Purposeful language · audience · register
A practical reference for choosing language that does a job. Each bank links phrases to a move such as qualifying a claim, reporting evidence, making a request or guiding a reader. Adapt wording to the question, audience and your own voice.
Teaching move: ask learners to name the reader, choose the writing job, test two phrase options in a full sentence, then explain which one best fits the purpose and register. Linkers are not interchangeable: however signals contrast, therefore signals a result, and for example introduces support.
Open with a specific response; cover every prompt; add a relevant detail; close naturally.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Respond | Thanks for asking about…; I was glad to hear… |
| Add detail | What I enjoyed most was…; One thing I should mention is… |
| Sequence | At first…; After that…; By the time… |
| Recommend | If you have time, you could… because… |
Use a relevant headline and hook; develop points for readers; balance ideas; finish with a useful thought.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Hook | Have you ever wondered why…?; Imagine arriving to find… |
| Develop | For example,…; This matters because… |
| Contrast | Although…; On the other hand,… |
| Address reader | If you are considering…, start by… |
Use a clear title and sections; report findings; identify strengths and concerns; make feasible recommendations.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Scope | This report summarises…; The aim was to find out whether… |
| Evidence | Most respondents…; In comparison with… |
| Qualification | This suggests…; However, the sample included… |
| Recommendation | It is recommended that…; A practical next step would be… |
Establish the issue; develop reasons and examples; consider another view; reach a justified conclusion.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Position | This essay argues that…; One reason for this view is… |
| Evidence | For instance,…; This is illustrated by… |
| Counterpoint | Admittedly,…; Nevertheless,… |
| Conclude | Taking these factors into account,…; Overall,… |
Identify the work or experience; select details; explain effects; judge who would enjoy it and why.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Introduce | … is a … that follows…; The story centres on… |
| Evaluate | What works particularly well is…; The strongest moment occurs when… |
| Qualify | Although the opening is…, the later section… |
| Recommend | I would recommend it to… because… |
The guide groups suggested text types by personal, professional and mass media contexts. Some types occur in more than one context; choose tone and language for the specific reader and task.
Use a clear topic and personal angle; develop reflection; invite response without losing focus.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Connect | Lately, I have been thinking about…; You may have noticed… |
| Reflect | Looking back,…; What surprised me was… |
| Shift | At first…, but gradually… |
| Invite | How has this worked for you?; I would be interested to hear… |
Anchor the entry in a moment; record reactions; distinguish immediate feeling from later understanding.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Locate | This evening,…; Earlier today,… |
| React | I could hardly believe…; I felt…, especially when… |
| Reconsider | At the time,…; Now that I think about it,… |
| Resolve | Tomorrow I will…; I need to remember that… |
Respond to the relationship and purpose; organise updates; make a request or suggestion clearly.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Acknowledge | It was lovely to hear from you; Thanks for telling me about… |
| Update | Since we last spoke,…; The main change is… |
| Suggest | Why don’t we…?; We could…, which would… |
| Close | Write when you can; Give my regards to… |
Establish the relationship; develop a small number of connected ideas; use a personal close.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Opening | I have been meaning to write since…; Your news made me… |
| Narrate | What happened next was…; The part I remember most is… |
| Reflect | It made me realise…; In retrospect,… |
| Close | I hope we can… soon; With love / Best wishes,… |
Make the point easy to follow; provide enough context; respond respectfully; avoid ambiguity.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Context | Quick update:…; For anyone who missed it,… |
| React | That makes sense because…; I see it differently:… |
| Clarify | To be clear,…; By … I mean… |
| Engage | What has your experience been?; Share one idea below… |
Frame a focused issue; explain its relevance; support claims; offer a practical takeaway.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Frame | A question I often hear is…; The issue is not simply… |
| Explain | In practice,…; This is partly because… |
| Qualify | This may be true when…; The evidence does not yet show… |
| Takeaway | A useful place to begin is…; The next step is… |
