Cambridge IGCSE First Language English Text Types

Posted on May 5, 2022 by Lux Writing Center

The Cambridge IGCSE First Language English Papers 1 and 2

require students to write in various genres, or text types. These
include Newspaper report, Magazine article, Journal, Interview,
Speech, and Formal letter. Here are some suggestions to help
students improve their writing for these exams.

NEWSPAPER REPORT

Language features to keep in mind:

Five W’s: Who, What, When, Where, Why

Third Person
Past tense (usually)
Direct Speech: speech reproduced exactly as it was spoken, in
inverted commas
Reported Speech: He told us not to do that.

Format:
Unlike other accounts of events, which are usually
chronological, news reports generally follow this order:

Summary of recent event

Background to event
Return to immediate situation
Response of those involved
Look ahead to near future

Some suggestions:

Include a headline, a summary of the report in note form

Make your headline short
The first sentence should sum up the story
Write in 3rd person, past tense
Break it up into short paragraphs
Use both direct and reported speech
Be objective and formal
Keep opinions and personal reactions out
It is known, Was reportedly, It was reported, It is also
believed, According to, It is thought
MAGAZINE ARTICLE

Purpose: Discursive (asks you to investigate a topic; to gather,

read and evaluate evidence; and to present a position on your
topic based on the evidence gathered)
Structure: A balanced range of views on a topic; the writer’s
opinion may be stated at the end, but no view is conclusive)
Style: Quotations and reported speech are often included to
convey the views of relevant experts or interviewees
Voice: More colloquial and indicative of personality rather
than other types of response, but still professional

Some suggestions:

Include a catchy title

Write a dramatic opening (hook)
Use sub-headings
Personal/anecdotal style
Repetition to keep the reader engaged
Humor and idioms
 Rhetorical questions
Varied sentence structures

JOURNAL ENTRIES

Journal is a record of events that occurred in the writer’s life.

It may be their emotions, ideas, or beliefs.
The purpose of writing a journal is to reflect, it is a personal
piece of writing and the response to a question should be
subjective.

Language features to keep in mind:

Rhetorical questions: asked in order to create a dramatic

effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer.
Emotive language: language evoking an emotional reaction
Anecdotes: short amusing or interesting story about a real
incident or person.
Humor: amusing or comic
Idioms: group of words established by usage as having a
meaning not deducible from those of the individual words
(Under the weather, Spill the beans, Break a leg, It’s the best
thing since sliced bread).
 Colloquial language: informal, everyday spoken language,
usually with emphasis on geographic region (Wicked good,
soccer vs football, truck vs lorry, bloke)

What to include:

Date of entry
First person writing
Use of the past tense when recounting events that have
happened before writing about them
Recounting events that have happened and references to time
Focusing on key moments
Personal feelings
Thoughts/ feelings/actions for the future

How to write a journal entry

Write the date and day at the left-hand side of the page.
Write from a first-person point of view; use of the word ‘I’ in
your writing.
Self-reflective tone. It should be a recollection of memory;
thinking back on something you’ve done or seen.
 Your journal should only reflect on incidents or observations
that happened recently.
Your thoughts and viewpoints should be expressed with
emotive language, giving the reader more insight into feelings.
Past or future tense, depending on whether writing about
recent events or anticipating future events or situations.
Rhetorical questions increase the reader’s curiosity and
improve your work.

INTERVIEW

Genre Features:

Purpose: Informative
Structure: The interviewer asks three questions (the question
bullet points given) and each is answered relatively in about half
a page of full sentences; paragraphs not necessary.
Style: As this is a spoken genre, the interviewee can speak
somewhat informally, using contractions, but must use full and
linked sentences for fluency and a range of vocabulary for
interest.
 Voice: The personality of the interviewee, as inferred from
the passage, should be evident from their responses to the
questions.

Language features to keep in mind:

Rhetorical questions: asked in order to create a dramatic

effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer.
Emotive language: language evoking an emotional reaction
Anecdotes: short amusing or interesting story about a real
incident or person.
Humor: amusing or comic
Idioms: group of words established by usage as having a
meaning not deducible from those of the individual words
(Under the weather, Spill the beans, break a leg, It’s the best
thing since sliced bread).
Colloquial language: informal, everyday spoken language,
usually with emphasis on geographic region (Wicked good,
soccer vs football, truck vs lorry, bloke)

SPEECH
Language features to keep in mind:

Rhetorical questions: asked in order to create a dramatic

effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer.
‘And ain’t I a woman?’
Hypophora: raising and answering a question.
‘There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights,
“When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long
as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police
brutality.’ -MLK
Direct address: “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your
ears.” -Mark Antony, Julius Caesar
Emotive language: language evoking an emotional reaction
I have a dream that…one day right there in Alabama little
black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little
white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers…” -MLK
Imperatives: verb form used to give a command
“Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you
can do for your country.” -JFK
Anecdotes: short amusing or interesting story about a real
incident or person.
“Standing on the coastal plain, I was saddened to think of
the tragedy that might occur if this great wilderness was
consumed by a web of roads and pipelines.” -Carter, Arctic
Refuge

Some suggestions:

In the first-person point of view.

