Audience and Purpose

From a museum leaflet: Hey, explorers! Did you know that some dinosaurs were as small as chickens? Grab your Fossil Passport from the front desk and see if you can find all ten hidden footprints around the museum. Every footprint you spot gets a stamp. Collect all ten and you'll earn your very own Junior Palaeontologist badge!

Who is the intended audience of this text?

• ATeachers planning a school trip
• BScientists studying dinosaur fossils
• CYoung children visiting the museum✓
• DAdults reading a museum guidebook

Answer: The text calls readers 'explorers', sets a footprint hunt and offers a 'Junior Palaeontologist badge', all aimed at children. It gives teachers no planning information.

From a museum leaflet: Hey, explorers! Did you know that some dinosaurs were as small as chickens? Grab your Fossil Passport from the front desk and see if you can find all ten hidden footprints around the museum. Every footprint you spot gets a stamp. Collect all ten and you'll earn your very own Junior Palaeontologist badge!

Which feature most clearly shows that the writer is targeting this audience?

• AThe detailed scientific names given for each dinosaur species
• BThe formal tone and the long, complex sentences throughout
• CThe information about ticket prices and opening times
• DThe playful 'Hey, explorers!' and the promise of a badge✓

Answer: A friendly greeting, a 'Did you know' fact, a game and a reward appeal to children. The leaflet uses no species names, prices or formal language.

From a newspaper advertisement printed in 1856 for an invented product, Dr Fenwick's Restorative Pills. Are you troubled by weariness, low spirits or a sluggish liver? Do you rise in the morning more tired than when you lay down? Then try DR FENWICK'S RESTORATIVE PILLS, praised by clergymen, physicians and ladies of the highest rank. One box will restore the bloom of youth. Sold by every respectable chemist, at one shilling and three-halfpence the box.

What is the main purpose of this text?

• ATo inform readers on liver disease
• BTo advise readers to see a doctor
• CTo persuade readers to buy the pills✓
• DTo entertain readers with a comic tale

Answer: It names the product in capitals, makes a bold promise and gives the price and where to buy it, so its purpose is to sell. The illnesses are mentioned only to make readers want the pills.

From a newspaper advertisement printed in 1856 for an invented product, Dr Fenwick's Restorative Pills. Are you troubled by weariness, low spirits or a sluggish liver? Do you rise in the morning more tired than when you lay down? Then try DR FENWICK'S RESTORATIVE PILLS, praised by clergymen, physicians and ladies of the highest rank. One box will restore the bloom of youth. Sold by every respectable chemist, at one shilling and three-halfpence the box.

How does the advertisement try to win the reader's trust?

• AIt gives scientific evidence from careful trials of the pills on patients
• BIt says the pills are praised by respected people such as clergymen and physicians✓
• CIt admits honestly that the pills may not work for every reader
• DIt offers readers a free sample of the pills before they buy a box

Answer: Naming 'clergymen, physicians and ladies of the highest rank' borrows the authority of respected groups. No evidence is given, and the advertisement promises a cure rather than admitting limits.

From a twenty-first-century letter to a local councillor. (The names are invented.) Dear Councillor Patel, I am writing on behalf of residents of Elm Road to request that a pedestrian crossing be installed outside Greenfield Primary School. In the past twelve months, residents have recorded three near-misses involving children. We would be grateful for the opportunity to discuss this matter at the next ward meeting. Yours sincerely, Hannah Price

What is the purpose of this letter?

• ATo complain about the behaviour of local children
• BTo thank the councillor for a new road crossing
• CTo invite residents to a school open evening
• DTo request road-safety action from the council✓

Answer: The writer states it directly: 'to request that a pedestrian crossing be installed'. The near-misses are evidence for the request; there is no crossing yet to thank anyone for.

From a twenty-first-century letter to a local councillor. (The names are invented.) Dear Councillor Patel, I am writing on behalf of residents of Elm Road to request that a pedestrian crossing be installed outside Greenfield Primary School. In the past twelve months, residents have recorded three near-misses involving children. We would be grateful for the opportunity to discuss this matter at the next ward meeting. Yours sincerely, Hannah Price

Why does the writer use a formal register throughout?

