Expressive Writing — Letter to Younger Self

Task: Write a letter to your younger self offering advice for the years ahead.

Your writing will be marked for the accurate and effective use of spelling, punctuation and grammar and the range of your vocabulary and sentence structures.

[30 marks: 24 for AO5 + 6 for AO6/SPaG]

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Mark Scheme — Band 5 (25–30 marks):

• AO5: Letter conventions observed (greeting, sign-off) but not slavishly. Authentic, intimate second-person voice ('you'). Tone calibrated — warm but not saccharine; honest without bleakness. Reflective insight that earns its advice.
• AO6: Direct address handled with grammatical precision. Modal verbs ('you will', 'you should', 'you might') varied for tonal nuance. Apostrophes (it's/its, you're/your) flawless.

Indicative top-band features:

• Specific advice rooted in concrete moments, not generic platitudes.
• One memorable extended image or metaphor.
• Tonal range — moves between humour, tenderness, and gravity.
• Closing line carries emotional weight without sentimentality.