NAME: _______________ CLASS:___________

WEEKLY SUMMARY
TERM 3 - WEEK 19 (02/01- 05/01/2024)
★ Learning objectives:

Subject Focus area Resources & Materials Homework

Writing: Persuasive writing - PowerPoint, Worksheet - Complete this

- Persuasive languages - Reading Conventions: worksheet
English Reading: School garbage Unit 8, pg 16,17 - Practice Quiz
on Canvas
(optional)

PERSUASIVE WRITING
1. What is Persuasive Writing?
Persuasive Writing is used to convince or persuade a reader that the writer's opinion of a topic
or cause is correct.

2. Structure of a persuasive letter

Introduction:
- Greeting ( Dear Ms/ Mr…, / To whom it may concern,)
- Introduce the topic you are writing about and state your opinion.
Body:
- Back up your opinion with reasons and facts.
- Offer a solution
Conclusion:
- Restate your opinion and main arguments.
- Closing farewell (Kind regards, Yours sincerely,…)
and name.

3. Persuasive language:
a. Rhetorical question: is one that does not require an answer.
E.g. Have you ever noticed the overflowing garbage bins in our school?
b. Personal pronouns: we,our, you, your,…
c. Modal verbs: could, may, might, will, would, should, ought to, must,…
d. Adjectives and Adverbs.
e. Emotive language: to make readers feel something
E.g. The dog was abandoned in a filthy street.
f. Strong arguments
g. Evidence to support the writer's viewpoint: use facts, figures, quotes,

1
Practice:
Read this letter and answer the questions:

Dear Mayor Stinson,

I would like to raise with you the issue of plastic pollution in our oceans. This is something
that has become a major concern and I hope something can be done to help address this
terrible problem.
Did you realise that huge amounts of the plastic which cannot be recycled ends up in landfill
or in our oceans? Plastic can take anything between 20 and 1000 years to decompose. In this
time, it presents a serious danger to sea life and our natural environment. Even when being
degraded into tiny fragments, plastic has been found to make up huge floating garbage patches
in the middle of the ocean.
Furthermore, fish and other marine life often mistake small pieces of plastic for food, which
can lead to them choking or being poisoned by it. Other creatures such as sea turtles have been
commonly known to become entangled or injured by plastic debris floating in the ocean.
One solution could be to increase the charges for single-use plastic, in order to discourage
people from using it. For example, when the government introduced a 5p charge for single-use
plastic bags in supermarkets, it reduced their use by 85%.
I would like to know what measures you plan to take in order to prevent the further build-up
of plastic in our oceans and in other parts of our natural environment.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
John Smith

Questions:
1. Who wrote the letter? And why did he write it?

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2. Summarise two main arguments explaining plastic pollution becoming a major concern
mentioned in the letter.
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3. What is a solution the author mentioned to discourage people from using plastic?

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4. What is the rhetorical question used in the letter?

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