What the Writing for purpose focus area asks in the 2024 HSC English Studies syllabus

New syllabus (first HSC 2027). This page follows the English Studies 11-12 (2024) syllabus. If you are sitting the 2026 HSC, use the older English Studies module pages on this subject instead. See what's changed.

Where this focus area sits

Writing for purpose is one of the three Year 12 focus areas in English Studies under the 2024 syllabus, alongside Narrative and human experiences and Elective focus areas. In this focus area, you are the composer. You study how writing is shaped for a particular purpose and audience, and you practise writing your own texts.

The HSC exam for English Studies is optional. If your school enters you and you sit it, it is one written paper worth 60 marks, with 2 hours of working time plus 10 minutes of reading time. The paper has three sections: Section I, Narrative and human experiences (15 marks, 4 or 5 short-answer questions); Section II, Narrative and human experiences (15 marks, one extended response on your prescribed text); and Section III, Writing for purpose (30 marks, 2 or 3 items, one worth at least 15 marks, asking for informative, analytical, imaginative or persuasive writing). In the 2017 course the paper was 70 marks and 2 hours 30 minutes, so it is shorter and smaller now. An English Studies mark counts towards an ATAR only if the exam is sat, so talk to your teacher about what your goals are.

What the focus area is about

Every good piece of writing has a purpose (what the writer wants to achieve) and an audience (who it is for). A speech to persuade a council is different from a story to entertain a child, which is different from a set of instructions or a report for a newspaper. The focus area asks you to notice those differences and to use them in your own writing.

NESA's exam names four kinds of response:

• informative (explain facts or ideas clearly)
• analytical (examine how a text or idea works and explain it, which can draw on your understanding of the prescribed texts)
• imaginative (hold attention through story, voice, image or humour)
• persuasive (convince someone to think or act)

Reflecting on an experience and giving instructions are useful skills that sit inside these four. Most real texts mix purposes. A news feature may inform and also persuade. A story may entertain and also make you think. Strong writers know which purpose leads and why.

Reading like a writer

You will study short texts as models. NESA prescribes six short texts for this focus area and you read at least four of them:

• Evelyn Araluen, "Finding Ways Home" (nonfiction).
• Ray Bradbury, "The Pedestrian" (short story).
• Helen Garner, "Dear Mrs Dunkley" (nonfiction).
• Luka Lesson, "May Your Pen Grace the Page" (performance poetry).
• George Saunders, "Failures of Kindness" (speech).
• Tim Winton, "My Father's Axe" (short story).

You also use texts from your own wide reading, such as articles, speeches, reviews and digital texts. For each one, ask:

1. Who is this for? How can you tell?
2. What is it trying to do? Is there a main purpose and a second purpose?
3. How is it built? Look at the opening, the order of ideas and the ending.
4. What language choices stand out? Think about tone (friendly, formal, urgent), word choice, sentence length and imagery.
5. What would change if the audience changed? Imagine the same content for a different group.

The last question is a great way to learn. Try rewriting a short paragraph for a different audience, and notice what you change.

The features of purposeful writing

Tone and register

The way you sound. A letter to a principal uses a more formal register than a text to a friend. Pick a tone and keep it steady.

Structure

A clear beginning, middle and end. An opening that grabs attention or states the point, paragraphs that each do one job, and an ending that leaves a mark.

Language choices

Precise nouns and verbs, a few well-chosen images, sentences of different lengths. For persuasive writing, techniques such as rhetorical questions, repetition and a call to action can help, provided you use them for a reason.

Evidence and examples

Facts, stories and details make writing believable.

Voice

Your own way of seeing. Even in a formal text, a clear voice makes writing memorable.

How it is assessed

In this focus area, you will compose texts, often with short reflections or explanations of your choices. In the HSC exam, Writing for purpose is Section III, worth 30 marks, with 2 or 3 items (one worth at least 15 marks) asking for informative, analytical, imaginative or persuasive writing. In class and in any timed writing, markers look for the same things: a clear purpose, a suitable form, effective structure and language, and control of spelling, punctuation and grammar.

We do not copy NESA sample papers. Open the official sample material linked below to see what the tasks look like.

Examples of purposes in action

A persuasive local article

The writer states a position in the headline, uses two strong reasons with real examples, answers an objection, and ends with a call to action. The tone is serious but friendly.

An informative feature

The writer starts with the most interesting fact, then adds detail in order of importance. The language is plain and exact, with short sentences where a point matters.

A reflective piece

The writer picks one moment, describes it with concrete detail, and then thinks about what changed. The voice is honest and personal.

An entertaining story

The writer starts close to the action, shows feelings through what characters do, and finishes with a change, an image or a small surprise.

Choose one of these and find a real example from your class texts. Mark the opening, the order of ideas and the ending.

Looking at sentences

Sentences have jobs. A short sentence can slow a moment or add punch. A longer sentence can carry a list, a build-up or a flowing thought. Read a paragraph you have written, and mark the shortest and longest sentence. Ask whether each does a job. If every sentence is the same length, the writing feels flat. If every sentence is long, the reader may tire.

Using real audiences

When you can, test your writing with a real person from your audience. Ask them what the main message was and which part they remember. If their answers do not match your purpose, revise.

Common traps

• Not deciding the purpose and audience before writing.
• Writing in a tone that does not fit the audience, such as slang in a formal speech.
• Using techniques as a checklist (a rhetorical question every sentence).
• A strong beginning and a rushed ending.
• Not proofreading.