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WorksheetYear 11Level 2 · Standard

Free Year 11 Persuasive Openings and Closings: Hooks, Contentions and Calls to Action Worksheet

Students learn how strong persuasive pieces begin and end. They compare types of hooks (anecdote, startling fact, rhetorical question, vivid scene), write a clear contention, preview their arguments, and craft endings that restate the contention in fresh words, widen the significance and finish with a call to action or a circular link back to the hook. Model openings and closings are provided, with a rubric for students' own.

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Year
Year 11
Subject
English
Topic
Persuasive Writing
Difficulty
Level 2 · Standard
Estimated time
35 minutes
Curriculum
New Zealand Curriculum
Questions
10
Answers
Included, with working
Format
PDF (A4), print or complete online

Students will practise

  • choosing an effective hook for a persuasive text
  • writing a clear, arguable contention
  • previewing arguments in an introduction
  • writing a conclusion that restates, widens and calls to action
  • using a circular structure to link an ending to the opening

Curriculum: New Zealand Curriculum. We show specific outcome codes only where they have been verified against the official curriculum document.

What's next?

Completed: Persuasive Openings and Closings: Hooks, Contentions and Calls to Action

  1. 1Using Evidence in Persuasive Writing: Statistics, Examples and Expert Opinion
  2. 2Writing a Persuasive Speech: Spoken Devices, Signposting and Audience
  3. 3Evaluating Reasoning: Logical Fallacies in an Editorial
  4. 4Analysing a Poem: Night Shift — Text Analysis

How to use this worksheet

  1. Print the PDF or complete it on screen. Write the student's name and date at the top.
  2. Read the instructions for each part together before starting. Encourage working to be shown.
  3. Mark with the answer sheet. Use the model answers and success criteria as a guide rather than a single right answer.
  4. Record the score, celebrate what went well, then follow the "What's next" suggestion.

Common questions

Who is this worksheet for?

Year 11 students (typically ages 15–16) working on persuasive writing. It is pitched at level 2 · standard.

Are the answers included?

Yes. The PDF includes a full answer sheet with model answers and success criteria where there is more than one good answer. You can also view the answers online.

How long does it take?

About 35 minutes for 10 questions. Short, regular sessions work best: two or three a week beats one long one.

Do I need to sign up to download?

No. Click Download Free PDF and it opens immediately. It is free for personal, classroom and homeschool use.

What should we do next?

Try Using Evidence in Persuasive Writing: Statistics, Examples and Expert Opinion.

Preview

Success TutoringWorksheetsYear 11 · English · Persuasive Writing

Persuasive Openings and Closings: Hooks, Contentions and Calls to Action

Name

Date

Score /

Readers remember beginnings and endings best. Plan both before you write the body.

Part A: Types of hooks

A hook is the first sentence or two of a persuasive piece. Its job is to make the audience want to keep reading or listening.

1.Match each type of hook to its example.
  • anecdote
  • startling fact
  • rhetorical question
  • vivid scene
  • When did we decide that silence was something to be afraid of?
  • The river is brown, thick and still, and nothing moves beneath its surface.
  • Last winter, my grandmother waited two hours in the cold for a bus that never came.
  • The average person spends more than four hours a day looking at a phone.

Part B: Contentions, previews and endings

Circle the best answer.

2.Which is the clearest contention (main argument) for a persuasive piece?
  1. ASome people think school uniforms are good and some do not.
  2. BSchool uniforms are an interesting topic.
  3. CSchools should drop compulsory uniforms and allow students to dress for learning.
  4. DI will talk about uniforms.
3.Which sentence best previews the arguments that will follow?
  1. AUniforms are bad.
  2. BUniforms cost families too much, limit self-expression and do little to improve conduct.
  3. CThis essay is about uniforms.
  4. DMany people have opinions about uniforms.
4.Which conclusion technique is used here? That bus never came for my grandmother. With better funding, the next one will.
  1. Aa startling fact
  2. Ba circular ending that returns to the opening anecdote
  3. Ca new argument
  4. Da rhetorical question
5.Which of these should a persuasive conclusion avoid?
  1. Arestating the contention in new words
  2. Bintroducing a brand-new argument
  3. Ca call to action
  4. Dshowing why the issue matters beyond the immediate topic

Part C: Study the models

Read each model, then answer the questions.

6.Model opening: "Every afternoon at 3:15, our school driveway turns into a battlefield. Engines idle, horns sound and students weave between bumpers to reach their rides. It is only a matter of time before someone is hurt. The school must create a safe drop-off zone, close the front gate to traffic and run a walking-bus program." What kind of hook does this opening use, and why is it effective?[2 marks] (answer space)
7.Identify the contention in the model opening.[1 mark] (answer space)
8.Which sentence previews the arguments, and how many arguments does it suggest the piece will make?[1 mark] (answer space)
9.Model closing: "A drop-off zone, a closed gate and a walking bus are simple, affordable changes. They will not end every traffic jam, but they will protect the people who matter most. Let's make sure that 3:15 is remembered as the end of the school day, not the start of a battle. Sign the letter to the school council before Friday." List three techniques the writer uses in this closing.[3 marks] (answer space)
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Preview — the PDF contains the full resource and answer sheet.

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About this resource

Created by
Success Tutoring
Last reviewed
1 October 2026
How it was made
Written by our team

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