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English Language: High School: 9th and 10th Grade Quiz - Writing to Advise (Questions)

This English Language quiz is called 'Writing to Advise' and it has been written by teachers to help you if you are studying the subject at high school. Playing educational quizzes is a user-friendly way to learn if you are in the 9th or 10th grade - aged 14 to 16.

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Writing to advise can include making suggestions. Writing to advise is a style of writing which incorporates some elements of several other styles, such as writing to inform, to explain, or even to instruct. This makes it a tricky style to master, but it is worth practicing because writing to advise comes up frequently in exams.

Play this quiz to see how well you understand what makes this type of writing unique.

What does it mean to advise?

[ ]	To argue for a particular course of action
[ ]	To argue your point of view
[ ]	To offer suggestions; to make a recommendation
[ ]	To inform

Which of the following is suited to advising?

[ ]	A letter
[ ]	A leaflet
[ ]	An article
[ ]	All of the above

What is the difference between writing to advise and writing to persuade?

[ ]	Writing to persuade is informative and helpful; writing to advise needs to be more forceful
[ ]	Writing to advise is informative and helpful; writing to persuade needs to be more forceful
[ ]	Writing to persuade is entertaining; writing to advise is never entertaining
[ ]	Writing to advise is entertaining; writing to persuade is never entertaining

Which of the following is an example of writing advice?

[ ]	A newspaper editorial arguing against a recent government decision
[ ]	A leaflet explaining the benefits of choosing a particular brand of flea spray
[ ]	A magazine article detailing a week's menu of healthy eating
[ ]	An article on the Internet entitled 'How to get out of debt'

Considering the answer to the last question, for which audience would this have been written?

[ ]	Parents of young children
[ ]	People struggling with money issues
[ ]	High school pupils
[ ]	People who wish to lose weight

Considering the answer to question four, which tone would be most appropriate?

[ ]	Calm, authoritative, non-judgemental
[ ]	Authoritative, judgemental, fierce
[ ]	Chatty, informal, humorous
[ ]	Inexperienced, unsure, chatty

Which type of verb is most suitable when writing advice?

[ ]	Passive verbs
[ ]	Imperative verbs
[ ]	Modal verbs
[ ]	Exciting verbs

Which of the following is true?

[ ]	You should never use the second person (you) when writing to advise
[ ]	You should never use the third person (he/she/they) when writing to advise
[ ]	You should never use the first person (I/we) when writing to advise
[ ]	You may use first, second, or third person when writing to advise

When writing, you should always support any points you make with evidence. What constitutes 'evidence' in the context of advice?

[ ]	Reasons why your advice should be followed
[ ]	Proof that you are a good writer
[ ]	Quotes from a text
[ ]	Slogans

10.

Which of the following exam questions would require you to write to advise?

[ ]	Describe the scene in a busy hospital accident and emergency department
[ ]	Write an article supporting the view that school dinners should be free
[ ]	Write an article for the school newsletter describing how to cycle safely to school
[ ]	Write a letter to your local newspaper against the building of a new road through the park

English Language: High School: 9th and 10th Grade Quiz - Writing to Advise (Answers)

What does it mean to advise?

[ ]	To argue for a particular course of action
[ ]	To argue your point of view
[x]	To offer suggestions; to make a recommendation
[ ]	To inform

Which of the following is suited to advising?

[ ]	A letter
[ ]	A leaflet
[ ]	An article
[x]	All of the above

Writing to advise can take many different forms, depending on audience and purpose

What is the difference between writing to advise and writing to persuade?

[ ]	Writing to persuade is informative and helpful; writing to advise needs to be more forceful
[x]	Writing to advise is informative and helpful; writing to persuade needs to be more forceful
[ ]	Writing to persuade is entertaining; writing to advise is never entertaining
[ ]	Writing to advise is entertaining; writing to persuade is never entertaining

Persuasive writing has the goal of changing the audience's views and influencing their actions. In doing this, persuasive writing can be openly biased and rather forceful. When writing to advise, you set out the facts in an authoritative, helpful manner and then politely make suggestions based on these facts

Which of the following is an example of writing advice?

[ ]	A newspaper editorial arguing against a recent government decision
[ ]	A leaflet explaining the benefits of choosing a particular brand of flea spray
[ ]	A magazine article detailing a week's menu of healthy eating
[x]	An article on the Internet entitled 'How to get out of debt'

A good question to ask yourself is 'could this article have been written in response to someone who needs help?' Advice is given as a response to a need. People in debt are in need of help, which the writer of this article will give through information, instructions and helpful suggestions

Considering the answer to the last question, for which audience would this have been written?

[ ]	Parents of young children
[x]	People struggling with money issues
[ ]	High school pupils
[ ]	People who wish to lose weight

Considering the answer to question four, which tone would be most appropriate?

[x]	Calm, authoritative, non-judgemental
[ ]	Authoritative, judgemental, fierce
[ ]	Chatty, informal, humorous
[ ]	Inexperienced, unsure, chatty

Which type of verb is most suitable when writing advice?

[ ]	Passive verbs
[ ]	Imperative verbs
[x]	Modal verbs
[ ]	Exciting verbs

It's good to phrase advice using modal verbs (could, should, would, might, must). Imperative verbs can sound too forceful (i.e. 'Eat your vegetables!')

Which of the following is true?

[ ]	You should never use the second person (you) when writing to advise
[ ]	You should never use the third person (he/she/they) when writing to advise
[ ]	You should never use the first person (I/we) when writing to advise
[x]	You may use first, second, or third person when writing to advise

With purpose and audience in mind, you can decide whether it is more appropriate to use second or third person (i.e. how 'friendly' do you want to sound?) and whether you should explicitly write from your own, first-person viewpoint, or not

When writing, you should always support any points you make with evidence. What constitutes 'evidence' in the context of advice?

[x]	Reasons why your advice should be followed
[ ]	Proof that you are a good writer
[ ]	Quotes from a text
[ ]	Slogans

Giving good reasons why your suggestions should be followed will encourage your readers to trust your advice. Evidence can also be drawn from scientific studies or from specialists on the subject

10.

Which of the following exam questions would require you to write to advise?

[ ]	Describe the scene in a busy hospital accident and emergency department
[ ]	Write an article supporting the view that school dinners should be free
[x]	Write an article for the school newsletter describing how to cycle safely to school
[ ]	Write a letter to your local newspaper against the building of a new road through the park

Don't be fooled by the use of the word 'describe'! This piece of writing would need to offer advice on how to stay safe, where to cycle, how to keep a bike safe during the school day, the importance of regular maintenance, and maybe why cycling to school is a good idea