IB Writing: choosing the correct text type

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 4,5

Choosing the correct text type

IB

Note that the specifications for paper setters are
that each task should contain:

• a context ... a brief description of the setting, or situation, or issue on which the task is based

Note that the specifications for paper setters are
that each task should contain:

• a context ... a brief description of the setting, or situation, or issue on which the task is based
• an audience ... the people to which the text should be aimed. This may be explicit (e.g. "the students in your school"), but will commonly be implicit (e.g. "you are concerned about social problems at your school", implying that you will address your solution to students and/or staff, depending on the exact task). The target audience will clearly have a strong influence on the choice of the appropriate text type.

Note that the specifications for paper setters are
that each task should contain:

• a context ... a brief description of the setting, or situation, or issue on which the task is based
• an audience ... the people to which the text should be aimed. This may be explicit (e.g. "the students in your school"), but will commonly be implicit (e.g. "you are concerned about social problems at your school", implying that you will address your solution to students and/or staff, depending on the exact task). The target audience will clearly have a strong influence on the choice of the appropriate text type.
• a purpose ... this will arise in general terms out of the context: e.g. to suggest a solution to the given problem or issue

Note that the specifications for paper setters are
that each task should contain:

• a context ... a brief description of the setting, or situation, or issue on which the task is based
• an audience ... the people to which the text should be aimed. This may be explicit (e.g. "the students in your school"), but will commonly be implicit (e.g. "you are concerned about social problems at your school", implying that you will address your solution to students and/or staff, depending on the exact task). The target audience will clearly have a strong influence on the choice of the appropriate text type.
• a purpose ... this will arise in general terms out of the context: e.g. to suggest a solution to the given problem or issue
• 'action verbs' ... the general purpose will be broken down into specific writing purposes in order to deal with the overall task effectively - e.g. 'describe' + 'explain' + 'persuade'

Note that the specifications for paper setters are
that each task should contain:

• 3 optional text types ... these have been selected to fit into the three mark bands used in the Marking Notes for Paper 1 - 'appropriate' (5-6 band)... 'generally appropriate' (3-4 band) ... 'inappropriate' (1-2 band). The three options are presented in random order under each task.

Personal Texts

- blog
- diary
- email
- personal letter
- social media posting / chat room

Professional Texts

- blog                                 - set of instructions

- survey                            - survey                 
- email
- essay
- formal letter
- proposal
- questionnaire
- report

Mass Media Texts

- advertisement                                        - opinion column / editorial

- article (newspaper/magazine)        - pamphlet   

- blog                                                              - podcast
- brochure                                                    - poster
- interview                                                    - public commentary (editorial / 
- leaflet                                                                   readers' letters
- literature                                                    - radio programme
- news report                                              - review

- speech                                                       - travel guide

- web page

Before you start writing:

jot down any complex vocabulary, technical jargon, or idiomatic phrases that pop into your head as you plan your arguments and support so that you don't forget to include them "in the heat of action." 

Identities / Social organisation

A national celebration, involving a great deal of preparation and money, will take place next month. However, many people around you feel this celebration is a waste of time. Write a text in which you describe the key elements of the celebration, explain the importance of the event, and argue that everyone should take part.

                             Brochure            News report              Article 

Identities / Social organisation

Appropriate text type?

Appropriate: Article … an article would reach a wide general audience … and two out of the three elements involve informing, which is a fundamental purpose of an article

Generally appropriate: Brochure … a brochure would have less circulation, and would need to be targeted more

Inappropriate: News report … news reports deal with what has happened, not what is going to happen

Experiences / Human ingenuity

Recently, there have been several reports in the media claiming that the impact of the pandemic has promoted the idea of on-line learning, and proved that it is an excellent system of education. You have now heard that your school is planning a meeting of students and parents to propose an increase in on-line learning. You have mixed feelings about this. Write a text in which you describe both your good and bad experiences, explain the reasons for each, and suggest a constructive solution.

                      Blog                     Speech                          Essay 

Experiences / Human ingenuity

Appropriate text type?

Appropriate: Speech … the best way to communicate your message would be to address the planned meeting – this will reach exactly the people you want to influence

Generally appropriate: Blog … this may be a good way of expressing your experiences, but there is less guarantee that the message will reach the people it should

Inappropriate: Essay … a good form for organising ideas and balancing opposing arguments, but too formal and academic for what is essentially a political situation – and how would it get to the audience?

