Paper 1 Writing Basics: Purpose, Format, Register and G.A.A.P.

British & IGCSE › Checkpoint 6 English (Cambridge Primary 0058)

In Checkpoint 6 Paper 1, the writing task is worth 25 marks: half of the whole paper. Before you learn any single genre (autobiography, recount, diary, letter, review…), you need the skills on this page. You will learn why you are writing (purpose), what shape the writing must take (format), whether to sound formal or informal (register), how to read the task with the G.A.A.P. technique, how to plan in five minutes and how to build strong paragraphs. Every genre page in this course is built on these foundations, so study this page first.

1. Where the writing task sits in Paper 1

Paper 2 (Fiction) has exactly the same shape (Reading 25 + Writing 25 in 1 hour), but its writing task is a story. Recent Paper 1 writing tasks have included a review of a toy for a children's magazine, a news report for a school newspaper and a balanced argument about where a new recycling centre should go. Other non-fiction types from the curriculum can also appear: letters, persuasive writing, information texts, instructions, recounts, diaries, biographies and articles. That is why this course gives you a pack for every genre.

How your writing is marked (out of 25)

2. Writing purposes vs writing formats

Almost every writing task asks you to do two separate jobs at once. Purpose is *why* you are writing: the effect you want on the reader (to inform, explain, describe, persuade, argue, recount, instruct or entertain). Format is *how the writing is packaged*: its layout, such as a letter, an email, a diary entry, a report, a leaflet or a review.

Students lose marks because they mix these two up. Some think a format always has one fixed purpose ("a report can only inform"). Others think every task must have a format, even when none is named. In fact, one purpose can be written in many formats, and one format can serve many purposes.

Example 1: *"The old playground in your town is going to be closed. Write to convince people that it should stay open."* The purpose is to persuade (the word *convince* tells you). No format is named: there is no "letter", "article" or "speech". So you write normal persuasive paragraphs with a title, and no greeting, address or headline.

Example 2: *"Write a letter to your local council explaining why the playground should stay open."* The purpose is the same (persuade), but now the format is named: a letter. Now, and only now, you use letter layout: greeting, organised paragraphs and a proper sign-off.

The purposes you need to know

The formats you need to know

Same purpose, different formats

1. "Your school is having a 'Kindness Week'. Write to encourage other pupils to take part." Purpose? Format?

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   Purpose: persuade (the word 'encourage'). Format: none named, so write normal persuasive paragraphs with a title. No greeting, no headline.

2. "Write a diary entry about the first day of the summer holidays." Purpose? Format?

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   Purpose: recount and express feelings. Format: diary entry (named), so use the date, Dear Diary, first person and an informal, personal tone.

3. "Write a review of a book you enjoyed for the school library's website." Purpose? Format?

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   Main purpose: inform AND persuade (tell readers about the book and recommend it). Format: review (named), so name the book, describe it without spoiling the ending, give your opinion and a recommendation or rating.

4. "Write about a time when you helped someone." Purpose? Format?

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   Purpose: recount. Format: none named, so write a normal recount: title, events in time order, feelings and a reflection. Do not add Dear Diary or a date line.

5. "Explain to a younger pupil how to look after a class pet." Purpose? Format?

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   Purpose: explain / instruct. Format: none named, so write clear, organised paragraphs (you may use steps). Do not turn it into a letter.

3. Formal vs informal language (register)

Register means how formal or informal your language is. You choose it by asking three questions: Who is reading? Why am I writing? What format has the task named? A letter to a headteacher needs a different register from a diary entry. Choosing the wrong register is one of the easiest ways to lose marks in Creation of texts and Vocabulary, even when your ideas are excellent.

Formal: *"I would be grateful if you could provide more benches in the park."* Informal: *"Can you put some more benches in the park? That'd be great!"* Both say the same thing. Only one suits a letter to the council.

1. Rewrite formally: "Can you help me with my project?"

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   "Could you please assist me with my project?" (or "I would be grateful if you could help me with my project.")

2. Rewrite formally: "I can't come to the match because I'm sick."

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   "I am unable to attend the match because I am ill." (no contractions, more precise words)

3. Rewrite formally: "There's loads of rubbish in the park and it's really bad."

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   "There is a large amount of litter in the park, and the situation is very poor."

4. Rewrite formally: "Sorry, I messed up the poster."

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   "I apologise for the mistakes I made on the poster."

5. Which register for: (a) a diary entry about your birthday, (b) a report for the headteacher about the school trip?

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   (a) Informal: it is private and personal. (b) Formal: the reader is a person in authority and the purpose is to inform.

4. How to read a Paper 1 writing task

Checkpoint tasks rarely say "Write a persuasive article". Usually you get a short situation (a scenario), an instruction, and then some bullet points to help you. Read every part slowly and underline the key words before you plan.

5. The G.A.A.P. technique

Before you write a single sentence, spend the first few minutes breaking the task down with G.A.A.P.: Genre, Audience, Area of content, Purpose. (Some people call it GAP, but it has four parts, not three.) Each letter matches something the examiner checks, so G.A.A.P. is not extra work: it protects your marks.

