AOS 2: Creating and Presenting

The Written Explanation

WHAT IS THE WRITTEN EXPLANATION?You are required to produce a written

explanation in which you discuss and analyse the choices you’ve made in your writing.

The explanation should be written after you’ve written your response.

It is not included in the word count and should be around 200-300 words in length.

The written explanation is worth 3 marks.

You need to explain how you have drawn on the selected text (Freedom Writers).

You need to reflect your understanding of the context and concisely explain what you want to convey to the audience, and how you are responding to the prompt.

You need to use metalanguage to explain the decisions you’ve made about the specific structures and features.

You need to discuss how the language choices of authors have influenced these decisions.

WHAT DO YOU INCLUDE?

You need to explain the choices you have made in regards to the following

components:Form

LanguageAudiencePurposeContext

You also need to consider the relationship between

these aspects.

FLAP+C

What form have you chosen and why?Why is the chosen form appropriate for your response? Did you change the form as you developed the piece?

Explain how the process you went through in developing the final product.

FORM

Explain the language choices you have made.Why have you chosen to use it? How does it suit the form?

Explain specific choices you have made in your writing. E.g. Why did you use a specific metaphor? How did you convey the

tone of your piece?How have you taken into consideration the language choices

made by the author? Give examples.If creating a range of shorter texts, how do the ideas explored and the language choices you have made vary in each text and

why?

LANGUAGE

This is where you need to use metalanguage.Expository Writing:

Tone (authoritative, formal, serious, balanced, reflective, objective, subjective)

Voice – usually third person, or first person for reflective pieces.

Structure of paragraphs and sentences – do your ideas link and build up to make a bigger statement?

Adjectives, adverbs and verbs – do they reflect the author’s language choices?

LANGUAGE CONTINUED

Persuasive Writing:Persuasive language that will influence your audience. E.g. Emotive language, repetition, emotional appeals, rhetorical questions, irony,

humour etc.

Don’t over do it! Don’t make up facts, over exaggerate or make personal, racist or sexists attacks.

Structure: are arguments set out logically? Is there a clear contention with supporting arguments? Have you rebutted opposing

views in the last paragraph?

LANGUAGE CONTINUED

Imaginative Writing:Explain how you have reflected the language used by the author of

the text studied, consider:Narrative voice: 1st, 3rd person, dialogue use

Narrative structure: chronological? Flashback?

Setting: explain similarities and/or differences between your writing and the text

Characterisation – what aspects of the characters have you explored?

Figurative Language: metaphors, similes, personification, symbolism, alliteration, analogy.

Vocabulary choices, adjectives, adverbs, verbs, formal and informal language, tone, “rule of three”.

Sentence structure and subverting language conventions e.g. Grammatically incorrect

LANGUAGE CONTINUED

Who are you writing for?This will be informed by the form you have chosen.

It will also influence the language choices you make.E.g. Colloquial and casual language will not be appropriate

for an newspaper.

AUDIENCE

Why are you writing?What impact do you want to have on the reader? What do

you want them to think/feel/believe?How are you conveying your understanding of the context?

E.g. To make them see the complexities of an issue? To persuade? To entertain? To make them laugh? To allow

them to empathise with others?Be specific.

PURPOSE

You need to explain how your writing reflects your understanding of the context as suggested by the prompt.

What ideas from the text are you drawing on that relate your writing to the prompt?

Discuss characters that you refer to.Refer to specific parts of your writing that show

understanding of the context.

CONTEXT (AND TEXT)

You don’t need to write in the order suggested here, just ensure you have covered each part of FLAP+C.

The focus is on giving a specific explanation of the choices you have made in your writing so that you can most

effectively show your understanding of the context, prompt and text and so you can write to the best of your ability.

FINALLY...

Read the sample statements carefully, identifying how they have included FLAP+C.

Read your own statement that you have written for the practise SAC to see if you have addressed all aspects of the

prompt. Rewrite the statement, ensuring you have included specific references to language choices in your work and in the film

itself.

YOUR TURN