• ATo entertain the councillor with a light-hearted request
• BTo make the letter easy for young pupils to understand
• CTo sound credible and respectful to an official with power to act✓
• DTo show that the writer is angry and wants to criticise the council

Answer: Phrases such as 'I am writing on behalf of' and 'We would be grateful for the opportunity' suit a letter to a councillor and make the request seem serious and reasonable. The polite tone shows no anger.

From a twenty-first-century blog post for students: Look, I'm not going to tell you to revise for ten hours a day. I tried that in Year 11 and ended up crying into a highlighter. What actually worked? Twenty-five minutes on, five minutes off. Phone in another room. One subject per session. And sleep, which sounds boring until you realise your brain does half its filing while you're unconscious.

What is the main purpose of this blog post?

• ATo persuade students to stop revising
• BTo advise students on practical revision✓
• CTo entertain readers with stories about school
• DTo inform parents about exam dates

Answer: The post gives specific tips (timed sessions, phone away, one subject, sleep). The anecdote about crying into a highlighter is there to support the advice.

From a twenty-first-century blog post for students: Look, I'm not going to tell you to revise for ten hours a day. I tried that in Year 11 and ended up crying into a highlighter. What actually worked? Twenty-five minutes on, five minutes off. Phone in another room. One subject per session. And sleep, which sounds boring until you realise your brain does half its filing while you're unconscious.

How does the writer adapt the text for a teenage audience?

• AA chatty tone and a personal confession make it relatable✓
• BTechnical terms and statistics make it sound scientific
• CA formal tone and long paragraphs make the advice authoritative
• DStrict commands and warnings make it sound official

Answer: 'Look, I'm not going to tell you…' and admitting 'I tried that in Year 11 and ended up crying' make the writer sound like a peer. The language is informal, with no technical terms or statistics.

From a review on a specialist cycling website. (The bike is invented.) The new Arrow GX frame weighs just 980 grams, and the stiffer bottom bracket transfers power noticeably better on climbs. The 12-speed groupset shifts crisply under load, though the hydraulic discs needed bedding in. At £3,200 it is not cheap, but for club riders racing at weekends, it is hard to beat.

Who is the most likely intended audience?

• AYoung children learning to ride a bike
• BParents buying a first bike for a child
• CExperienced cyclists with technical knowledge✓
• DReaders who have never ridden a bike

Answer: The review assumes knowledge of terms such as 'bottom bracket', 'groupset' and 'bedding in' and recommends the bike for 'club riders racing at weekends'.

From a review on a specialist cycling website. (The bike is invented.) The new Arrow GX frame weighs just 980 grams, and the stiffer bottom bracket transfers power noticeably better on climbs. The 12-speed groupset shifts crisply under load, though the hydraulic discs needed bedding in. At £3,200 it is not cheap, but for club riders racing at weekends, it is hard to beat.

How does the writer's vocabulary suit this audience?

• ATechnical terms are carefully defined for complete beginners
• BSimple everyday words are chosen so that anyone can follow
• CSpecialist terms such as 'bottom bracket' are used without explanation✓
• DSlang and jokes are used to appeal to young readers

Answer: Using jargon without definitions shows the writer expects readers to know it already, which suits experienced cyclists. No term in the review is explained.

From a letter written in 1872 by an invented father, Robert Linley, to his son, who is starting at boarding school. My dear boy, You will find the first weeks hard, and you will be homesick; there is no shame in that. Be civil to the masters, be honest with your friends, and never strike a boy smaller than yourself. Write to your mother every Sunday, for she will look for your letter at breakfast on Tuesday as a sailor's wife looks for the sea. Your loving Father

What is the main purpose of this letter?

• ATo scold his son for bad behaviour at the school
• BTo advise and reassure his son starting school✓
• CTo inform his son about the history of the school
• DTo persuade his son to leave the school early

Answer: The father reassures ('there is no shame in that') and advises ('Be civil', 'be honest', 'Write to your mother'). His son has not yet started, so there is no bad behaviour to scold.

From a letter written in 1872 by an invented father, Robert Linley, to his son, who is starting at boarding school. My dear boy, You will find the first weeks hard, and you will be homesick; there is no shame in that. Be civil to the masters, be honest with your friends, and never strike a boy smaller than yourself. Write to your mother every Sunday, for she will look for your letter at breakfast on Tuesday as a sailor's wife looks for the sea. Your loving Father

Why does the father include the simile 'as a sailor's wife looks for the sea'?

