The text types you need to know how to write + sample questions
In all English exams your school can instruct you to write your response to a question in a specific text type which means that we can't just assume that it's going to be an essay!
Here are some examples of a couple of text types that examiners frequently ask students to write and each have different and specific requirements which, if implemented well, will aid you in achieving an A-band mark. I’ve also included some sample practice questions so you can see how these questions can be asked.
Feature Article
Make sure to include:
Title
Date
By-line (someone’s name)
“Dialogue” should be written as though you’ve interviewed someone.
I.e. “I’m great at writing metaphors,” says Shakespeare.
Short paragraph structures
Example question:
You have been commissioned to write an opinion article for the Sydney Morning Herald arguing the merits of studying Hamlet in the modern curriculum. Making close reference to the text and its key concepts, evaluate the benefits of Shakespeare to a student’s education.
Speech
Make sure to include:
Title
Date
By-line
Location
LOTS of rhetorical question
Short paragraph structures – 150 ish words each max
Fluctuate between first person narrative and second person narrative – “Now you might be thinking…”
Could be anecdotal and conversational, think about the audience they have stipulated, if they haven’t given you an audience to write for, define your audience yourself
Example question
You are the speaker for The Law Society’s monthly This Evening With… speech and have been asked to discuss “The value of Shakespeare in the modern curriculum.”
Write a speech making close reference to the text and its key concepts, evaluating the benefits of Shakespeare to a student’s education.
Transcript (radio, tv, interview)
Make sure to include:
Title
Date and location of recording
Date of transcribing
List of speakers, written like this:
Ben Richards (BR), Head of Music at Blah School
Susie Smith (SS), Head of English at Blah School
William Shakespeare (WS), playwright
And then the first time a speaker speaks in the actual transcript you would write their name like this:
Ben Richards (BR): I would like to start by saying…
And then the second time they speak:
BR: And I’m going to continue to say this
Make sure to have one central figure in your transcript, they will mediate the discussion. Use the central interviewer to move onto your next argument.
Listener questions that are submitted earlier to drive the discussion and structure it like your paragraphs from your essay
Example Question
You are the host of ABC Radio National’s This Evening With… show and will be interviewing the playwright William Shakespeare and literary critic and historian Jeremy Piven. The topic of discussion is: “The value of Shakespeare in the modern curriculum.”
Write a transcript of the interview making close reference to the text and its key concepts, evaluating the benefits of Shakespeare to a student’s education.
A Series of Diary Entries
Make sure to include:
Dear Diary
Date
Sign off at the end
Short paragraphs
First person narrative
Very little dialogue – a lot of “he said” and “she said”
Fluctuate between short and long entries
Example question
Use the stimulus below to inspire:
At least three (3) diary entires
A maximum of six (6) diary entries
A series of three diary entries from three different perspectives