Writing a Persuasive Speech: Spoken Devices, Signposting and Audience — Answers
Answer sheet with model answers and success criteria for the Year 11 persuasive writing worksheet.
Success TutoringWorksheetsAnswer sheetYear 11 · English · Persuasive WritingWriting a Persuasive Speech: Spoken Devices, Signposting and Audience — Answers
Part A: How speeches work
Answer each question.
- 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.
Answer: direct audience interaction → Hands up if you finished your homework after ten o'clock last night.; signposting → First, our health.; antithesis → More is not better. Better is better.; tricolon (rule of three) → our health, our families and, believe it or not, our results; call to action → Sign the petition at the library.
- ATo fill time
- BTo build rhythm and set up a contrast with what actually happens
- CTo quote a specific expert
- DTo show the speaker is unsure
Answer: To build rhythm and set up a contrast with what actually happens
The repetition creates a pattern that the final sentence breaks, highlighting the contradiction between advice and reality.
- ATo change the topic
- BTo address a likely objection and rebut it
- CTo thank the audience
- DTo introduce a new speaker
Answer: To address a likely objection and rebut it
Raising and answering an objection shows the speaker has considered other views and strengthens their credibility.
- AAccurate spelling
- BSignposting and repetition, because listeners cannot reread
- CFootnotes
- DLong, complex sentences
Answer: Signposting and repetition, because listeners cannot reread
A listener hears each sentence once, so clear markers and repeated key ideas help them follow.
Part B: Speech craft
Answer in full sentences.
Answer: They are easy for listeners to follow and remember, create a punchy rhythm, and give the speaker natural pauses for emphasis. Here the second short sentence lands like a reveal.
Answer: It involves the audience physically and makes the problem visible: when they look around and see half the room with hands raised, they feel the issue is real and shared, which builds agreement before any argument is made.
Answer: It gives a memorable, repeatable phrase that sums up the argument and creates a sense of completion. A circular ending also helps listeners remember the key message after the speech is over.
Answer: Model: "Breakfast is good for us. We all know that. So why do so many of us skip it?" (Shorter sentences, plain words, direct address or a question.)
Answer: Model: "So that's my second reason. But I know what some of you are thinking, so let me answer that now."
Answer: Model: "We don't need more concrete. We need more shade." (Any balanced pair of contrasting ideas.)
Answer: Model: So here is what I am asking. / (pause, stress "asking", slightly slower and louder). The pause signals the call to action is coming and makes listeners pay attention.
Part C: Your turn
Model answer: Opening: Good morning, everyone. Close your eyes for a second. It's 7:30 a.m. Your alarm has gone off three times. You drag yourself out of bed, skip breakfast and arrive at class with your brain still asleep. Sound familiar? Now open your eyes. Today I want to convince you that school should start an hour later, at 9:30. I have three reasons: our sleep, our learning and our safety on the roads. Let's start with the one we all feel every single morning: sleep. Closing: So, we have seen that a later start would mean more sleep, better learning and safer journeys. Some people say it's too hard to change the timetable. But hard is not the same as impossible. Other schools have done it, and their students are more awake, more focused and more on time. So here's what I'm asking you to do. Talk to your parents. Write to the principal. Bring it up at the next student council meeting. Because we can't learn if we can't think, and we can't think if we're asleep. Let's wake up to a better start. Thank you.
Success criteria:
- Opening engages the audience directly (question, scenario, interaction)
- Clear contention with signposted reasons
- Uses at least three spoken devices (repetition, tricolon, antithesis, rhetorical question, direct address)
- Sentences suited to speaking: varied length, plenty of short punchy lines
- Closing includes a specific call to action and a memorable final line
- Tone and language suited to a student audience
Marking tips
- Give credit for correct method even when the final answer slips — the working shows where the thinking went right.
- For open-ended tasks, use the success criteria as a checklist rather than looking for one "right" answer.
- Celebrate what went well first, then pick one thing to work on next.