What is transactional writing?

Transactional writing is non-fiction writing that communicates information.

You might be asked to write:

- An article
- A letter
- A speech
- An email
Paper 1: Non-fiction texts and
Transactional Writing
Section B: Transactional Writing

Assessment Objectives:

AO4 = communicate imaginatively and effectively, adapting tone, form 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, punctuation and grammar
What techniques do I need to use in
transactional writing? – persuasive techniques
What techniques do I need to use in
transactional writing? – descriptive techniques
Question 6/7: AO4 (27 marks) and AO5
(18 marks)
Writing for a purpose e.g. an article, a speech
What structure should I use?
A speech:
A speech often follows a three part structure:
- a highly engaging and motivational opening
- a well-structured argument with several main points that include
objection handling
- a dynamic and memorable conclusion
What structure should I use?
A Letter:
A formal letter has a conventional structure. The sender’s postal address goes in the top right hand corner. The
recipient’s postal address is written to the left and slightly below this with the date underneath.
A letter then opens with the greeting ‘Dear…’ If you do not know the name of the person you are writing to (for
example if you were emailing a company about a product, rather than a particular person that works there),
the convention is to start your letter with: ‘Dear Sir/Madam’.
The initial paragraph usually outlines the overall aim of the letter, and the conclusion summarises the main
points.
Conventionally, there are different ways to end a letter, depending on the addressee.
If you have named the recipient at the start, (eg Dear Mr Banks/Dear Freya) your letter ends with ‘Yours
sincerely’.
If you haven’t named the recipient at the start (eg Dear Sir/Madam) your letter ends with ‘Yours faithfully’.
What structure should I use?
An article:
The basic structure of an article for a newspaper, magazine or
website, is usually in three parts:

opening – engaging the reader, or outlining the main point of the

article
middle – a series of paragraphs that go into more detail
end – a concluding paragraph that draws the points together
Homework
Use the essay structure and plan I send you to help write an answer to
this question:

Your local newspaper is publishing a series of articles entitled “We All

Need Help Sometimes”. Write an article for the newspaper describing a
time someone has helped you or when you have helped someone else.
(18 marks)
Homework
Audience

Your local newspaper is publishing a series of articles entitled “We All

Need Help Sometimes”. Write an article for the newspaper describing a
time someone has helped you or when you have helped someone else.
(18 marks)
Form Purpose