Writing Skills and Reflective Commentary
Mastering directed writing and justifying linguistic choices in a reflective commentary.
The Cambridge A Level English (9093) Paper 2, Section A, presents a unique challenge: to produce a directed writing piece and then write a reflective commentary analysing your own work. These two components are intrinsically linked and equally weighted, demanding both creative application and analytical precision.
### Part 1: The Directed Writing Task
Directed writing is a task where you must create a new text in response to a provided source text (or texts). You will be given specific instructions regarding the new text's context, audience, and purpose. The key to success is to deconstruct the prompt using the G.A.P.F. framework:
* Genre/Form: What type of text are you creating? Is it a letter to the editor, a speech, a news report, a blog post, an advertisement, or an opinion column? The form dictates conventions of layout, structure, and language.
* Audience: Who are you writing for? The target audience determines the appropriate register (formal, informal, semi-formal), tone (persuasive, humorous, serious, critical), and level of complexity in your diction (word choice).
* Purpose: What is the goal of your writing? Are you trying to persuade, inform, argue, advise, entertain, or satirise? Your purpose is the driving force behind every linguistic choice you make.
Your task is to adopt a specific persona and create a piece that is stylistically appropriate for the given G.A.P.F. This involves skilfully manipulating linguistic features. You must demonstrate control over style, which is the cumulative effect of your choices in diction, syntax (sentence structure), and use of figurative language or rhetorical devices. For instance, a speech aimed at persuading young people would likely use inclusive pronouns ('we', 'our'), rhetorical questions, and a more energetic, direct tone compared to a formal report for a government committee.
### Part 2: The Reflective Commentary
The reflective commentary (typically 120-150 words) is not merely a summary of what you wrote; it is a justification of *how* and *why* you wrote it. Its purpose is to demonstrate your understanding of the linguistic choices you made to fulfil the task's requirements. It is an analytical exercise performed on your own creative output.
A strong commentary follows a clear structure and uses precise linguistic terminology.
Structure for a Reflective Commentary:
* Point: State the linguistic choice you made.
* Evidence: Provide a brief, quoted example from your text.
* Explain: Explain the intended effect of this choice on the specified audience.
For example: "To create a persuasive tone, I used the rhetorical question, 'How many more communities must suffer?'. This was intended to engage the reader emotionally and compel them to agree with my argument. Furthermore, my choice of formal diction, such as 'imperative' and 'systemic', was designed to establish credibility and appeal to the audience's sense of logic."
* Tone and Register: How did you establish a formal, informal, sarcastic, or empathetic voice?
* Diction: Why did you choose specific words (e.g., emotive, technical, simple, complex)?
* Syntax: How did you use sentence structure (e.g., short, punchy sentences for impact; long, complex sentences for detailed argument)?
* Rhetorical Devices: Did you use repetition, rhetorical questions, triplets, or hyperbole to persuade or engage?
* Structure: How did you organise your paragraphs and ideas to build a cohesive argument or narrative?
The two pieces, your directed writing and your commentary, form a symbiotic whole. The quality of your commentary is dependent on the clarity and deliberateness of the choices made in your creative piece. Therefore, you must write with conscious intent, always considering how you will justify your stylistic decisions later.
Key Points to Remember
- 1Deconstruct every directed writing task using the G.A.P.F. (Genre, Audience, Purpose, Form) framework.
- 2Manipulate style, register, and tone to suit the specific requirements of the task.
- 3The reflective commentary is an analytical justification, not a summary, of your writing choices.
- 4Structure your commentary by stating your aim, then linking specific linguistic choices to their intended effects.
- 5Use precise terminology (e.g., diction, syntax, emotive language, formal register) to analyse your own work.
- 6Provide brief, direct quotes from your writing as evidence for the points made in your commentary.
- 7Ensure your directed writing piece and commentary are cohesive and clearly linked.
- 8The commentary must explain *why* choices were made to achieve a specific purpose for a particular audience.
Pakistan Example
Addressing Urban Flooding in Karachi
Imagine a directed writing task based on a source text—a Dawn news report detailing the chaos caused by monsoon rains and urban flooding in Karachi. The task is to write a speech as the city's mayor, to be delivered at a press conference, outlining a new infrastructure plan and reassuring the public. **Directed Writing Application:** The student would write a speech using a formal but empathetic **tone**. They would use inclusive language ('our city', 'we will rebuild') to create a sense of unity, employ a clear problem-solution **structure**, and use direct address ('My fellow citizens...') to connect with the **audience** (the public of Karachi and the media). The **purpose** is to inform, reassure, and project an image of control. **Reflective Commentary Application:** The commentary would then explain these choices: 'I adopted a formal yet reassuring **tone** to project authority while showing empathy. The use of inclusive pronouns like 'our' was intended to foster a sense of shared responsibility. To make the plan clear, I structured my speech with distinct sections for the problem and our proposed solutions, using straightforward **diction** to ensure the message was accessible to a wide audience watching on television.'
Quick Revision Infographic
English — Quick Revision
Writing Skills and Reflective Commentary
Key Concepts
Addressing Urban Flooding in Karachi
Imagine a directed writing task based on a source text—a Dawn news report detailing the chaos caused by monsoon rains and urban flooding in Karachi. The task is to write a speech as the city's mayor, to be delivered at a press conference, outlining a new infrastructure plan and reassuring the public. **Directed Writing Application:** The student would write a speech using a formal but empathetic **tone**. They would use inclusive language ('our city', 'we will rebuild') to create a sense of unity, employ a clear problem-solution **structure**, and use direct address ('My fellow citizens...') to connect with the **audience** (the public of Karachi and the media). The **purpose** is to inform, reassure, and project an image of control. **Reflective Commentary Application:** The commentary would then explain these choices: 'I adopted a formal yet reassuring **tone** to project authority while showing empathy. The use of inclusive pronouns like 'our' was intended to foster a sense of shared responsibility. To make the plan clear, I structured my speech with distinct sections for the problem and our proposed solutions, using straightforward **diction** to ensure the message was accessible to a wide audience watching on television.'