Most Level 2 writing tasks ask you to persuade someone – a manager, a council, the readers of a newsletter. You already know the techniques from the Reading paper; this free worksheet is about switching them on when you write. It uses the AFOREST checklist and builds from naming techniques to upgrading flat sentences, writing a persuasive paragraph and – the part students miss – choosing techniques that suit the audience.
Free to download, print and share for personal or classroom use. Answers included.
What’s in this worksheet
- The AFOREST checklist on one page with examples
- Part 1 – six sentences from a letter about a youth club: name the technique (6 marks)
- Part 2 – four flat sentences to rewrite using a named technique (8 marks)
- Part 3 – write a persuasive paragraph using four labelled techniques (8 marks)
- Part 4 – four task/technique pairs: is this technique right for this audience? (8 marks)
- Answers including a labelled model paragraph
Common mistakes on this topic
From our tutors’ marking and the most recent examiner reports – check your work against these:
- Stating an opinion once and then repeating it – no techniques, no evidence, no development.
- Using persuasive devices in the wrong form (rhetorical questions in a report; slang in a formal letter).
- Forgetting the audience: a manager needs cost and benefit; a newsletter reader needs energy and a personal angle.
How to use it
- Print the worksheet (or work on screen) and attempt every question without looking at the answers. Give yourself a rough time limit – Level 2 exams are tight.
- Mark your work against the answer page. For maths, check the method as well as the final number; method marks are where most of the marks are.
- Read the ‘common mistakes’ notes below and check whether any of them happened to you. Then redo the questions you got wrong a day later.
Related free resources
- Functional Skills English Level 2 Language Features Worksheet
- Functional Skills Level 2 Formal Letter and Email Writing Frame (with Model Answer)
- Functional Skills English Level 2 Paragraphing and Connectives Worksheet
- All free Functional Skills English Level 2 resources
Frequently asked questions
What does AFOREST stand for?
Alliteration, Facts, Opinion, Rhetorical question, Emotive language, Statistics, Triples (the rule of three). Most teachers add direct address, imperatives and expert opinion to the list.
How many persuasive techniques should I use in a Level 2 writing task?
Aim for one well-placed technique in each paragraph – two or three across a whole answer is plenty. Ten crammed into one paragraph reads as forced and can cost marks for tone.
Can I use rhetorical questions in a report?
Best not to. Reports are meant to be neutral and factual; rhetorical questions and emotive language sound unprofessional there. Save them for articles, letters and posts where you are openly arguing a case.
Want a tutor to mark your work? Not sure where you stand? Take the free 15-minute mini mock test. Ready to get qualified? Our live 10-week Functional Skills Level 2 English course runs in small groups with a mock exam included, and the 5-day revision course is there if your exam is close.