State purpose early; provide relevant context; make a clear request; identify next steps.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Purpose | I am writing to enquire about…; I am contacting you regarding… |
| Context | Following our discussion,…; To help you consider the request,… |
| Request | Could you please confirm whether…?; I would be grateful if… |
| Next step | Please let me know by…; I look forward to your response. |
Define the question; develop a line of reasoning; use examples; weigh a counterargument; answer the prompt.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Thesis | This essay examines…; The central argument is that… |
| Reason | A key factor is…; This can be explained by… |
| Counterargument | It could be argued that…; Even so,… |
| Synthesis | Taken together, these points indicate…; The extent to which… depends on… |
Identify purpose and relevant facts; organise requests or concerns; maintain a measured tone.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Purpose | I am writing to express concern about…; I wish to apply for… |
| Specificity | In particular,…; The matter arose when… |
| Polite request | I would appreciate clarification regarding…; I respectfully request that… |
| Close | I would welcome a response at your earliest convenience; Yours faithfully,… |
Define a need; propose a workable response; show benefits, resources and evaluation.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Need | At present,…; Feedback indicates that… |
| Proposal | It is proposed that…; The first stage would involve… |
| Benefit | This would enable…; As a result,… |
| Evaluation | Success could be measured by…; After one term, we should review… |
Introduce purpose and confidentiality; ask one clear question at a time; use balanced options.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Purpose | This questionnaire asks about…; Responses will be used to… |
| Neutral prompt | How often do you…?; Which of the following best describes…? |
| Balanced options | Strongly agree / Agree / Unsure / Disagree / Strongly disagree |
| Ethics | Do not include your name; You may skip any question. |
State scope; present evidence under headings; interpret cautiously; recommend action.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Scope | This report outlines…; Information was gathered through… |
| Finding | The results show…; A recurring concern was… |
| Interpretation | This may indicate…; The figures should be treated cautiously because… |
| Action | It is recommended that…; Progress should be reviewed after… |
List materials or prerequisites; sequence actions; signal checks and cautions.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Prepare | Before you begin,…; Make sure that… |
| Sequence | First,…; Once … is complete,…; Finally,… |
| Condition | If … happens, stop and…; Do not … until… |
| Check | Check that…; The task is complete when… |
Explain purpose; use answerable questions; gather comparable responses; report limitations.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Purpose | The survey explores…; It should take about… minutes. |
| Prompt | How satisfied are you with…?; What is the main reason for…? |
| Response | Select one option; Choose all that apply; Please add an example. |
| Report link | Responses will inform…; Results will be shared… |
Name the offer; connect a feature to a benefit; give essential details; make a clear call to action.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Hook | Make room for…; Ready to…? |
| Benefit | Designed to help you…; Enjoy … without… |
| Specifics | Available from…; Includes…; Book by… |
| Action | Sign up today; Find out more at… |
Use headline and lead; develop a focused angle; balance evidence and explanation; close purposefully.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Lead | A growing number of…; What happens when…? |
| Evidence | According to…; One example is… |
| Development | This matters because…; In contrast,… |
| Close | The challenge now is…; Readers can begin by… |
Organise practical information under headings; highlight benefits accurately; direct the reader to action.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Welcome | Discover…; Whether you are…, there is… |
| Features | You can take part in…; Each visit includes… |
| Practical details | Open…; Bring…; The venue is… |
| Action | Plan your visit; Contact … to reserve… |
Plan sequence, scene and dialogue; use visual and sound cues; make the intended effect clear.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Scene | INT./EXT. … — DAY/NIGHT; The camera follows… |
| Action | A pause; The door closes; Across the room,… |
| Dialogue | … (quietly); … (after a pause) |
| Transition | CUT TO:; The sound fades as… |
Introduce the guest and topic; ask open questions; follow up; represent answers accurately.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Introduce | Today I am speaking with… about… |
| Open question | What led you to…?; How did that affect…? |
| Follow up | You mentioned…; Could you give an example? |
| Close | Thank you for explaining…; Before we finish,… |