• ATo warn his son that his mother is planning to move to the coast
• BTo suggest his mother would rather not hear from him often
• CTo persuade his son to write by showing his mother's longing✓
• DTo encourage his son to join the navy after school

Answer: A sailor's wife anxiously watches the sea for her husband's return, so the simile shows the mother's longing and gives the son a reason to write every Sunday. It is a comparison, not a plan to move or a career suggestion.

From a twenty-first-century animal shelter's fundraising email: Meet Pickle. She was found tied to a railing in December, so thin you could count her ribs. Today she's chasing tennis balls and stealing socks. Pickle was lucky. Right now, 40 more dogs are waiting in our kennels for their second chance. A monthly gift of just £5 keeps a dog fed for a week. Will you help the next Pickle?

What is the main purpose of this email?

• ATo inform readers how to train a rescue dog
• BTo persuade readers to donate money✓
• CTo advertise dogs that are for sale cheaply
• DTo entertain readers with funny dog stories

Answer: It ends by asking for 'A monthly gift of just £5' and 'Will you help the next Pickle?'. Pickle's story serves the appeal.

From a twenty-first-century animal shelter's fundraising email: Meet Pickle. She was found tied to a railing in December, so thin you could count her ribs. Today she's chasing tennis balls and stealing socks. Pickle was lucky. Right now, 40 more dogs are waiting in our kennels for their second chance. A monthly gift of just £5 keeps a dog fed for a week. Will you help the next Pickle?

Why does the writer begin with Pickle's individual story?

• AOne named dog makes the cause feel personal and moving✓
• BIt proves that rescue dogs recover quickly once they are fed
• CIt shows that the shelter has just one dog left to rehome
• DIt gives readers technical advice on caring for a dog

Answer: A named dog with a before-and-after story ('so thin you could count her ribs', 'stealing socks') gives readers someone to care about before the request. The email says 40 more dogs are waiting.

From a twenty-first-century newspaper column: Tipping has got out of hand. You buy a coffee, and the card machine asks whether you'd like to add 10, 15 or 20 per cent. You collect a takeaway yourself, and the screen asks again. Staff deserve a fair wage, of course. But that wage should come from employers, not from customers made to feel guilty at a till.

What is the writer's main purpose in this text?

• ATo persuade readers to tip more generously in cafés
• BTo argue that employers, not customers, should pay staff fairly✓
• CTo inform readers how card machines calculate tips
• DTo complain about the quality of takeaway coffee

Answer: The final sentence states the argument: the wage 'should come from employers, not from customers'. The card-machine examples support that case rather than explaining how the machines work.

A charity advert tells a funny story about a clumsy rescue dog and ends by asking for donations. Which best describes its purposes?

• ATo instruct and to describe
• BTo entertain and to persuade✓
• CTo inform and to advise
• DTo explain and to review

Answer: The funny story entertains, and the request for donations persuades; texts often combine purposes, with entertainment serving persuasion.

From a twenty-first-century newspaper column: Tipping has got out of hand. You buy a coffee, and the card machine asks whether you'd like to add 10, 15 or 20 per cent. You collect a takeaway yourself, and the screen asks again. Staff deserve a fair wage, of course. But that wage should come from employers, not from customers made to feel guilty at a till.

How does the writer make the argument seem balanced?

• ABy giving the views of café owners and staff in quotations
• BBy accepting that staff deserve fair wages before arguing✓
• CBy listing statistics on wages from several different countries
• DBy admitting that the writer always tips twenty per cent

Answer: 'Staff deserve a fair wage, of course' concedes a point, so the following 'But' sounds reasonable rather than mean. The column contains no quotations or statistics.

A writer changes 'Kids, grab your mates and come along!' to 'Parents are warmly invited to attend with their children.' Why?

• ATo make the invitation appeal more to children
• BTo change the purpose to informing about history
• CTo add humour so the invitation is more fun
• DTo adapt the register for formal adult readers✓

Answer: The rewrite swaps slang ('grab your mates') for formal phrasing and addresses parents, which changes the register to suit adults. It makes the text less childlike, not more.

A public notice printed in 1849 by an invented town council. NOTICE. Cholera having appeared in the neighbouring parishes, the inhabitants of this town are earnestly requested to keep their yards and privies clean, to whitewash their houses with lime, and to report any case of sickness to the Board of Health without delay. Persons found throwing refuse into the river will be prosecuted. By order of the Council.

