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GCSE English Language · key term
Speaking or writing directly to the audience, often using ‘you’ or naming the group.
Used by AQA, Edexcel, OCR and Eduqas
Paper 2
Speaking or writing directly to the audience, often using ‘you’ or naming the people being addressed.
Revise: Rhetorical devicesDirect address brings the audience into the argument. ‘Councillors, you can make this change’ identifies both the audience and its responsibility. Inclusive pronouns such as ‘we’ and ‘our’ can establish common ground, provided the shared concern is believable.
Paper 1
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Language addressed directly to the reader, often using ‘you’ or ‘your’.
Vocabulary, grammar, direct address, imagery and the wording of sentences are useful areas to examine. A contrast can count when you analyse the contrasting words; merely explaining that the topic changes halfway through is structural commentary, not language analysis.
Speaking directly to readers through words such as ‘you’ and ‘your’.
Paper 1
Language that speaks explicitly to the audience, for example 'you' or 'fellow students'.
Revise: Writing a speech or talkDirect address also needs substance. 'You should help' addresses listeners, but 'Between revision, clubs and weekend work, you may wonder where another commitment could fit' shows understanding of their lives. Inclusive pronouns such as we and our can present the speaker as part of the group rather than an outsider giving orders.
Component 2
Speaking or writing explicitly to the audience, often using ‘you’, to establish a relationship with them.
Revise: Writing a speech or talkDirect address uses ‘you’ to speak to listeners. Inclusive pronouns such as ‘we’ and ‘our’ can establish common ground: ‘We all recognise the rush to get ready for school.’ Use them thoughtfully rather than assuming everyone has exactly the same experience.
