Writing to Advise
English Language: Edexcel IGCSE - Specification B, topic 4.2.10
Writing to Advise (Instruct)
When you write to advise, you are trying to offer help and support. Your job is to give your reader some friendly instructions. When writing to advise, you should:
Inform the reader's decision
- Give information to help the reader to make a decision.
Give your opinion
- Give your opinion of what the reader should do.
Offer a choice of actions
- If possible, offer a choice of actions (and explain their pros and cons).
Support with facts and examples
- Back up your information and suggestions with facts or examples.
Focus on the problem
- Clearly focus on the problem you are trying to help with.
Be friendly and sympathetic
Use modal verbs
- Use modal verbs (might, must, could, should, will, would).
Use imperative verbs
- Use imperative verbs to give commands (give, leave, tell, remember).
Consider your audience
- Consider your audience – think carefully about using language they will understand.
Writing to Advise in Texts
When you write to advise, you are trying to offer help and support. Your job is to give your reader some friendly instructions. You will see examples of writing to advise in the following texts:
Agony aunt pieces
Advice articles
Letters offering advice
Self-help blogs or books
Test yourself on Writing to Advise
What technique does this advisatory sentence contain?
You should visit at least three museums while you are in Morocco.Which of these techniques is NOT used in the advisatory sentence below?
You must do the sunset cruise in Bangkok - it's truly stunning. It's also the number 1 rated thing to do on TripAdvisor. Believe me!What should you always try to use when you are writing to advise?
Which fact would be best to use to back up this advisatory sentence?
Make a revision timetable before you begin revising.What kind of tone is the reader using in this example of writing to advise?
If you don’t want a cold head, you could try a sponsored silence, a non-uniform day, or a cake sale.