What is the main purpose of this notice?

• ATo entertain residents with news from the neighbouring parishes
• BTo persuade residents to vote for members of the Board of Health
• CTo instruct and warn residents to stop disease spreading✓
• DTo describe the history of cholera in the town over many years

Answer: The notice responds to cholera nearby with a list of actions and a warning of prosecution. It gives no history and asks for no votes.

A public notice printed in 1849 by an invented town council. NOTICE. Cholera having appeared in the neighbouring parishes, the inhabitants of this town are earnestly requested to keep their yards and privies clean, to whitewash their houses with lime, and to report any case of sickness to the Board of Health without delay. Persons found throwing refuse into the river will be prosecuted. By order of the Council.

How does the final sentence before 'By order of the Council' change the tone of the notice?

• AIt shifts from polite requests to a stern threat of punishment✓
• BIt shifts from stern threats to a polite and friendly request
• CIt shifts from formal language to chatty, informal language
• DIt shifts from instructions to a hopeful prediction of recovery

Answer: Earlier, residents are 'earnestly requested'; then 'Persons found throwing refuse into the river will be prosecuted' threatens legal action. The language stays formal throughout.

Which sentence from a campaign leaflet is a call to action?

• A'Our town has lost four bus routes since 2019.'
• B'Many older residents now feel very cut off.'
• C'Sign our petition at the town hall by Friday.'✓
• D'The council meets on the first Monday of May.'

Answer: A call to action tells the reader what to do; 'Sign our petition' is an imperative with a deadline. The others state facts or describe the problem.

From a twenty-first-century website article. (The village is invented.) You won't BELIEVE what this Yorkshire village is hiding! From a sweet shop that hasn't changed since 1952 to a pub with a ghost who reportedly 'pours his own pint', Thornby is the quirkiest place you've never heard of. Number 4 will make you want to pack your bags today. Scroll down to find out more.

What is the main purpose of this text?

• ATo amuse readers and tempt them to keep reading✓
• BTo give a balanced history of a Yorkshire village
• CTo warn readers about a dangerous ghost in a pub
• DTo instruct readers on how to run a sweet shop

Answer: Capitals, exclamation, quirky details and 'Scroll down to find out more' are designed to amuse and keep readers on the page. The ghost is a light-hearted detail ('reportedly'), not a warning.

From a twenty-first-century website article. (The village is invented.) You won't BELIEVE what this Yorkshire village is hiding! From a sweet shop that hasn't changed since 1952 to a pub with a ghost who reportedly 'pours his own pint', Thornby is the quirkiest place you've never heard of. Number 4 will make you want to pack your bags today. Scroll down to find out more.

Which feature is mainly designed to keep the reader clicking and scrolling?

• AThe date given for the sweet shop that has stayed unchanged
• BThe name of the village, Thornby, in the second sentence
• CThe teaser 'Number 4 will make you want to pack your bags today'✓
• DThe inverted commas placed around 'pours his own pint'

Answer: The teaser promises something exciting without revealing it, so readers must scroll to find out. The date, the name and the quotation give information rather than holding back.

From a speech at a school prize-giving evening: Parents, governors and, most importantly, the students sitting at the front trying not to look at their phones: good evening. Twenty years ago I sat where you are sitting. I won nothing. Not a single prize. I'm telling you this because tonight is a celebration, and you should be proud, but if your name isn't called, I promise you, your story is nowhere near over.

Who is the speaker most directly trying to reach?

• AParents worried about the cost of school
• BGovernors choosing next year's prizes
• CTeachers who organised the evening
• DStudents who may not win prizes tonight✓

Answer: The speaker singles out students as 'most importantly' and ends with a promise to anyone whose 'name isn't called'. Parents and governors are greeted but are not the focus.

From a speech at a school prize-giving evening: Parents, governors and, most importantly, the students sitting at the front trying not to look at their phones: good evening. Twenty years ago I sat where you are sitting. I won nothing. Not a single prize. I'm telling you this because tonight is a celebration, and you should be proud, but if your name isn't called, I promise you, your story is nowhere near over.

How does the speaker build a connection with the students?