G = Genre (two parts: layout + topic)

1. Layout: what kind of text must you produce? If a format is named, list its features (for a diary: date, Dear Diary, first person, feelings). If no format is named, write normal paragraphs with a title.
2. Topic: what exactly is the task about? Be precise. Not "school" but "a new after-school club". Not "the environment" but "litter in the school playground".

A = Audience

• Where will it be read? (a school magazine, a newspaper, a letter to the headteacher, a private diary, a class display)
• Who exactly will read it? (children your age, parents, a teacher, the council, yourself)
• So which register? Formal for people in authority and the public. Informal for friends, family and your diary.

A = Area of content

1. Underline every point the task gives you.
2. Use all of them. Do not skip the hardest one: missing a point costs Creation of texts marks.
3. Develop each point. One sentence per point is never enough. Add an example, a reason, a feeling or a detail.

P = Purpose

1. Do a G.A.A.P. for: "Write a recount of a school trip for the class blog. Think about: where you went, what you did, the best moment, what you learned."

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   G: recount for a blog → title, past tense, time order, first person (format named: blog, so a friendly, lively tone). Topic: one school trip. A: classmates and parents reading the blog → friendly but correct, little slang. A: four bullets ('Think about' = suggestions, but use them all). P: recount and entertain → time connectives, feelings, vivid details, a reflection at the end.

2. Do a G.A.A.P. for: "Write a letter to the headteacher asking for longer lunch breaks. Consider: why pupils need more time, what they could do with it, how lessons would not suffer."

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   G: formal letter (named) → Dear…, clear reason in paragraph 1, Yours sincerely, full name. Topic: longer lunch breaks. A: headteacher → formal, polite, no contractions. A: 'Consider' → use at least three points (there are three, so use them all). P: persuade politely → reasons, examples, answering the worry about lessons, a polite request at the end.

3. Do a G.A.A.P. for: "Write a biography of a person from your town that you admire, for a school booklet."

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   G: biography (named) → title, third person, past tense, sub-headings, dates, a quotation. Topic: one admired local person. A: readers of a school booklet (pupils, parents, teachers) → formal and clear. A: no bullets given, so use the biography structure (early life, education, work, achievements). P: inform (and show admiration) → facts, dates, achievements, why they will be remembered.

6. The 5-minute plan

Your plan is not marked, so keep it short: key words only, never full sentences. A good plan takes about five minutes and saves you from forgetting a bullet, repeating yourself or running out of ideas halfway.

Example plan for the club task: Title: *Checkmate! Why We Need a Chess Club.* P1 Hook: question → "What if one hour a week could make us better thinkers?" + my idea. P2 What it does: learn rules, puzzles, mini-tournament, older pupils teach younger. P3 Who joins: Years 4 to 6, beginners welcome, no cost. P4 How it helps: concentration, patience, friendship, maths. P5 What it needs: 10 chess sets, one classroom, a teacher to supervise, parents could donate sets. P6 Ending: "Give us one hour and we will give you a school of thinkers."

7. Timing inside your 30 minutes

If you finish the reading section early, give the extra minutes to the writing. If you are running out of time, write a short final paragraph rather than leaving the piece without an ending: an ending is part of the Structure mark.

8. Paragraphing

A paragraph is a group of sentences about ONE main idea. In Checkpoint, good paragraphs earn marks in Structure of texts (7 marks): the examiner wants a clear opening, a body in a sensible order and an ending. Start a new paragraph when you change topic, time, place or person speaking.

The shape of a strong body paragraph

9. Strong sample (no format named)

Notice: this task names no format, so the answer has a title and paragraphs, with no greeting, no headline and no sign-off. Every bullet has its own paragraph.

10. Common mistakes

• Starting to write without reading the whole task, then missing a bullet point.
• Inventing a format: writing 'Dear Headteacher' or a newspaper headline when the task never asked for a letter or a report.
• Mixing two formats, for example starting like a letter and ending like a diary.
• Using the wrong register: slang and 'gonna' in a formal piece, or stiff, formal words in a diary.
• One long block of writing with no paragraphs.
• Mentioning each bullet in one short sentence instead of developing it with details and examples.
• No ending: the piece just stops when time runs out.
• Writing too little: 60 words or fewer caps your mark at 7 out of 25.

11. Practice task

1. Practice: "Many children spend most of their weekends indoors. Write to persuade pupils of your age to spend more time outdoors at the weekend. Consider: • what they could do outside • how it helps their bodies and minds • how families can join in • what they miss by staying inside." Write a short plan (G.A.A.P. + paragraph boxes).

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   G: no format named → title + persuasive paragraphs, no greeting. Topic: spending weekends outdoors. A: pupils my age → friendly but correct, direct 'you'. A: 'Consider' → at least 3 bullets, use all 4. P: persuade → question opening, examples, imagine-picture, objection answered, call to action. Title: 'Switch Off, Step Out'. P1 Hook: 'When did you last feel grass under your feet?' + position. P2 What to do: cycling, football, planting, a picnic in the park, flying a kite. P3 Body and mind: stronger, better sleep, calmer, less screen tiredness. P4 Families: Friday walk by the Nile, grandparents' garden, family match. P5 What you miss: sunsets, real friends, adventures. Answer the objection 'it's too hot': go early morning or evening. P6 Call to action: 'This weekend, choose one hour outside.' Link back to the title.