at the meeting.

Question 3

B1 selects A (rhetorical question)
Answer: A) Rhetorical question

Question 4

(a) B1 labels correctly as Fact (a verifiable claim attributed to the Marine Conservation Society)
(a) Answer: Fact
(b) B1 labels correctly as Opinion (a value judgement that cannot be proved true or false)
(b) Answer: Opinion
(c) B1 labels correctly as Fact (a specific, verifiable figure given in the text)
(c) Answer: Fact
(d) B1 labels correctly as Opinion (a subjective judgement about what is 'best', not a provable claim)
(d) Answer: Opinion

Question 5

(a) B1 gives a definition matching: a question asked for effect, not to get a genuine answer, designed to make the reader/listener think or agree (oe)
(a) Answer: a question asked for effect, not to get a genuine answer, designed to make the reader/listener think or agree
(b) B1 gives a definition matching: a list or structure of three words, phrases or ideas used together to create emphasis or rhythm (oe)
(b) Answer: a list or structure of three words, phrases or ideas used together to create emphasis or rhythm
(c) B1 gives a definition matching: words or phrases chosen deliberately to create a strong emotional reaction in the reader/listener (oe)
(c) Answer: words or phrases chosen deliberately to create a strong emotional reaction in the reader/listener
(d) B1 gives a definition matching: a short, specific story or example used to make an argument feel real, personal or relatable (oe)
(d) Answer: a short, specific story or example used to make an argument feel real, personal or relatable

Question 6

Level 1 (1-2): Simple comment on a fact or statistic, with little or no explanation of its persuasive effect.
Level 2 (3-4): Clear explanation of how at least one fact or statistic is used to persuade, with some relevant reference to the text.
Level 3 (5-6): Detailed exploration of how facts and statistics combine to build a persuasive, escalating argument, with precise reference to language and a clear sense of the cumulative effect on the audience.
Indicative content:
- The reference to '450 years to decompose' (attributed to the Marine Conservation Society) uses an authoritative source to make the claim feel credible and undeniable.
- The figure of 'nine thousand bottles' quantifies the school's own contribution to the problem, making the audience feel personally implicated rather than distanced from the issue.
- The comparison to 'the length of our school field twenty times over' translates an abstract number into something the audience can picture and relate to directly.
- The short final sentences ('These are not just numbers on a page. They are a warning.') shift from statistics to a metaphor, intensifying the emotional impact after the factual build-up.
- The combination of a credible source, a personal statistic and a vivid comparison builds a cumulative, escalating sense of urgency that is hard for the audience to dismiss.

Question 7

Level 1 (1-2): Simple identification of a detail from the anecdote, with little explanation of effect.
Level 2 (3-4): Clear explanation of how the anecdote and its language create urgency, with relevant textual reference.
Level 3 (5-6): Detailed, well-evidenced exploration of how imagery, contrast and direct address combine to create a strong sense of urgency for the audience.
Indicative content:
- The use of a specific, real-sounding anecdote (naming 'Amelia Osei') gives the account authenticity and makes the problem feel close to home rather than distant or abstract.
- Sensory, emotive imagery ('the smell of the rotting plastic', 'a seagull with a bottle ring caught around its beak') appeals directly to the audience's emotions and senses.
- The list of found objects ('tangled fishing line, crushed cans...plastic bottles half buried in the mud') builds a vivid and disturbing picture of the beach.
- The contrast between the expected 'golden sand and rock pools' and the grim reality creates a sense of shock that reinforces the urgency of the message.
- The short, direct final sentence ('That image should trouble every single one of us') uses direct address to implicate the audience personally, increasing the pressure to act.

Question 8

B1 quotes a valid example of a tricolon from paragraph 4, e.g. 'plastic bottles are convenient, that they are cheap, and that changing our habits is simply too much effort' or 'Small changes...become a habit. A habit becomes a culture. A culture becomes a legacy.' (ft any valid three-part quotation)
B1 correctly names the technique as a tricolon/rule of three/list of three
B1 explains a plausible effect, e.g. builds a sense of escalating, inevitable progress, making the proposed change feel powerful and worthwhile despite being small (oe)
Answer: Example: 'Small changes, repeated every day, become a habit. A habit becomes a culture. A culture becomes a legacy.' Technique: tricolon/rule of three. Effect: the escalating three-part structure makes a small, everyday change feel like it leads to something significant and lasting, encouraging the audience to believe their action matters.

