What is the writing task on Edexcel Paper 2?

Section B of Paper 2 is the transactional writing task, worth 40 marks. You choose one of two prompts, linked by theme to the reading texts, and write a non-fiction piece for a stated purpose and audience in a named form (article, letter, speech, report or review). It is assessed on AO5 (communicating and organising, selecting tone, style and register) and AO6 (a range of vocabulary and sentence structures with accurate spelling and punctuation). The same form can appear on both prompts with a different focus or audience.

What does 'transactional' mean?

Transactional writing is real-world, functional non-fiction that does a job for a reader: it argues, persuades, informs, advises or reviews. Common forms are articles, reviews, letters, speeches and reports. Unlike the imaginative writing on Paper 1, it is pitched at a specific purpose and audience, and using the conventions of the named form is part of the AO5 mark.

How do you match form, purpose and audience?

Read the task to identify all three: the form (the text type), the purpose (to argue, persuade, inform, advise, review) and the audience (who will read it). Then adapt your tone, style and register to all three. The form brings conventions (a letter has a greeting and sign-off; an article has a headline); the purpose sets the mode (persuasion needs rhetoric); the audience sets the formality. A piece that nails the form but mistakes the audience is capped on AO5.

How should I manage time on the transactional task?

Section B is worth 40 marks, so reserve roughly an hour of Paper 2's 2 hours 5 minutes for it. Spend about five minutes planning a clear structure, around 50 minutes writing, and about five minutes proofreading for AO6. A plan prevents the rushed, unfinished ending examiners often see, and proofreading protects the fixed 16 accuracy marks.

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Transactional writing (Paper 2 Section B): complete overview - Edexcel GCSE English Language

A complete overview of Edexcel GCSE English Language Paper 2 Section B: the 40-mark transactional writing task, matching form, purpose and audience, the conventions of articles, reviews, letters and speeches, persuasive technique, the AO5 and AO6 mark split, and planning and proofreading.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.811 min read1EN0Updated 2026-06-02

Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed

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The task
Matching form, purpose and audience
The conventions of the forms
Persuasive technique
Planning and proofreading
How the marks split
How to study the transactional task
For the official specification

Section B of Edexcel GCSE English Language Paper 2, Non-fiction and Transactional Writing, is the transactional writing task, worth 40 marks. You choose one of two prompts and write a non-fiction piece for a stated purpose and audience, assessed on AO5 (content and organisation) and AO6 (technical accuracy). This overview maps the task, matching form, purpose and audience, the conventions of the common forms, persuasive technique, and planning and proofreading.

The task

Section B offers two prompts, linked by theme to the reading texts, and asks for one transactional piece in a named form (article, letter, speech, report or review) for a stated purpose and audience. It is worth 40 marks: 24 for AO5 and 16 for AO6.

Matching form, purpose and audience

The AO5 mark begins with matching your tone, style and register to the form, the purpose and the audience the task sets. See matching form, purpose and audience. Read the task for all three before you plan.

The conventions of the forms

Each form has conventions that contribute to the AO5 mark. Articles need a headline and hook; reviews need a judgement and recommendation. See writing articles and reviews. Letters need a greeting, structure and sign-off; speeches need direct address and a call to action. See writing letters and speeches.

Persuasive technique

Most tasks involve persuasion, so deploy rhetorical techniques with control: direct address, the rule of three, rhetorical questions, emotive language. See persuasive and rhetorical techniques. Each device must do a real job, not just be present.

Planning and proofreading

Plan a clear structure before writing for the AO5 organisation marks, and proofread for the fixed 16 AO6 marks. See planning and proofreading transactional writing.

How the marks split

The 40 marks divide into 24 for AO5 (communication and organisation, matched to form, purpose and audience) and 16 for AO6 (accuracy and range). AO6 is a fixed share, so accuracy alone can move your band.

How to study the transactional task

Read the task for form, purpose and audience. Match your tone, style and register to all three.
Learn the conventions of each form. An article, letter, speech and review each have a recognisable shape.
Use rhetoric with control. Deploy a controlled range of persuasive devices, each with a purpose.
Plan the structure. A five-minute plan prevents the rushed, unfinished ending.
Proofread. Reserve time to protect the fixed 16 AO6 marks.

For the official specification

Pearson publishes the specification (1EN0), past papers and mark schemes at qualifications.pearson.com. Always revise from the current specification and Edexcel's own past papers, because question wording and mark schemes are board-specific.

Sources & how we know this

Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) English Language (1EN0) specification — Pearson (2015)
Edexcel GCSE English Language Paper 2 (1EN0/02) examiners' report, June 2018 — Pearson (2018)