NAME, CANDIDATE NUMBER
I have written a broadsheet opinion article, using The Times Online article 'Please don't kill
off our nursery rhymes’ as a style model. My article emphasizes the significance of foreign
language study, in the same way the original piece highlights the importance of nursery
rhymes for children's development. My article, like my style model is written for an online
newspaper however is aimed towards a more left-wing audience.
The Times article begins with a personal anecdote that immediately engages the reader,
demonstrating the value of nursery rhymes through personal experience. The juxtaposition
of elevated lexis and childish, playful language in the noun phrases ‘lengthy discussion’ and
‘such as eyebrows, nostrils and bicycles’ creates an ironic contrast, drawing attention to the
trivial, humorous nature of the discussion. Likewise, I introduce my viewpoint with an
anecdote, mirroring the language features of my style model by including adverbial phrases
of place (‘At a family meal’), determiners, hyperbolic adjectives and satirical anecdotes. The
possessive determiner ‘my’ and the first-person pronoun ‘I’ creates a synthetic relationship
with the reader, sharing personal experiences and passion for the subject. I also create
humour using hyperbole, for example in the noun phrase ‘the dreaded question’, the pre-
modifying base adjective ‘dreaded’ comically overstates the severity of the question.
Anecdotes are integrated throughout, such as ‘[Steve,] who almost passed out at my
suggestion that we go to a Chinese restaurant rather than Toby Carvery’. This relative
subordinate clause engages the reader by presenting an exaggerated and amusing response,
conveying my perspective on close-minded individuals through the humorous and relatable
characterisation of Steve as the readers have likely had a similar experience with an older
I have written a broadsheet opinion article, using The Times Online article 'Please don't kill
off our nursery rhymes’ as a style model. My article emphasizes the significance of foreign
language study, in the same way the original piece highlights the importance of nursery
rhymes for children's development. My article, like my style model is written for an online
newspaper however is aimed towards a more left-wing audience.
The Times article begins with a personal anecdote that immediately engages the reader,
demonstrating the value of nursery rhymes through personal experience. The juxtaposition
of elevated lexis and childish, playful language in the noun phrases ‘lengthy discussion’ and
‘such as eyebrows, nostrils and bicycles’ creates an ironic contrast, drawing attention to the
trivial, humorous nature of the discussion. Likewise, I introduce my viewpoint with an
anecdote, mirroring the language features of my style model by including adverbial phrases
of place (‘At a family meal’), determiners, hyperbolic adjectives and satirical anecdotes. The
possessive determiner ‘my’ and the first-person pronoun ‘I’ creates a synthetic relationship
with the reader, sharing personal experiences and passion for the subject. I also create
humour using hyperbole, for example in the noun phrase ‘the dreaded question’, the pre-
modifying base adjective ‘dreaded’ comically overstates the severity of the question.
Anecdotes are integrated throughout, such as ‘[Steve,] who almost passed out at my
suggestion that we go to a Chinese restaurant rather than Toby Carvery’. This relative
subordinate clause engages the reader by presenting an exaggerated and amusing response,
conveying my perspective on close-minded individuals through the humorous and relatable
characterisation of Steve as the readers have likely had a similar experience with an older
