Studyledge

Directed Writing: Transforming Texts: Question 3

Syllabus R5, W1, W4

Structured 8 marks

You interviewed Marcus Webb, who runs the "Library of Things" scheme at Fenwick Library, and made the following notes.

Interview notes:

  • The library now lends out tools such as drills and sewing machines, and even a carpet cleaner, alongside its usual books.
  • "People don't want to spend eighty pounds on a drill they'll use twice a year," he says.
  • Over 200 items have been borrowed since the scheme launched six months ago.
  • The most popular item is a set of garden strimmers, booked out almost every weekend in spring and summer.
  • The scheme is funded by a small annual membership fee of £10, which covers repairs and replacements.

You are writing a short feature article for a community newspaper, introducing local readers to the "Library of Things" scheme in order to encourage them to try borrowing an item.

Using at least THREE ideas from the notes above, write a headline and the opening paragraph of your article (about 70–90 words). [8]

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Worked solution

Assessment focus

This question tests whether a candidate can select relevant content from source notes and reshape it using the specific conventions of a feature article. A headline, an inviting hook, integrated (not dropped-in) quotation, and a register that is informative but warm rather than formal or list-like.

Mark scheme (8 marks)

  • Headline (2 marks): engaging and relevant to the scheme, not a dry restatement of the task (e.g. avoid “New Library Scheme Announced”).
  • Opening hook (2 marks): draws the reader in with a specific, vivid detail (the carpet cleaner, the £80 drill) rather than starting with background statistics.
  • Use of source ideas (2 marks): accurately incorporates at least three ideas from the notes, with the quotation smoothly introduced (who said it, in what context) rather than pasted in unexplained.
  • Register and length (2 marks): register stays warm, welcoming and reader-friendly throughout (not academic or report-like), and the response stays close to the 70–90 word guideline.

Model opening (82 words)

Why Borrow a Drill When You Can Just Sign It Out?

Need a carpet cleaner for one weekend, or a sewing machine you’ll use twice a year? Fenwick Library has an answer. Its “Library of Things” now lends out tools alongside its usual shelves of novels, and in six months over 200 items have gone out the door. “People don’t want to spend eighty pounds on a drill they’ll use twice a year,” says Marcus Webb, who runs the scheme, and for just £10 a year, members no longer have to.

Why this works

The headline poses a relatable question rather than announcing a fact; the opening hook picks two concrete, memorable items (carpet cleaner, sewing machine) instead of leading with the six-month/200-item statistic; the quotation is introduced by name and role before it appears; and the register stays conversational and inviting throughout, ending on the reader-facing benefit (the £10 fee) rather than an administrative detail.

Common pitfalls specific to this task

  • Leading with “The Library of Things scheme launched six months ago and has lent out 200 items”, accurate, but a flat, report-style opening rather than an inviting feature hook.
  • Quoting Marcus Webb’s line without naming him, leaving the reader unsure whose opinion it is.