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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 letters and speeches for Paper 2 Section B (AO5), using the conventions of each form (greeting, structure and sign-off for a letter; direct address, rhetoric and call to action for a speech) to serve purpose and audience.

How to write letters and speeches for Edexcel GCSE English Language Paper 2 Section B: using the conventions of each form (greeting, structure and sign-off for a letter; direct address, rhetoric and a call to action for a speech) to serve the purpose and audience and earn the AO5 marks.

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  1. What this dot point is asking
  2. The letter: greeting, structure, sign-off
  3. The speech: address, rhetoric, call to action
  4. Pitch the register for the audience
  5. Try this

What this dot point is asking

Two more common transactional forms are the letter and the speech, and each carries conventions that contribute to the AO5 form mark. A letter has a greeting, an organised body and a sign-off, and matches the formality of its recipient. A speech addresses a live audience directly, builds with rhetoric, and drives toward a call to action. This skill is knowing and using the conventions of each form, so a letter reads as a real letter and a speech sounds meant to be heard, while both serve their purpose and pitch their register for the audience.

The letter: greeting, structure, sign-off

A strong letter is organised and matched to its recipient. State your purpose early, build your reasons with evidence, and end by requesting the action you want. Match the formality to the reader: a letter to a council or head teacher is formal and respectful even when forceful. The sign-off must agree with the greeting, a small convention, but the mismatch ("Dear Sir or Madam" closed with "Yours sincerely") is a recognisable slip. The conventions frame the argument; the argument still has to persuade.

The speech: address, rhetoric, call to action

A speech is written to be heard, so it should sound spoken. Its conventions include direct address to the audience (formal "Ladies and gentlemen" or a warmer opening for peers), a strong hook, rhetorical devices (tricolon, repetition, rhetorical questions, direct appeal), personal touches, and a memorable call to action at the end. The Edexcel report rewards speeches that engage the audience and drive toward action, and marks down pieces that read like an essay with no sense of being spoken.

Pitch the register for the audience

As with all transactional forms, the conventions sit on top of audience and purpose. A speech to peers is warmer and more direct than one to a formal gathering; a letter to a friend is informal while a letter to an official is formal. Decide who is listening or reading and pitch the register accordingly, so the conventions are deployed in the right tone.

Try this

Q1. Which sign-off goes with "Dear Sir or Madam", and which with "Dear Mrs Khan"? [2 marks]

  • Cue. "Yours faithfully" with the unnamed "Dear Sir or Madam"; "Yours sincerely" with the named "Dear Mrs Khan".

Q2. Name two conventions that make a speech sound meant to be heard. [2 marks]

  • Cue. Any two of: direct address to the audience, rhetorical devices (tricolon, repetition, rhetorical questions), personal appeal, a memorable call to action.

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 202320 marksPaper 2, Question 8 (letter focus). Write a letter to your local council arguing for better facilities for young people in your area. (The full task is 40 marks; this practice scopes the AO5 strand for the letter form and its conventions.)
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The full task is forty marks (24 AO5, 16 AO6); this scopes the AO5 strand for a letter. A strong letter uses the form's conventions, an appropriate greeting ("Dear Sir or Madam" or a named recipient), a clear structure (purpose, reasons and evidence, action requested), and the correct sign-off ("Yours faithfully" for an unnamed recipient, "Yours sincerely" for a named one), while arguing persuasively in a register suited to the council. Markers reward the letter's conventions used to serve a clear, organised argument; the common slips are the wrong sign-off for the greeting, or a register too casual for an official recipient. The conventions frame an argument; the argument still has to be well organised and persuasive.

Edexcel 201818 marksPaper 2, Question 9 (speech focus). Write a speech to be delivered to your year group persuading them to take part in a charity event. (The full task is 40 marks; this practice scopes the AO5 strand for the speech form.)
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This scopes the AO5 strand for a speech. A strong speech uses the form's conventions, direct address ("Ladies and gentlemen" or, for peers, a warmer opening), a strong hook, rhetorical devices (tricolon, repetition, rhetorical questions), personal appeal, and a memorable call to action, pitched for the audience. Markers reward a speech that engages a live audience and drives toward action; the common ceiling is a piece that reads like an essay with no sense of being spoken, or rhetoric used so heavily it feels mechanical. A speech should sound like it is meant to be heard, and move the audience to do something.

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