Question 9

Level 1 (1-2): Simple, general agreement or disagreement with little evidence from the text.
Level 2 (3-4): Some relevant evidence used to support a judgement, but the evaluation is mostly descriptive rather than critical.
Level 3 (5-6): Clear, supported evaluation using evidence from more than one part of the speech, showing awareness of both strengths and possible limitations.
Level 4 (7-8): Perceptive, well-evidenced evaluation that weighs the speech's persuasive success critically, considering how structure, technique and tone combine to shape the audience's overall response, and reaches a convincing, justified conclusion.
Indicative content:
- The speech uses a wide and well-chosen range of techniques: direct address, rhetorical questions, statistics from a named authority, an emotive anecdote and a tricolon, which together build a strong cumulative case.
- The structure moves logically from a striking opening question, through evidence, to an emotional anecdote, to a solution and a final call to action, which is likely to be persuasive to a school audience.
- However, the anecdote about Amelia Osei is a single, invented example and could be seen as offering emotional weight rather than hard evidence, which some listeners might find less convincing.
- The counterargument ('plastic bottles are convenient...cheap...too much effort') is acknowledged only briefly before being dismissed, which a critical listener might argue does not fully engage with practical concerns such as cost.
- The proposed solutions (a water fountain, a discount, a reminder) are modest and specific, which makes them feel achievable, strengthening the overall persuasive effect.
- A well-argued answer might conclude that the speech is highly effective for its intended audience because of its variety of techniques and clear structure, while noting that its reliance on one anecdote and a brief counterargument means it is persuasive rather than flawless or beyond challenge.

Question 10

B1 identifies one correct layout feature, e.g. sender's address in the top right
B1 identifies a second correct layout feature, e.g. the date, usually below the sender's address
B1 identifies a third correct layout feature, e.g. a formal greeting (Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms [Surname] or Dear Sir/Madam)
B1 identifies a fourth correct layout feature, e.g. a formal sign-off matched to the greeting (Yours sincerely/Yours faithfully)
Answer: Any four of: sender's address (top right); the date; recipient's name/school address; a formal greeting; paragraphs organised by topic; a formal sign-off matched to the greeting used.

Question 11

B1 selects A (Dear Sir or Madam)
Answer: A) Dear Sir or Madam

Question 12

B1 identifies one valid difference, e.g. a letter requires full postal addresses, whereas an email uses an email address instead (oe)
B1 identifies a second valid difference, e.g. an email usually includes a subject line, a letter does not (oe)
B1 identifies a third valid difference, e.g. a letter's date is placed beneath the sender's address, whereas an email's date/time is generated automatically in the header (oe)
Answer: Any three of: letters need full postal addresses, emails need an email address; emails include a subject line, letters do not; a letter's date is written by the sender, an email's is generated automatically; a letter's sign-off often includes a handwritten or full typed signature, an email sign-off is often shorter.

Question 13

B1 produces a rewritten sentence that clearly uses an identifiable persuasive technique
B1 correctly names a technique that matches the one actually used in the rewritten sentence
Answer: Example: 'More recycling bins would mean less rubbish, less mess, and a cleaner school for everyone.' Technique used: tricolon (rule of three).

Question 14

Content and organisation (AO5)
- Level 1 (1-2): Attempts to persuade with a simple, single viewpoint; limited or unclear use of a persuasive technique; the opening does not clearly engage the reader.
- Level 2 (3-4): Clear attempt to engage the reader from the start; viewpoint is evident; at least two persuasive techniques are used with some effect; ideas are organised into a coherent opening.
Technical accuracy (AO6)
- Level 1 (0-1): Frequent errors in spelling and/or punctuation that may affect meaning; limited range of sentence forms.
- Level 2 (2): Mostly accurate spelling and punctuation; sentence demarcation is mostly secure; some variety of sentence forms for effect.

Question 15

Content and organisation (AO5)
- Level 1 (1-3): Limited attempt to persuade; little awareness of letter form or register; few, if any, persuasive techniques; minimal organisation.
- Level 2 (4-7): Some persuasive techniques attempted; generally appropriate register and letter form; ideas organised into paragraphs, though this may lack sophistication.
- Level 3 (8-11): Consistently persuasive, using a range of techniques effectively (e.g. rhetorical questions, statistics, a tricolon); clear and appropriate letter format and register maintained throughout; well organised with a clear line of argument and structural features such as paragraphing and discourse markers.
- Level 4 (12-14): Sophisticated and convincing persuasive techniques used skilfully and for deliberate effect; assured control of formal letter conventions and register throughout; ambitious, coherent structure (including engagement with a counterargument) that guides the reader with a compelling sense of purpose.
Technical accuracy (AO6)
- Level 1 (1-2): Frequent errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar that sometimes hinder meaning; simple sentence forms and limited vocabulary range.
- Level 2 (3-4): Reasonably accurate spelling and punctuation with some variety of sentence forms; letter conventions (greeting/sign-off) are generally matched correctly.
- Level 3 (5-6): Consistently accurate spelling and punctuation across a range of sentence forms; correct formal letter conventions throughout (matching greeting and sign-off, appropriate address layout); a wide range of vocabulary and sentence structures used for effect.

