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WorksheetYear 11Level 2 · Standard

Free Year 11 Writing a Persuasive Speech: Spoken Devices, Signposting and Audience Worksheet

A persuasive writing worksheet on writing for the ear rather than the page. Students study an original student speech about homework limits and learn the features that make speeches work aloud: direct audience engagement, signposting, short sentences, repetition, rhetorical questions, tricolon, antithesis and a memorable call to action. They revise written sentences for speaking, mark up a speech for delivery, and write their own speech opening with a model answer and a marking rubric.

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Year
Year 11
Subject
English
Topic
Persuasive Writing
Difficulty
Level 2 · Standard
Estimated time
45 minutes
Curriculum
New Zealand Curriculum
Questions
12
Answers
Included, with working
Format
PDF (A4), print or complete online

Students will practise

  • adapting persuasive writing for a listening audience
  • using signposting to guide listeners through an argument
  • using spoken devices: repetition, tricolon, antithesis, direct address
  • anticipating and answering an objection in a speech
  • writing a memorable opening and call to action

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

What's next?

Completed: Writing a Persuasive Speech: Spoken Devices, Signposting and Audience

  1. 1Evaluating Reasoning: Logical Fallacies in an Editorial
  2. 2Analysing a Poem: Night Shift — Text Analysis
  3. 3Writing an Analytical Paragraph (PEEL/TEEL)
  4. 4Comparing Two Texts

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 45 minutes for 12 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 Evaluating Reasoning: Logical Fallacies in an Editorial.

Preview

Success TutoringWorksheetsYear 11 · English · Persuasive Writing

Writing a Persuasive Speech: Spoken Devices, Signposting and Audience

Name

Date

Score /

A speech is written for the ear. Read every line aloud: if you stumble over it, so will your audience.

Part A: How speeches work

Answer each question.

1.Match each spoken device to an example from the speech.
  • direct audience interaction
  • signposting
  • antithesis
  • tricolon (rule of three)
  • call to action
  • Hands up if you finished your homework after ten o'clock last night.
  • our health, our families and, believe it or not, our results
  • Sign the petition at the library.
  • More is not better. Better is better.
  • First, our health.
2.Why does the speaker repeat "We are told" in the health paragraph?
  1. ATo fill time
  2. BTo build rhythm and set up a contrast with what actually happens
  3. CTo quote a specific expert
  4. DTo show the speaker is unsure
3.What is the main purpose of the paragraph beginning "Now, some of you are thinking"?
  1. ATo change the topic
  2. BTo address a likely objection and rebut it
  3. CTo thank the audience
  4. DTo introduce a new speaker
4.Which feature is MORE important in a speech than in a written essay?
  1. AAccurate spelling
  2. BSignposting and repetition, because listeners cannot reread
  3. CFootnotes
  4. DLong, complex sentences

Part B: Speech craft

Answer in full sentences.

5.The speech says, "That is not a few tired students. That is half the room." Why are short sentences effective in speeches?[2 marks] (answer space)
6.How does the opening hands-up activity help persuade the audience?[2 marks] (answer space)
7.The final line circles back to the title. Why is this a strong ending for a speech?[2 marks] (answer space)
8.Rewrite this written sentence so it would work better when spoken aloud: "Notwithstanding the considerable benefits associated with the consumption of breakfast, a significant proportion of adolescents habitually omit this meal."[2 marks] (answer space)
9.Write a signposting sentence that would move a speech from its second point to a rebuttal.[1 mark] (answer space)
10.Write an antithesis for a speech arguing that schools should plant more trees.[1 mark] (answer space)
11.Copy the sentence "So here is what I am asking" and mark where you would pause, which word you would stress, and how loud or soft you would speak. Explain one choice.[2 marks] (answer space)
Free worksheets at worksheets.successtutoring.com · © Success Tutoring · Free for personal and classroom use

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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