International GCSE English Language A - Additional guidance on the transactional writing tasks for International GCSE English Language A - Paper 1

Oct 20, 2026

Uploaded by jay

International GCSE English Language A: additional guidance on transactional writing tasks for Paper 1, covering the expected features of each set text type. It explains how students should plan responses by considering audience, form and purpose, and how to structure writing in continuous prose with sequenced paragraphs and clear organisation. It also outlines when sparing bullet points may be used, what the mark scheme expects under “form”, and provides specific notes for articles, letters, reviews, speeches, and guides/leaflets. Published April 2024.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time8 min

AccessFree to download

Format and structuring of texts

Planning responses by audience, form and purpose

Continuous prose vs bullet points

Mark scheme expectations for organisation and structure

Text type guidance

Article

Letter

Review

Text for a speech

Guide or leaflet

International GCSE English Language A Additional guidance on the transactional writing tasks for International GCSE English Language A Additional guidance on the transactional writing tasks for International GCSE English Language A (linear and modular), Paper 1 Guidance on the transactional writing types that have been set (sample assessment materials to the November 2023 exam series) You can access a full summary of all questions set (Edexcel Online login required for the most recent paper summary) . Paper 1 text types which have been set: l Article for a magazine or newspaper l Speech l Letter l Guide l Review l Text of a leaflet. The questions set may refer to a digital location for the texts, such as a website. This does not impact on the expected format of the writing. This document provides additional reassurance and guidance on the expected features of each form for transactional writing, addressing some frequently asked questions. Format and structuring of texts For each text type, students should think about the audience, form and purpose named in the question and plan a response which addresses those. The response should be written in continuous prose, and students should not, for example, attempt to reproduce graphically the appearance of a newspaper article using a larger font headline, images or columns. Students should use linguistic features (for example, paragraphs, different sentence types, discourse markers and content) to structure their writing in effectively sequenced paragraphs. Every mark scheme, regardless of text type, under ‘form’ notes: ‘There should be clear organisation and structure with an introduction, development of points and aconclusion’. For some text types, predominantly an article or a section for a guide/leaflet, it may be appropriate to make sparing use of bullet points in addition to continuous prose. However, for most tasks, structuring writing in sentences and paragraphs is recommended. The mark scheme for each question paper gives an outline of the expected form of responses. Teachers and students can look back over past mark schemes to see the comments for each text type set. Examiners emphasise in each mark scheme that students may use a range of approaches when responding to the question, indicating that they will accept any reasonable response to the question set. | Text type | Notes | | --- | --- | | Article | Students may include:
l Headline/title, strapline, sub-headings if appropriate.
l An introductory (overview) paragraph containing the whole article in a nutshell.
l Effectively sequenced paragraphs explaining each aspect of the article in more detail.
Not required:
l Columns, images, or by-line. | | Text type | Notes | | --- | --- | | Letter | Students may include:
l An appropriate initial greeting and letter ending, according to the formality of the context named in the question (‘Dear Sir/Madam’ with‘Yours faithfully’; ‘Dear Ms Prendergast’ with ‘Yours sincerely’) or for informal/peer audiences (‘Dear Jamal’ with ‘Best wishes, Sam’) .
l Other typical formulations such as‘I look forward to hearing from you’for letters of application or requests for action from a headteacher, for example.
l A date as this is a usual feature of a handwritten letter. Not required:
l Addresses of sender or recipient.
l Any special layout with addresses. | | Text type | Notes | | --- | --- | | Review | No special features are expected. | | Text type | Notes | | --- | --- | | Text for a speech | Students may include:
l A suitable opening which makes clear that an audience is being addressed.
l A suitable closing formulation to flag to the audience that the speech/ talk is ending.
No other special features are expected. Students should not format their writing as a script. | | Text type | Notes | | --- | --- | | Guide or leaflet | Students may include:
l Present some information using bullet points, but the

FAQs

How should students plan responses for Paper 1 transactional writing tasks?

Students should think about the audience, form and purpose named in the question, then plan a response that addresses them.

What is the expected structure for transactional writing?

Responses should be written in continuous prose and structured effectively using linguistic features such as paragraphs, different sentence types and discourse markers. The mark scheme expects clear organisation with an introduction, development of points, and a conclusion.

Are bullet points allowed for every transactional text type?

Bullet points may be used sparingly for text types such as an article or for a guide/leaflet section, but for most tasks, structuring through sentences and paragraphs is recommended.

Oct 20, 2026

Uploaded by jay