Letters, Articles, Speeches, and Reviews: Mastering Non-Fiction and Transactional Forms
Welcome to transactional and non-fiction writing! In the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP), writing is not just about telling imaginary stories; it is also about using your voice to share ideas, inform communities, persuade leaders, and critique the world around you. In this chapter, we explore four essential text types: letters, articles, speeches, and reviews.
Every time you write in one of these formats, you act as a creator designing a text for a specific audience, driven by a clear purpose within a distinct context. Understanding how to adapt your style, structure, and register to match these forms will help you excel in Criterion B (Organizing), Criterion C (Producing text), and Criterion D (Using language).
Note: For a detailed exploration of persuasive techniques like rhetorical questions or emotive language, refer to the chapter on "Persuasive and argumentative writing". For drafting strategies, consult "Planning, drafting and editing".
The Golden Rule: The PACF Framework
Before you write a single sentence of any transactional text, take sixty seconds to establish your compass using the PACF framework:
• Purpose: Why are you writing? Is your goal to persuade, inform, complain, celebrate, critique, or inspire action?
• Audience: Who will read or hear this? A school principal, a local council member, your peers, or readers of a national magazine? Your audience decides your vocabulary and tone.
• Context: Where and when is this happening? What real-world issue, school event, or cultural situation sparked this text?
• Form: Which format are you using? A formal letter has completely different structural rules from a lively opinion article or a spoken speech.
Key Takeaway: Whenever you change the audience or purpose, your language choices and layout conventions must change too.
Text Type 1: Letters (Formal and Informal)
A letter is a direct, written communication addressed to a specific person or organization. In transactional writing tasks, you are most often asked to write a formal letter (such as a letter to an editor, an official, or a community leader), though you may occasionally write an informal letter to a friend or relative.
1. Formal Letter Conventions
Formal letters require clear, logical organization and a respectful, authoritative register.
• Salutation (Greeting): If you know the recipient's name and title, use "Dear Mr. Davis," or "Dear Dr. Alvarez,". If the recipient's name is unknown, use "Dear Sir/Madam,".
• Subject Line: A concise header indicating the subject (e.g., Re: Proposal for School Renewable Energy Initiatives).
• Opening Paragraph: Clearly state your identity and the exact reason for writing without rambling (e.g., "I am writing to express my strong concern regarding...").
• Body Paragraphs: Develop your points logically. Dedicate each paragraph to a single main idea supported by evidence, clear reasons, and practical suggestions.
• Concluding Paragraph: State clearly what future action or response you expect (e.g., "I look forward to discussing this matter further at your earliest convenience.").
• Sign-off: If you addressed the recipient by name (Dear Ms. Lee), conclude with "Yours sincerely,". If you addressed an unknown person (Dear Sir/Madam), conclude with "Yours faithfully,". Follow this with your full name.
2. Informal Letter Conventions
Informal letters use a warm, conversational, and personal register.
• Salutation: Friendly greetings such as "Dear Sam," or "Hi Maya,".
• Opening: A warm, conversational entry showing awareness of personal relationship (e.g., "I hope you are settling in well after your move...").
• Style and Register: Contractions (I'm, don't, we've), colloquial warmth, and personal anecdotes are welcome, but syntax and punctuation must remain deliberate and clear.
• Sign-off: Warm closings such as "Best wishes,", "Warm regards,", or "All the best," followed by your first name.
Common Mistake to Avoid: Mixing registers. Do not begin a formal letter with "Hey there" or end an official complaint to a council member with "See ya soon!". Consistency in register is evaluated directly under Criterion D.
Section Summary: Formal letters demand clean structural boundaries, professional greetings, logical paragraphs, and standard sign-offs (Yours sincerely / Yours faithfully).
Text Type 2: Articles (News, Features, and Opinion Columns)
Articles are written for mass media publications—such as school magazines, local newspapers, online blogs, or national periodicals. Their primary job is to inform, engage, and provoke thought.
1. Structural Features of an Article
• Catchy Headline: A short, powerful title that grabs attention and hints at the topic (e.g., "Silent Streets: How Urban Noise Affects Teen Well-Being").
• Byline: Credit the writer beneath the title (e.g., By Alex Taylor).
• Introductory Hook (The Lead): The first paragraph must immediately pull the reader in. You can begin with a striking scenario, an intriguing question, or an eye-opening observation.
• Subheadings: Short, bold section headers that break up the text, guide the reader's eye, and organize distinct points.
• Developed Body Sections: Each section explores an angle of the topic, incorporating balanced details, perspectives, and real-life connections.
• Memorable Conclusion: A final paragraph that summarizes the wider significance, leaves the reader with a thought-provoking idea, or offers a vision of the future.
2. Types of Articles
• Feature Article: A deeper, creative exploration of an issue, lifestyle, or human experience. It uses descriptive language, interviews, and vivid examples to explore themes such as identity, technology, or community.
• Opinion Column / Editorial: A personal, persuasive piece written from a clear stance. The writer uses strong rhetorical devices, personal insight, and persuasive arguments to convince the audience of their viewpoint.
Quick Style Tip: Avoid writing monolithic blocks of unbroken text. Modern readers engage with articles through bite-sized, purposeful paragraphs and clear subheadings. This visual presentation directly supports Criterion B (Formatting tools and conventions).
Section Summary: Successful articles combine engaging headlines, structured subheadings, dynamic lead paragraphs, and a balanced, lively tone suited to the publication's readership.