Identify an issue or service; make key information easy to scan; specify an action or contact.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Attention | Need help with…?; Small changes can… |
| Explain | The service provides…; This is useful when… |
| Action | Call…; Bring…; Register by… |
| Reassure | You do not need to…; All enquiries are welcome. |
Shape voice, setting, character and form; select imagery for effect; develop rather than decorate.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Setting | Beyond…, …; The air smelled of… |
| Image | … as if…; The light … across… |
| Voice | I had expected…; What I could not say was… |
| Shift | Only later did…; By then,… |
Lead with the main event; answer who, what, when, where and why; attribute claims; distinguish known from uncertain.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Lead | … took place on … after…; Officials confirmed that… |
| Attribution | According to…; Witnesses reported… |
| Sequence | Earlier,…; Later that day,… |
| Caution | The cause has not yet been confirmed; Further details are expected… |
State a defensible view; support it with reasons; acknowledge opposition fairly; end with implication or action.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Position | The case for… is stronger because…; We should reconsider… |
| Support | The evidence points to…; Consider what happens when… |
| Concession | Certainly,…; That concern is valid; however,… |
| Implication | Unless…, …; Decision-makers should… |
Explain a concern or cause; combine concise facts with practical actions; keep claims supportable.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Issue | Every day,…; The problem affects… |
| Evidence | Local figures show…; For example,… |
| Action | You can help by…; Join … on… |
| Credibility | Find out more from…; This information is based on… |
Welcome listeners; signpost spoken sections; make ideas easy to follow by ear; close with recap or invitation.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Welcome | You are listening to…; Today we are asking… |
| Signpost | First,…; Let us turn to…; Here is the key point… |
| Explain | In other words,…; A useful example is… |
| Close | To recap,…; Thanks for listening… |
Prioritise one message; make date, place and action visible; use concise, accurate wording.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Headline | MAKE SPACE FOR…; One afternoon can… |
| Detail | … · … · …; Date / time / place |
| Action | Register here; Bring a friend; Scan to… |
| Access | Free entry; Step-free access; All levels welcome. |
Refer to a public issue; state a position; support it with specific reasoning; propose a response.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Reference | In response to your article on…; The discussion of… raises… |
| Position | I agree that…; However, the issue also involves… |
| Support | In my experience,…; This matters because… |
| Proposal | A practical response would be…; I hope the council will… |
Use presenter cues and transitions; orient listeners who cannot see visuals; repeat essential information naturally.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Cue | You are tuned to…; Coming up,… |
| Orient | For those just joining us,…; To picture the scene,… |
| Transition | Meanwhile,…; Let us hear from… |
| Recap | The main point is…; Details are available at… |
Identify the work or experience; judge specific features; support evaluation; give a qualified recommendation.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Identify | … is a … by…; The experience begins with… |
| Evaluate | Particularly effective is…; The strongest feature is… |
| Qualify | While…, …; The main drawback is… |
| Recommend | It will appeal especially to…; Overall, I would… |
Address listeners; establish a clear claim; use examples and signposts; end with a memorable call or summary.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Address | Good morning…; Think for a moment about… |
| Signpost | I want to make three points; First…; More importantly… |
| Engage | You may be asking…; Let me give one example… |
| Close | If we act together,…; I ask you to… |
Orient the visitor; describe experiences accurately; group routes and practical advice; include access details.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Orient | Begin at…; The area is easiest to explore… |
| Describe | From here,…; The route passes… |
| Advise | Allow about…; If you visit in…, … |
| Access | The path is…; Check opening times before… |
Use a descriptive page title and headings; put key information first; make links and actions explicit.
| Writing job | Phrase choices |
|---|---|
| Orient | Welcome to…; This page explains… |
| Navigate | Choose a section below; For …, go to… |
| Clarify | You will need…; The service is available… |
| Action | Apply online; Download the form; Contact … if… |
The phrase banks are models for instruction, not scripts to memorise. Use current course documents and the live task wording when preparing assessment work.