Writing (Paper 2): Task Analysis, Register and Genre Control
Paper 2 (Writing) is worth 25% and lasts 2 hours. Part A is a short task of about 200 words; Part B is a long task of about 400 words, chosen from several options. The paper tests whether you can write for a specified reader, purpose and format, not whether you can produce error-free sentences on a familiar topic.
What the markers reward
- Content: every bullet in the question is covered and developed, not merely mentioned.
- Language: range and accuracy together - complex sentences that hold together, precise vocabulary, register that fits the reader.
- Organisation: paragraph functions are obvious (opening, development, close), with linking that shows real relationships such as contrast, cause and concession.
Task analysis before you write
Spend two or three minutes identifying role, audience, purpose, genre conventions, register and required content points. A letter to the editor needs a formal, impersonal tone and one clear stance. A blog post for classmates can use contractions and direct address. The same idea, written in the wrong register, loses language marks.
Worked example
Prompt (Part A): You are chairperson of the Environmental Club. Write an email to members inviting them to a beach clean-up; give the date and meeting point, say what to bring, and explain why it matters (about 200 words). Reasoning: the purpose is to inform and persuade, so the message needs logistics plus motivation. Format: subject line, salutation, four short paragraphs (purpose, logistics, significance, call to action), sign-off with your name and role. Register: friendly but organised - contractions are fine, slang is not. A closing such as 'Please reply by Friday so we can confirm numbers with the ferry company' turns an invitation into a realistic, task-fulfilling email rather than a notice.
Traps that cost marks
- Leaving out one bullet: content marks fall even when the language is strong.
- Writing a story when the task asks you to argue, or a bare list when it asks you to evaluate.
- Register slips: casual greetings in a proposal, contractions throughout a formal report.
- Memorised opening formulas that do not answer the specific question.
- Under-length answers, which usually signal undeveloped ideas rather than tight writing.
- No paragraphing: a wall of text hides your structure from the marker.