Text Type 3: Speeches
A speech is a text written to be spoken aloud to a live audience. Because your audience cannot "re-read" a spoken sentence, your structure must be crystal-clear, rhythmic, and instantly understandable.
1. Structural Features of a Speech
• Opening Address: Acknowledge and welcome your specific audience immediately (e.g., "Good morning, fellow students, teachers, and guests...").
• The Hook and Stance: Introduce your central theme with energy and state your perspective early so listeners know where you are leading them.
• Signposting Transitions: Use vocal transition phrases to keep listeners oriented (e.g., "First, let us examine...", "Consider what happens when...", "Finally, ask yourselves...").
• The Climax: Build toward a passionate, inspiring central point that moves your audience emotionally or intellectually.
• Call to Action and Conclusion: End with a memorable, resounding challenge telling the audience exactly what they should think, feel, or do next.
• Closing Courtesy: Always conclude with a brief spoken sign-off (e.g., "Thank you.").
2. Stylistic Techniques for Spoken Delivery
• Inclusive Pronouns: Use "we", "our", "us", "together" to make your audience feel part of the journey rather than passive spectators.
• Rhetorical Cadence: Use triplets (rule of three), parallelism, and deliberate repetition to create an auditory rhythm that sticks in memory.
• Punctuation as Pauses: Use dashes (—), colons, and short sentences to indicate dramatic pauses and vocal variety.
Did You Know? Great orators deliberately vary sentence lengths. A long, descriptive sentence creates anticipation and weight; a short two-word sentence delivers the punch.
Section Summary: Speeches rely on oral conventions: welcoming the audience, using inclusive pronouns, building spoken rhythm, and finishing with an unmistakable call to action and a polite "Thank you".
Text Type 4: Reviews
A review is an evaluative text written to inform an audience about a book, film, theatre production, exhibition, or album, while offering a considered critical judgement. A great review does not simply summarize what happens; it analyses how successfully the creator achieved their purpose.
1. Core Conventions of a Review
• Informative Title: A title that reflects both the work and your opinion (e.g., "A Visual Masterpiece with a Hollow Heart: Review of 'Solar Horizon'").
• Context and Overview: State the title, creator/director, genre, and a concise summary of the premise. Important: Never reveal spoilers or give away the ending!
• Detailed Evaluation: Critically discuss specific artistic elements: acting, plot pacing, cinematography, character development, musical score, dialogue, or set design.
• Balanced Critique: High-scoring reviews offer nuance. Acknowledge both strengths and weaknesses rather than writing purely exaggerated praise or relentless insults.
• Final Verdict and Recommendation: Summarize your overall verdict, identify who would enjoy this work, and optionally provide a rating system (e.g., "4 out of 5 stars").
2. Review Register and Tone
The tone of a review should be witty, observant, and authoritative. Use vivid, evaluative vocabulary instead of generic adjectives like "good", "bad", or "boring". Use words such as understated, gripping, melodramatic, nuanced, derivative, exquisite, or inconsistent.
Analogy to Remember: Think of a review as a courtroom trial. The book or film is on the stand, your evaluation is the evidence, and your final paragraph is the judge's final verdict.
Section Summary: A review balances brief plot orientation with detailed, analytical critiques of technique, ending in a clear recommendation supported by reasoned justification.
Quick Comparison Table of Text Types
Here is a side-by-side summary of conventions to help you distinguish between the four forms:
• Formal Letter:
- Audience: Specific named individual, official, or editor.
- Key Structural Markers: Formal greeting, subject line, paragraph blocks, formal sign-off (Yours sincerely / faithfully).
- Register: Professional, polite, restrained, clear.
• Article:
- Audience: General readership, community, or demographic group.
- Key Structural Markers: Eye-catching headline, byline, hook introduction, subheadings, reflective wrap-up.
- Register: Lively, informative, engaging, analytical or opinionated.
• Speech:
- Audience: Live, listening audience (peers, community, assembly).
- Key Structural Markers: Direct welcoming address, signposting phrases, rhetorical cadence, call to action, "Thank you".
- Register: Spoken, rhythmic, persuasive, inclusive.
• Review:
- Audience: Prospective viewers, readers, or consumers.
- Key Structural Markers: Evaluative title, background info, spoiler-free overview, element-by-element critique, final rating/recommendation.
- Register: Critical, witty, balanced, evaluative.
How to Score Highly in the Assessment Criteria
When producing non-fiction and transactional texts, keep the MYP assessment criteria in mind:
Criterion B: Organizing
• Organize ideas logically with smooth paragraph transitions.
• Use presentation tools that fit the requested form: subheadings for articles, addresses/sign-offs for letters, and spoken markers for speeches.
Criterion C: Producing text
• Show genuine awareness of your audience: adjust your points and style so they affect the reader or listener directly.
• Support your arguments or evaluations with precise, well-chosen details rather than broad generalizations.
Criterion D: Using language
• Use accurate, varied vocabulary and diverse sentence structures (simple, compound, and complex).
• Maintain a consistent register and style from start to finish.
• Keep punctuation, grammar, and spelling accurate throughout your response.
Self-Check Checklist Before Submitting Your Work
1. Have I included the unique layout conventions of the requested text type (e.g., headline for an article, sign-off for a letter)?
2. Is my register consistent throughout, without slipping into inappropriate slang in formal tasks?
3. Did I state my purpose clearly in the opening section?
4. Is each paragraph organized around a distinct central idea?
5. Have I checked for basic spelling, punctuation, and grammatical accuracy?