Social organisation / Experiences

For some time, you have been impressed by the aims of a non-profit organisation, and so when you found an opportunity to do voluntary work with the organisation, you spent four weeks seeing what the organisation does. This personal experience was exciting, but was also disturbing at times. Write a text in which you describe what you felt was exciting, explain why some things disturbed you, and reflect on how the experience may have changed your view of the work of the organisation.

               Review                      Letter to the Editor                      Blog

Social organisation / Experiences

Appropriate text type?

Appropriate: Blog … the task involves expressing personal feelings to a wide, and un-defined audience

Generally appropriate: Letter to the editor … a letter to the editor usually focuses on one particular issue, but this task is more a general reflection on personal experience

Inappropriate: Review … a review is usually concerned with assessing the experience of an artistic performance – this task involves reflecting on a personal experience

Experiences / Identities

You are currently on holiday in a country you have never visited before, and you have just taken part in a social event which is very typical of that country. This event has made a strong personal impression on you, and you wish to share this impression. Write a text in which you describe the event, explain why it made such an impression, and suggest what it may indicate about the culture of that country.

                    Diary              Report                     Email

Experiences / Identities

Appropriate text type?

Appropriate: Email … the two key indicators are that you wish to ‘share’ (so not a diary), and that the main point is that it is a personal impression (and so the audience is most probably personal as well)

Generally appropriate: Report … this text type is intended to be formal and impersonal, and the thrust of the task is about ‘personal’

Inappropriate: Diary … not appropriate, because a diary entry is private and not ‘shared’

Sharing the planet / Social organisation

A recent newspaper article claimed that the government of your country does not do enough to help immigrants integrate into society. You feel strongly about this issue. Write a text responding to this article, in which you summarise the present situation of immigrants, explain whether you think the government’s actions are correct or not, and suggest how the situation could be improved.

            Proposal               Letter to the Editor                 Brochure 

Sharing the planet / Social organisation

Appropriate text type?

Appropriate: Letter to the Editor … the phrase “responding to the article” points to this; and the text is focused on a specific issue

Generally appropriate: Proposal … the task is to respond to the article, and any ‘suggestion’ is only a small part required

Inappropriate: Brochure … a brochure might be appropriate if there was a clear target audience – but there isn’t

Human ingenuity / Social organisation

You have noticed that some of your fellow students seem to be quite unaware of the dangers associated with using social networks wrongly or carelessly. There are dangers in this situation not only for those individuals, but also for the social life of the school. Write a text in which you describe types of mis-use, explain how these can be harmful, and persuade people to use social networks safely.

                    Speech                Article                   Email   

Human ingenuity / Social organisation

Appropriate text type?

Appropriate: Speech … appropriate because the problem is clearly focused on the school community, therefore it would be best to address that community directly

Generally appropriate: Email … this would be more difficult to send out (are email addresses all available?), and a spoken text is more likely to be persuasive than a written one

Inappropriate: Article … but there is no indication of how or where such an article would published, or whether all the students would read it

Identities / Social organisation

It appears that people visiting your country often fail to find out about the local customs in order to fit in well and not to give offence unintentionally. In order to help foreign students visiting your school, write a text which describes typical social behaviours, explains why these are significant, and suggests simple practical rules in order to feel at ease.

             Article                        Set of guidelines                 Proposal  

Identities / Social organisation

Appropriate text type?

Appropriate: Set of guidelines … the key indication is the phrase ‘practical rules’ – the text is required to give easy-to-follow instructions

Generally appropriate: Proposal … this text type usually involves detailed analysis and argument, supported by factual evidence – which would not be necessary or even useful for these visitors

Inappropriate: Article …. but there is no indication of how or where such an article would published, or whether the visiting students would be able to read it

Social organisation / Human ingenuity

Many business leaders are reported as saying that the school curriculum should focus on developing practical skills rather than academic knowledge. One such business leader is a friend of your parents, and you have talked to him/her about this topic and the reasons for his/her views. You wish to make this person’s ideas clear to a wide public. Write a text in which you describe how the conversation developed, make clear the person’s opinions, and explain the reasons for those opinions.

                Essay             Set of guidelines             Interview

Social organisation / Human ingenuity

Appropriate text type?

Appropriate: Interview … the focus of the task is on the conversation itself and how it developed – this includes the central ideas, but not exclusively. In addition, making “this person’s ideas clear to a wide public” indicates some form of journalistic writing.

Generally appropriate: Essay … this form might be generally appropriate for dealing with the central ideas, but we are more concerned with what one person says, rather than with some objective overview (which would indeed require an essay)

Inappropriate: Set of guidelines … the task gives no indication of to whom such guidelines might be addressed – to teachers planning courses? to other business leaders?