• ABy gently teasing them and sharing their own past failure✓
• BBy listing the prizes the speaker won at the school
• CBy using formal language and complex statistics
• DBy criticising the parents for being too strict

Answer: The joke about students 'trying not to look at their phones' and the admission 'I won nothing. Not a single prize.' make the speaker relatable. The speaker won no prizes, so there are none to list.

From a letter to a newspaper written in 1869 by an invented reader. Sir, I beg leave to address your readers, who live in airy squares and take their exercise in carriages, upon a subject they may never have considered. The labouring families of this city have no garden but the gutter and no air but the smoke of the foundries. A public park would cost each of your readers less than a single evening at the opera. Is that too high a price for the health of a hundred thousand souls?

Who is the intended audience of this letter?

• AWealthy readers who may know little about the poor✓
• BLabouring families living near the city's smoky foundries
• CChildren who want a new place to play outside in the city
• DOpera singers who perform in the city during the season

Answer: The writer describes his readers as people 'who live in airy squares and take their exercise in carriages', and suggests they 'may never have considered' the subject. The labouring families are the subject, not the audience.

From a letter to a newspaper written in 1869 by an invented reader. Sir, I beg leave to address your readers, who live in airy squares and take their exercise in carriages, upon a subject they may never have considered. The labouring families of this city have no garden but the gutter and no air but the smoke of the foundries. A public park would cost each of your readers less than a single evening at the opera. Is that too high a price for the health of a hundred thousand souls?

How does the writer try to persuade this audience?

• ABy threatening readers with legal action if they refuse to pay for it
• BBy comparing the park's small cost to them with its great benefit to the poor✓
• CBy describing his own experience of working in one of the foundries
• DBy offering to pay the full cost of the new park out of his own pocket

Answer: He sets 'less than a single evening at the opera' against 'the health of a hundred thousand souls', then asks a rhetorical question that makes refusal seem selfish. He writes as an outsider to the foundries and makes no threat.

From a twenty-first-century recipe for beginners: Don't panic: pancakes are easier than they look. Whisk 100g plain flour, 2 eggs and 300ml milk until smooth (lumps are fine at first; keep going). Heat a little oil in a frying pan until it's hot but not smoking. Pour in just enough batter to coat the bottom, swirl, and wait about a minute. When the edges lift, flip it. Your first one will probably be a disaster. Everyone's is. Eat it anyway.

What is the main purpose of this text?

• ATo instruct readers how to make pancakes✓
• BTo argue that pancakes are better than waffles
• CTo describe the history of Pancake Day
• DTo review a local pancake restaurant

Answer: The text gives quantities and step-by-step commands ('Whisk', 'Heat', 'Pour', 'flip'), which is the form of instructions.

From a twenty-first-century recipe for beginners: Don't panic: pancakes are easier than they look. Whisk 100g plain flour, 2 eggs and 300ml milk until smooth (lumps are fine at first; keep going). Heat a little oil in a frying pan until it's hot but not smoking. Pour in just enough batter to coat the bottom, swirl, and wait about a minute. When the edges lift, flip it. Your first one will probably be a disaster. Everyone's is. Eat it anyway.

How does the writer reassure an inexperienced audience?

• ABy using precise scientific terms to explain how the batter cooks
• BBy warning that one small mistake will ruin the whole batch
• CBy saying early mistakes are normal and making light of them✓
• DBy insisting that readers follow a strict professional method

Answer: 'Don't panic', 'lumps are fine at first' and 'Your first one will probably be a disaster. Everyone's is. Eat it anyway.' make failure seem normal and funny. The tone is relaxed rather than strict.

From a twenty-first-century open letter published online. (The company and river are invented.) An open letter to FreshFlow Water. You have pumped untreated sewage into the River Wren on 212 occasions this year. Your chief executive received a bonus of £1.4 million. Our children can no longer swim where we swam. We are not asking for an apology. We are asking you to publish a date by which this will stop, and we will be watching.

Why has the writer made this letter 'open' rather than sending it privately?

• ATo keep the complaint secret from the company's other customers
• BTo ask the chief executive for a private meeting about bonuses
• CTo put public pressure on the company by letting all see it✓
• DTo thank the company publicly for cleaning up the river

Answer: An open letter is published for all to see, so the company is embarrassed in public; 'we will be watching' adds to the pressure. Publishing it is the opposite of keeping it secret.