Situational Writing for Primary School

Content (6 marks)

- achieve the content marks for the 5+1 listed points

- does not have to be in chronological order so long ideas flow in a coherent/smooth and logical manner

Language (9 marks)

Language 

- Are your sentences grammatical? (tense, subject-verb agreement, sentence structure)

- Is your writing punctuated well? 

- Are your words spelt correctly?

Organisation 

- Are you able to sequence and link your ideas well?

Context 

- Are you able to demonstrate, through writing, that you are understand and are aware of the purpose, audience and context?

Understanding CONTEXT

• There is always a PURPOSE behind every piece of writing. For example, when a writer composes a letter to the residents of her block about her missing rabbit, the purpose or goal is to persuade others to help her look out for her pet. Similarly, in a report, the writer may need to persuade a someone in authority to take action to improve something.

• Therefore it is important to consider the P-A-C of your writing task as follows:
• Purpose (WHY the text is being written, the goals of your writing)
• Audience (WHO will read your writing, what is the RELATIONSHIP with the reading audience)
• Context (WHAT is the background of or situation/circumstances of task)

To put it in a table format

P-A-C	Key Question	Specific Details
Purpose	Why am I writing this?	·      To announce? ·      To inform? ·      To report? ·      To complain? ·      To inquire?
Audience	Who am I addressing?	·      Is my audience someone important? ·      Relationship – Is my audience someone of higher authority or is she/he my peer? ·      Have I greeted my audience appropriately?
Context	What is the situation/circumstances? What genre should it be in?	·      Am I using the right tone? ·      What style? Informal or formal? ·      Have I written an appropriate closing? ·      Does the format of my writing suit the requirement of the type of writing required?

TIPS for ensuring your 15 marks 

STEP 1:          Read the question, paying close attention to ‘Your Task’.

STEP 2:          Identify the text form, purpose and audience.

Determine if it is to be a formal piece of writing or an informal one. (This will play a large role in the language that you choose to use as you will be able to portray the correct TONE through language choice).

STEP 3:          Look at the pointers.

Using your highlighter, highlight the relevant information from the stimulus that will enable you to ‘answer’ those questions.

STEP 4:          Begin to write.

STEP 5:          Check your work. Ensure that the greeting and sign-off are accurate.

As you read, number each point that answers a question. In total, you should have numbered 1 – 6. If you are short, it means that you have missed out a point. In addition, this strategy will enable the marker to identify your points quickly.