Question 16

Content and organisation (AO5)
- Level 1 (1-3): Limited sense of leaflet form; few persuasive techniques; minimal use of sub-headings or bullet points; organisation is unclear.
- Level 2 (4-6): Some appropriate leaflet features (sub-headings and/or bullet points); some persuasive techniques used with reasonable effect; generally organised for a Year 7 audience.
- Level 3 (7-8): Consistently persuasive and well matched to a Year 7 audience; effective use of leaflet conventions (sub-headings, bullet points, a clear call to action); a range of persuasive techniques used deliberately for effect.
Technical accuracy (AO6)
- Level 1 (1-2): Frequent errors in spelling and punctuation; simple sentence forms and limited vocabulary.
- Level 2 (3-4): Mostly accurate spelling and punctuation, with vocabulary and sentence forms suited to a leaflet aimed at younger students.

Question 17

Content and organisation (AO5)
- Level 1 (1-3): Limited attempt to persuade; little awareness of speech form or audience; few persuasive techniques; minimal organisation.
- Level 2 (4-7): Some persuasive techniques attempted; generally appropriate register for a speech; ideas organised into paragraphs, though structure may be uneven.
- Level 3 (8-11): Consistently persuasive, using a range of techniques effectively (e.g. direct address, rhetorical questions, statistics, tricolon); clear speech register maintained; well organised with a logical line of argument.
- Level 4 (12-14): Sophisticated and convincing persuasive techniques used skilfully and for deliberate effect throughout; a clearly acknowledged and confidently rebutted counterargument; ambitious, coherent structure that builds towards a compelling final call to action, sustaining impact on the intended audience from beginning to end.
Technical accuracy (AO6)
- Level 1 (1-2): Frequent errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar that sometimes hinder meaning; simple sentence forms and limited vocabulary range.
- Level 2 (3-4): Reasonably accurate spelling and punctuation with some variety of sentence forms; vocabulary generally appropriate to a spoken register.
- Level 3 (5-6): Consistently accurate spelling and a wide range of punctuation used for deliberate rhetorical effect; extensive and ambitious vocabulary; a variety of sentence structures, including some crafted for spoken delivery, used confidently and accurately.

Question 18

Content and organisation (AO5)
- Level 1 (1-2): Limited or unclear use of emotive language and/or a tricolon; little sense of persuasive purpose.
- Level 2 (3-4): Clear use of emotive language and a genuine tricolon, used with some persuasive effect appropriate to a charity appeal.
Technical accuracy (AO6)
- Level 1 (0-1): Frequent errors in spelling and/or punctuation that may affect meaning.
- Level 2 (2): Mostly accurate spelling and punctuation, with sentence forms suited to a short persuasive paragraph.

Question 19

(a) B1 identifies and correctly fixes the error: missing apostrophe in the contraction 'Its' (should be 'It's'); correct version: 'It's clear that we need to act now.' (cao)
(a) Answer: It's clear that we need to act now.
(b) B1 identifies and correctly fixes the error: subject-verb agreement error ('deserve' should be 'deserves'); correct version: 'Every student deserves a chance to be heard.' (cao)
(b) Answer: Every student deserves a chance to be heard.
(c) B1 identifies and correctly fixes the error: comma splice joining two independent clauses; correct version: 'We must reduce plastic waste; we must act today.' (cao)
(c) Answer: We must reduce plastic waste; we must act today.

Question 20

(a) B1 gives a clear, relevant main argument, e.g. extending library hours to lunchtimes would give more students a quiet place to read, revise or study (oe)
(a) Answer: Example: extending library opening hours to lunchtimes would give more students access to a quiet space for reading, revision and study.
(b) B1 gives one relevant supporting point, e.g. many students do not have a quiet space to study at home (oe)
(b) B1 gives a second relevant supporting point, e.g. it would reduce overcrowding in corridors and the canteen at lunchtime (oe)
(b) Answer: Example: 1) not all students have a quiet space to study at home; 2) it would reduce overcrowding in corridors and the canteen at lunchtime.
(c) B1 names a valid technique with a relevant brief example, e.g. rhetorical question - 'Where else can a student go for twenty minutes of real quiet?'
(c) B1 names a second valid technique with a relevant brief example, e.g. statistic - 'Over 200 students currently have no lesson-free space to revise at lunchtime.'
(c) B1 names a third valid technique with a relevant brief example, e.g. tricolon - 'a quieter, calmer, more focused lunchtime.'
(c) Answer: Example: 1) rhetorical question - 'Where else can a student go for twenty minutes of real quiet?'; 2) statistic - 'Over 200 students currently have no lesson-free space to revise at lunchtime.'; 3) tricolon - 'a quieter, calmer, more focused lunchtime.'

Writing: Persuasive and Transactional - Worksheets, Questions and Revision