,Section B: Transactional
Writing
This section in the exam comprises TWO responses. ONE is compulsory. The other is a choice between
two formats. You should spend approximately 20 minutes on each response. Any THREE of the following
formats will be examined:
Email
Blog
Speech
Open letter
Editorial
Eulogy
What you need to know (taken and adapted from the IEB Subject Assessment
Guidelines 2023):
Questions in this section will be based on a response to a given text/ photograph/ advertisement/ literature
studied. The focus of the question is the ability to construct an appropriate personal response to the
prompt, and to choose the correct format, style and register for the given context, purpose and
audience. The body of each piece should be between 250 and 300 words in length.
Quick Tips:
Your writing is a PERSONAL RESPONSE to the article or text given to you – do NOT summarise the
information given to you. When examining the prompt, focus on what it makes you think and feel and
consider what you have seen or read or experienced that can help you substantiate the validity of your
response.
Look at the instructions and consider:
Format & Purpose
Tone & Register Audience
Jot down some ideas that you can organise into coherent paragraphs. Remember an introduction, body
and conclusion.
BODY PARAGRAPHS CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION
Offer each of your points Conclude with a strong
Outline the topic and with evidence to suggestion.
reason for response. substantiate and explain
your response
Go! (You’re almost done )
XANTHIPI THEOPHANOUS 2
, Abbreviated rubric:
ASSESSMENT RUBRIC: TRANSACTIONAL WRITING (20 MARKS=
10 + 10)
Level Mark PURPOSE AND CONTENT (RESPONSE) COMMAND OF LANGUAGE AND REGISTER
(LANGUAGE
IMPRESSIVE, SCINTILLATING IMPRESSIVE
7+ 10 Full compliance to purpose and format Impressive use of language conventions
9 Sophisticated cognisance of audience Elegant style and thoroughly engaging
Significant, with impressive detail Appropriate tone and mood
Impressive, superior organisation Highly sophisticated diction
Compelling, striking and highly original Virtually error free
Supplied text is used only as stimulus
LIVELY, ORIGINAL EXCELLENT
7 8½ Focused response to purpose and audience Highly sophisticated use of language conventions –
Comprehensive, insightful and reflective effectively varied sentence patterns
8 Cohesive and clear development Lively, precise and engaging with excellent
Original, sincere and creative understanding of register
Supplied text is used only as stimulus – no Carefully selected diction
cutting and pasting into transactional piece.
GOOD TO VERY GOOD (ABOVE GOOD TO VERY GOOD
6 7½ AVERAGE) Competent use of language conventions – varied
7 Mostly consistent focus, understanding and sentence patterns
thought Fluent and original with good understanding of register
Good personal style OR good development (lively/ sincere/ humorous where appropriate)
and depth Some editing needed
Supplied text is used generally as stimulus –
limited cutting and pasting integrated with own
ideas
ADEQUATE (AVERAGE) ADEQUATE
6½ Broadly meets purpose and requirements of Appropriate use of language – some attempt to
5 6 task include different sentence patterns
Ordinary and predictable, although sincere in Ordinary but competent
places Occasional errors
Some ideas not completely developed
Supplied text is used as stimulus on occasion
– cutting and pasting integrated with own ideas
LIMITED (BELOW AVERAGE) LIMITED
4 5½ Limited success in meeting purpose and Limited range of syntactic structures
5 requirements of task Register is not consistent with task
Superficial, limited style Colourless or repetitious language
Inconsistent organisation of ideas – requires Errors may begin to impede readability
further elaboration
INADEQUATE, COMPROMISED INADEQUATE
3 Compromised and marginal at times Flawed use of language – limited range of syntactic
4½ Insufficient depth, development and structures
4 organisation of ideas Register is inappropriate for task
Vague in places Stereotyped
Errors severely impede readability – extensive editing is
required
POOR, MUDDLED POOR
3½ No awareness of purpose of task Very flawed use of language
2 3 Limited cohesion Frequent errors impede understanding
Unconvincing
INCOHERENT INCOHERENT/INAPPROPRIATE
1 2½ Completely flawed response – does not Incoherent language/inappropriate language.
2 answer question Preponderance of errors of style. Illogical.
1 No cohesion or development
XANTHIPI THEOPHANOUS 3
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