English · Writing
Plan for purpose and audience
Select content and register suitable for one stated purpose and audience.
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Write for the Right Reader
This video shows how to choose content and a style of language that suit the task and the reader. Watch an 11+ English question solved step by step.
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Quick quiz: Plan for purpose and audience
10 questions, with feedback after each one. No sign-up needed.
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Question 1
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Your class is writing a short guide for parents visiting the school's new Pet Corner during Open Evening. The guide must reassure parents that the animals are looked after safely and hygienically. The readers are adults who have never seen the school's animal enclosures before and may worry about cleanliness. Mrs Chen wants the guide written formally, since it represents the school to visiting families.
Which note belongs in the plan?
- A.describe funny things the class hamster does during lessons
- B.use casual slang and jokes to keep parents entertained
- C.include a step-by-step guide on how to hold a hamster correctly
- D.mention the daily cleaning rota to show the animals are well cared for
Question 2
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The school office needs a poster to tell Year 3 pupils about a new after-school Homework Club starting next week. The poster must make pupils excited to try the club rather than see it as extra work. Year 3 pupils are eight years old and often think homework clubs sound boring compared to playing outside. The office manager wants a bright, playful tone with simple words.
Which note belongs in the plan?
- A.mention that there will be games and snacks, not just homework, so it sounds fun
- B.list the exact staff qualifications required to run the club
- C.explain the school's official homework policy for all year groups
- D.write in long, formal sentences suited to a staff memo
Question 3
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Our eco-club has been asked to design labels for new recycling bins in the school canteen so that younger pupils sort their rubbish correctly. The labels must reduce mistakes, since staff say many items currently end up in the wrong bin. The canteen is used by Year 1 and Year 2 pupils, who are five and six years old and recognise pictures better than written words. The labels should feel encouraging, not like a telling-off.
Which note belongs in the plan?
- A.write a detailed paragraph explaining the chemistry of recycling plastics
- B.list statistics about national recycling rates for the whole school to read
- C.use a stern warning sentence telling pupils off for putting rubbish in the wrong bin
- D.show a clear picture of an apple core next to the food-waste bin
Question 4
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Our teacher has asked us to help write a note home so that parents give permission and pay for the Year 5 museum trip on time. The note must clearly state the deadline and cost so that no child misses the trip through a late form. Parents reading the note are busy adults who need the key facts quickly, not a long description of the museum. The tone should be polite and businesslike, as is usual for letters home.
Which note belongs in the plan?
- A.put the deadline date and exact cost in a short, clear sentence near the top
- B.describe every exhibit the museum has in detailed, exciting language
- C.include a chatty joke about the coach journey to keep it fun
- D.explain the museum's history across several long paragraphs for interested parents
Question 5
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Your school library is starting a new reading club and needs a poster to persuade pupils to join. The poster must convince Year 5 and 6 pupils that the club is fun, not like extra homework. These pupils already know where the library is but have never been to a club meeting before, so they are unsure what actually happens there. The poster will be pinned up in the school corridor where pupils walk past quickly between lessons.
Which note belongs in the plan?
- A.mention that the club counts towards a reading certificate at the end of term
- B.describe the comfy beanbags and the chance to vote on which book to read next
- C.list the exact publication dates of every book in the library's collection
- D.write in a formal tone with phrases like 'members are cordially invited to attend'
Question 6
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Our class is holding a bake sale to raise money for new playground equipment, and the poster must persuade parents to come along and buy cakes on the day. The poster will be displayed near the school gate, where it will be seen by parents collecting children, most of whom already know about the playground fundraising appeal from previous newsletters. The poster should sound polite and inviting, not childish, since parents will read it while standing at the gate. Please keep every sentence short enough to read in a few seconds.
Which note belongs in the plan?
- A.give the date, time, and price of cakes so parents can plan to bring change
- B.explain what playground equipment is and why children enjoy playing outside
- C.use exclamation marks and playful rhymes to sound like a birthday party invitation
- D.describe how the whole fundraising appeal started three terms ago in detail
Question 7
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The school office is drafting a letter asking parents to volunteer as helpers at Sports Day next month. The letter must clearly persuade parents to sign up for a specific job on the day. It will be sent to parents across the whole school, many of whom have never helped at a school event before and do not know what jobs are usually needed. The letter should remain formal and polite, since it comes from the head teacher's office.
Which note belongs in the plan?
- A.add a joke about parents getting sunburnt while cheering on the sidelines
- B.assume readers already know the difference between a marshal and a timekeeper
- C.list the available jobs, such as marshal or water station, with a short description of each
- D.describe the medal ceremony that happens at the very end of the day
Question 8
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The eco-committee is launching a new recycling drive, and you have been asked to write a short speech for the Year 6 assembly. The speech must persuade pupils to use the new recycling bins properly every day. It will be read aloud to Year 6 pupils who studied recycling in detail back in Year 4 and already understand why it matters. These pupils dislike being told things they already know. The committee wants the speech to sound like a call to action, not a lecture.
Which note belongs in the plan?
- A.remind them how long plastic bottles take to decompose
- B.explain from scratch what recycling means and why it is important
- C.state formally that pupils are required to comply with the new bin-sorting protocol
- D.challenge Year 6 to become the first class to fill every bin correctly this half term, so it feels like their mission
Question 9
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The PTA needs a leaflet to encourage parents to bring a cake to the summer fete. Many of the parents are very busy and have never baked for the school before, so they may feel unsure about what is expected. The leaflet must reassure them that any simple cake is welcome and make donating feel easy. It will be handed out at the school gate alongside other fete notices. The head teacher wants it to sound warm and friendly, not like a formal notice.
Which note belongs in the plan?
- A.explain the full history of the school fete over the past twenty years
- B.write in a stiff, formal tone listing donation deadlines only
- C.give an example of a shop-bought cake being perfectly fine, so nervous parents feel reassured
- D.include a complex recipe for a three-tier sponge with fondant icing
Question 10
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The town library has asked our class to write a short newsletter piece to encourage Year 4 pupils to join the summer reading challenge. Most of these pupils have never used the library before and may feel a little shy about walking in alone. The piece must make joining feel simple and unthreatening. It will be printed in the school newsletter next to a photo of the reading corner. The librarian wants a warm, welcoming tone rather than a strict set of rules.
Which note belongs in the plan?
- A.list the Dewey Decimal categories so they can find advanced sections quickly
- B.describe the architecture of the library building in detail
- C.write a strict list of overdue book fines and rules
- D.mention that a friendly librarian will help them find their first book, so they don't feel alone
Questions parents ask about plan for purpose and audience
What this skill involves, common mistakes and ways to practise it at home.
Select content and register suitable for one stated purpose and audience. It is one of 41 named English skills in the 11+, in the writing strand, and this page carries a 10-question quiz to practise it.
The skill map draws the line here: Planning only, not judging a finished composition. A question past that line is testing a different named English skill, which is worth knowing before you spend a week practising the wrong one.
Try the skill quiz on this page. Check each answer, read the explanation and try again. No account is needed. Answers are sent for marking without saving an assessment record.
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