IGCSE Persuasive Writing: A Guide to Edexcel Transactional Writing
For the IGCSE Edexcel First Language exam, persuasive writing is assessed via the transactional writing task, found in Section B of Paper 1. Persuasion is one of six possible purposes, alongside informing, explaining, reviewing, arguing and advising, and each task pairs a purpose with a form such as a letter, speech or article. Not every question asks students to persuade, so students need to identify the purpose, plan a response, and adapt their writing to the form and audience.
How to Structure an IGCSE Persuasive Response
For their Transactional Writing task, students will be given a choice of two questions and asked to produce one of the following text types:
An article (for a magazine or newspaper)
A speech
A letter
A guide
A review
The text of a leaflet.
Regardless of their specific text type, students are advised to follow the overall structure of an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The exam prompt will provide them with three bullet points of discussion and candidates are encouraged to dedicate a full body paragraph to each of these bullet points in order to ensure comprehensive coverage of the task’s requirements.
Yet, within this overall structure, candidates are also required to show an awareness of their text type’s specific conventions. For example, using headings and subheadings for an article, appropriate greetings and sign-offs for a letter, or rhetorical devices for a persuasive speech, such as anaphora or rhetorical questions.
How Transactional Writing is Marked
Edexcel’s transactional writing task is worth 45 marks in total. When marking a candidate’s response, Edexcel examiners will refer to the exam board’s four ‘assessment objectives’ (AOs). For this task, a student’s work is graded under AO4 and AO5.
AO4: Communicate effectively and imaginatively, adapting form, tone and register of writing for specific purposes and audiences.
AO5: Write clearly, using a range of vocabulary and sentence structures, with appropriate paragraphing and accurate spelling, grammar and punctuation.
Students can receive a maximum of 27 marks for AO4 and 18 marks for AO5. The Edexcel specification and mark scheme outlines the level bands for each AO. Examiners will award marks within each of these level bands based on the quality of a student’s answer and how securely all bullet points are displayed at that level. Below, the requirements for a Level 5 response (top band) in each AO are outlined.
AO4: Level 5 (Highest band)
Communication is perceptive and subtle.
Task is sharply focused on purpose and the expectations/requirements of the intended reader.
Sophisticated use of form, tone and register.
AO5: Level 5 (Highest band)
Manipulates complex ideas, utilising a range of structural and grammatical features to support coherence and cohesion.
Uses extensive vocabulary strategically; rare spelling errors do not detract from overall meaning.
Punctuates writing with accuracy to aid emphasis and precision, using a range of sentence structures accurately and selectively to achieve particular effects.
Planning a Persuasive Response Under Exam Conditions
Candidates are advised to spend just 45 minutes on the transaction writing question.
Initially, students are encouraged to spend 5-10 minutes planning their response. A quick bullet-point outline will assist in their time management by providing a clear roadmap of their points to refer back to. This helps to prevent repetition, wandering off topic, or running out of ideas midway through the writing process.
To save time in their body paragraphs, candidates are also advised to use the PEEL framework (point, evidence, explain, and link). This approach will, once again, help students to stay on topic and effectively transition between their paragraphs and individual points.
IGCSE Persuasive Writing Example
Below is an example paragraph where a student was tasked with writing a letter of complaint.
Firstly, the train was delayed due to ‘leaves on the line’. It is autumn: leaves must be expected. Such a problem is always disappointing, but normally I’d overlook it as it affects everyone. Unfortunately, on this occasion, I was in a rush to a personal engagement and this delay meant it was going to be impossible to reach my destination on time. When the train eventually pulled into the station, it was disastrously overcrowded. My seat, which I had reserved in advance, was already taken. I tried to ask the passenger to move and showed them my ticket, but they refused. One of your staff came by and I asked them to help me. I was grateful that they took me to first class, but the only remaining seats were filthy and by a table that was full of takeaway rubbish. I stood while waiting for the attendant to clean up, which, thankfully, they did. I do not mean to be facetious, but it is worth noting that your first class passengers are paying to travel in more pleasant and agreeable surroundings, are they not? It was a veritable pigsty. I hope you will urgently address this service shortcoming.
Here, the student has incorporated plausible fictionalised evidence as well as high-level, descriptive vocabulary, all related back to their specific task. Additionally, the response is clearly structured and easy to follow, remaining focused on the task and free from deviation. The student has also employed emotive language throughout the piece—words and phrases like, ‘disastrously overcrowded’, ‘filthy’, and ‘pigsty’. Lastly, they employ a rhetorical question to push the reader towards a pattern of thought that agrees with their perspective.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes, in Edexcel IGCSE First Language it is assessed through the transactional writing task included in Paper 1, Section B. Persuasion is one possible purpose for the task, not a separate question.
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Persuasive writing aims to move the reader towards a view or an action, often using direct address and emotive language. Argumentative writing builds a reasoned case with evidence and acknowledges opposing views. The question’s wording tells students which purpose to follow.
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Useful techniques include rhetorical questions, direct address, the rule of three, emotive language, and counter-argument with rebuttal. Students should choose techniques that suit the form and audience, so a speech calls for different devices than a formal letter.
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