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Year 8 English — Reading: why the writer wrote it

Work out why a piece was written and who it was written for, and say what a particular sentence in it is doing.

Name: ________________________

  1. 1.Answer in one word. The lake piece says a plastic bag thrown into the lake stays there for a hundred years. Which single word does the piece itself use for that length of time?

  2. 2.Match each opening line to the kind of writing it begins.

    • Dear Sir, I am writing to complain about the state of the road outside our school.
    • Take two cups of rice and wash them well.
    • It was the coldest morning of the year, and the gate was frozen shut.
    • All students are informed that the library will be closed on Friday.
    • Nine out of ten dentists say so. Try it today.
    • An advertisement
    • A letter of complaint
    • A recipe
    • A notice
    • A story

  3. 3.The coriander piece reads: "To grow coriander on a windowsill, fill a shallow tray with loose soil. Scatter the seeds thinly and press them down with your palm. Water the tray until the soil is damp but not wet. Keep the tray where the morning sun reaches it, and cut the leaves when they are the length of your thumb." Which of these does it NOT tell you?

    • a) Where to keep the tray.
    • b) How deep to plant the seeds.
    • c) When to cut the leaves.
    • d) How wet the soil should be.

  4. 4.Read this. "To grow coriander on a windowsill, fill a shallow tray with loose soil. Scatter the seeds thinly and press them down with your palm. Water the tray until the soil is damp but not wet. Keep the tray where the morning sun reaches it, and cut the leaves when they are the length of your thumb." Why was this written?

    • a) To describe a garden the writer once saw.
    • b) To warn the reader about damp soil.
    • c) To argue that coriander is the best herb to grow.
    • d) To tell the reader how to grow coriander.

  5. 5.The lake piece ends: "The lake cannot clean itself." What is that last sentence doing?

    • a) Naming the people who will be there.
    • b) Telling the reader what time to arrive.
    • c) Describing the colour of the water.
    • d) Reminding the reader why their help is needed.

  6. 6.Put the steps of working out why a piece was written in the right order.

    • Next, look at what kind of sentences it is made of — statements, instructions or questions.
    • First, read the whole piece once through without stopping.
    • Then ask what the writer wants you to do or think by the end of it.
    • Last, check your answer against the piece itself, line by line.

  7. 7.Sort each piece of writing by why it was written.

    Groups: To tell you how to do something · To make you agree or act · To explain how something works

    • An article on how a monsoon forms
    • A page explaining why the sky looks blue
    • A recipe for lemon rice
    • A leaflet asking you to give blood
    • The steps for mending a bicycle chain
    • A poster urging people to save water

  8. 8.The coriander piece tells you to press the seeds down with your palm. Why is that there?

    • a) To persuade the reader that coriander tastes good.
    • b) To tell the reader exactly what to do at that step.
    • c) To describe the writer's own hands.
    • d) To explain why seeds are small.

Answer key — Year 8 English — Reading: why the writer wrote it

  1. 1. century
  2. 2. Dear Sir, I am writing to complain about the state of the road outside our school. → A letter of complaint; Take two cups of rice and wash them well. → A recipe; It was the coldest morning of the year, and the gate was frozen shut. → A story; All students are informed that the library will be closed on Friday. → A notice; Nine out of ten dentists say so. Try it today. → An advertisement
  3. 3. b) How deep to plant the seeds.
  4. 4. d) To tell the reader how to grow coriander.
  5. 5. d) Reminding the reader why their help is needed.
  6. 6. 1. First, read the whole piece once through without stopping. 2. Next, look at what kind of sentences it is made of — statements, instructions or questions. 3. Then ask what the writer wants you to do or think by the end of it. 4. Last, check your answer against the piece itself, line by line.
  7. 7. A leaflet asking you to give blood → To make you agree or act; The steps for mending a bicycle chain → To tell you how to do something; An article on how a monsoon forms → To explain how something works; A recipe for lemon rice → To tell you how to do something; A poster urging people to save water → To make you agree or act; A page explaining why the sky looks blue → To explain how something works
  8. 8. b) To tell the reader exactly what to do at that step.