How do you write a transactional piece that matches its form, purpose and audience and earns the AO5 and AO6 marks under exam time?
Writing articles and reviews for Paper 2 Section B (AO5), using the conventions of each form (headline, engaging opening, structured argument, memorable close for an article; judgement and recommendation for a review) to serve purpose and audience.
How to write articles and reviews for Edexcel GCSE English Language Paper 2 Section B: using the conventions of each form (headline and structure for an article, judgement and recommendation for a review) to serve the purpose and audience and earn the AO5 marks.
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What this dot point is asking
Two of the most common transactional forms are the article and the review. Each has its own conventions, and using them is part of the AO5 mark for matching the form. An article informs and often argues for a readership, using a headline, an engaging opening, structured paragraphs and a memorable close. A review judges something (a film, book, concert, band) and reaches a recommendation, in a lively, evaluative voice. This skill is knowing and deploying the conventions of each form so the writing reads as a genuine article or review, not as an essay, while still serving its purpose and audience.
The article: conventions that engage
A strong article does not read like an essay. It opens with a hook (a vivid anecdote, a striking statistic, a provocative question), develops its points in shaped paragraphs, addresses the reader directly, and ends memorably. The Edexcel report praises candidates who used "rhetorical and structural features such as direct address and sub-headings", and marks down answers that read "more like an essay". The conventions are not decoration; they are how an article engages, and engaging the reader is what AO5 rewards.
The review: judge, do not summarise
A review's defining feature is judgement. It is not a plot summary or a description; it evaluates its subject and reaches a recommendation. A strong review selects a few telling details, forms a clear opinion (which can be mixed, praising some things and criticising others), supports that opinion, and tells the reader whether the subject is worth their time, all in a lively, engaging voice.
Serve the purpose and audience too
Form conventions matter, but they sit on top of purpose and audience. An article about a serious issue for a national paper needs an accessible but not flippant register; a review for a teen magazine can be more playful. Always pair the form's conventions with the right register for the audience and the right techniques for the purpose, so the piece is a convincing article or review and pitched correctly for its reader.
Try this
Q1. Name three conventions of an article. [3 marks]
- Cue. Any three of: a headline, an engaging opening hook, developed paragraphs or subheadings, direct address, a clear viewpoint, a memorable close.
Q2. What is the key difference between a review and a plot summary? [1 mark]
- Cue. A review forms and supports a judgement and reaches a recommendation; a plot summary only describes what happens.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of Pearson Edexcel exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Edexcel 201820 marksPaper 2, Question 8. Write a newspaper article about the effect(s) of music on people. (The full task is 40 marks; this practice scopes the AO5 strand for the article form and its conventions.)Show worked answer →
The full task is forty marks (24 AO5, 16 AO6); this scopes the AO5 strand for an article. A strong article uses the form's conventions, a headline, an engaging opening (anecdote, statistic or question), developed paragraphs (perhaps with subheadings), and a memorable close, while serving the purpose (informing and offering a view on music's effects) for the stated audience. The Edexcel report praised candidates "clear in their use of rhetorical and structural features such as direct address and sub-headings", while noting weaker answers read "more like an essay". Markers reward the article's conventions used to engage the reader; the difference between bands is often controlled structure and a distinct voice, not just relevant ideas.
Edexcel 201818 marksPaper 2, Question 9. Write a review of a band, concert, film or book for a magazine. (The full task is 40 marks; this practice scopes the AO5 strand for the review form.)Show worked answer →
This scopes the AO5 strand for a review. A strong review does more than describe: it forms a clear judgement and supports it, selects content for the audience, and reaches a recommendation, in a lively, engaging voice. The Edexcel report noted the best reviews were "lively and entertaining for the reader, offering persuasive ideas", while weak ones "had little to say other than describing the plot of a film or book". Markers reward evaluation and recommendation in an appropriate register; the common ceiling is plot summary with no judgement, or praise so total it reads as a fan's tribute rather than a balanced review. A review judges; it does not just recount.
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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)