Respond to a Written Stimulus and Use Appropriate Register, Style and Format for the Given Purpose and Audience

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What is a Written Stimulus?

A written stimulus is a piece of writing that you're given to respond to. Think of it as a starting point or a prompt. For example:

• An advertisement asking for customer reviews
• A letter to a newspaper that you need to reply to
• An article about an issue you need to discuss
• A notice asking for volunteers to write a report

Your job is to read the stimulus carefully and write an appropriate response based on what it's asking for.

Understanding Purpose

Purpose means the reason why you're writing. Every text has a job to do. Before you write, ask yourself: "What am I trying to achieve?"

Common purposes include:

• To inform – giving facts and information (e.g., a report about road safety)
• To explain – making something clear (e.g., explaining how something works)
• To persuade – convincing someone to agree with you (e.g., an article arguing for helmet laws)
• To argue – presenting different sides of a debate (e.g., discussing pros and cons of motorbike taxis)
• To entertain – making the reader enjoy the text (e.g., a humorous review)
• To advise – giving suggestions or recommendations (e.g., a travel guide)
• To describe – painting a picture with words (e.g., describing a journey)

What information should you include?

The purpose determines what you write about:

• If you're writing to inform, include clear facts, statistics, and examples
• If you're writing to persuade, include reasons, evidence, and emotional appeals
• If you're writing to advise, include practical suggestions and helpful tips

Example: If the stimulus is an article about dangerous road conditions and asks you to write a report on improving road safety, your purpose is to inform and advise. You would include facts about accidents, specific safety measures, and recommendations.