Address the audience
Use “we” to refer to the audience at times during your speech:
evokes a sense of unity rather than division. It unites the crowd
and creates a sense of oneness in them.
Clear topic sentences with separate ideas for each paragraph.
This helps your speech be coherent.
Informal language is OK to connect with the audience.
Keep the sentences short so you don’t deviate from the topic.
Helps the listener follow you. It also ensures your sentence
structure is perfect.
End appropriately (thank the listeners).

FORMAL LETTER

Genre Features:
 Purpose: Persuasive or argumentative
Structure: Begins with “Dear…” Then, 3-4 paragraphs:
1. Explain why you are writing with appropriate references.
2-3. Give the details of the complaint, request or case being
presented.
4. Ask for the desired response (e.g., for an issue to be
reconsidered, or for a refund).
End with “Yours sincerely” or “Yours faithfully.”
For the exam, you do not need an address or date (which
normally do on formal letters).
Style: Formal in terms of sentence structure and vocabulary,
in order to sound impressive and authoritative.
Voice: Impersonal and polite, even when expressing strong
demands or opinions.

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IGCSE First Language English Paper 2: Descriptive Writing
Posted on May 6, 2022 by Lux Writing Center

The Cambridge IGCSE First Language English Paper 2 is title

Directed Writing and Composition. Section A tests both reading
and writing skills. You can check out our previous post on
genres to learn more about that. Section B, though, tests only the
student’s writing skills.

Section B of Paper 2 gives the student four options to choose

from: two descriptive prompts and two narrative prompts. This
post will give some suggestions for succeeding in the descriptive
writing.

Below are sample descriptive prompts:

Write a description with the title ‘The playground.’

Write a description with the title, ‘The factory’.
Write a description of a place where animals are kept in
captivity, such as a zoo, wildlife park or
sea-life centre.
Describe the inside of an interesting shop.
 Describe waking up to find the scene around you has
changed.
Describe a group of tourists outside an attraction.

Mark Scheme

24 marks are given for style and accuracy: Precise, well-chosen

vocabulary and varied sentence structures, chosen for effect;
consistent well-chosen register suitable for the context; spelling,
punctuation, and grammar almost always accurate.

16 marks are given for content and structure: Many well-defined

and developed ideas and images create a convincing overall
picture with varieties of focus.

Descriptive Skills

Metaphors: Compares two dissimilar things saying it is

something else
“He was a beaten dog.”
Similes: Directly compares two dissimilar things.
“He looked the way a beaten dog might look.”
 Sensory details: words that stir any of the five senses: touch,
taste, sound, smell, and sight.
Personification: Speaks of concepts or objects as if they had
life or human characteristics.
“ I saw a crowd, / A host, of golden daffodils; / Beside the
lake, beneath the trees, / Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.”
-“I Wandered Lonely….”, Wordsworth
“April is the cruellest month, breeding / Lilacs out of the
dead land” -The Waste Land, by Eliot
“Her heart was divided between concern for her sister, and
resentment against all the others.” -Pride and Prejudice, Austen
Adjectives: words that describe the qualities or states of being
of nouns (enormous, silly, yellow, fun, fast).
Hyperbole: exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be
taken literally.
Juxtaposition: placing two elements close together or side by
side. This is often done in order to compare/contrast the two, to
show similarities or differences, etc.

Varied Sentence Structure

Simple: has one independent clause.

I read the novel.
 Compound: has two independent clauses.
I read the novel, but I did not like it.
I read the novel because it was homework.
I read the novel; it was amazing.
Complex: has one dependent clause joined to an independent
clause.
Because I was lucky, I did not get caught.
Whenever I study, we don’t have a pop quiz.
Compound-Complex: has two independent clauses joined to
one or more dependent clauses.
While I was studying, Tom was gaming; however, he
already knew the material.
Variety of sentence openings:
The biggest coincidence that day happened when John and
I ended up seeing each other.
Coincidentally, John and I ended up seeing each other that
day.
In an amazing coincidence, John and I ended up seeing
each other that day.
Guided by some bizarre coincidence, John and I ended up
seeing each other that day.
Short and long sentences
Some points to keep in mind

Show don’t tell.

Point of view movement; zoom in on different objects of
focus.
Think of a photograph.
There will be some components of narration (action and
movement), but avoid writing a narrative.
Complex and effective, but not difficult for your reader;
instead, it shows thought-out organization and progression.
Engaging and interesting.