Writing to a Reader Who Decides · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Writing to someone who decides

English · Writing Composition · ages 16-18
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. What makes a good opening line?

    • A famous quote about success
    • Your own line tied to a real moment
    • A list of every grade you ever earned

  2. Who reads this kind of writing?

    • A decider comparing rivals
    • A fan who already admires you
    • A stranger with nothing to give

  3. A paragraph praising the reader answers the question that was asked.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. A prompt asks for a time you solved a problem. One paragraph describes the beautiful campus. What should happen to it?

    • Expand it with more praise
    • Move it to the opening
    • Cut it, misses the prompt

  5. Which line would a deciding reader trust more?

    • I am deeply passionate about helping people
    • I volunteered weekly at a clinic desk for eight months
    • I have always dreamed of this opportunity

  6. Which detail best backs the claim that you organise well?

    • You call yourself highly organised
    • You admire organised people
    • You ran a fair with 30 stalls and 200 visitors

  7. You reuse one story for two different readers. What is the right way to adapt it?

    • Send the same piece to both
    • Add praise for each reader and change nothing else
    • Answer exact questions with proof for each place

  8. Two drafts close a letter. A: I link my lab results to the exact project advertised. B: I praise the company for pages. Which earns trust, and why?

    • A, because it matches checkable proof to this reader
    • B, because flattery pleases busy readers
    • Both equally, since length shows effort
LightMySky · lightmysky.comW1-mt_MdOd8lS2ZV-s1

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Writing to someone who decides W1-mt_MdOd8lS2ZV-s1

  1. Your own line tied to a real moment · Only you can write your own moment, so it sets you apart.
  2. A decider comparing rivals · The reader holds something you want and compares you with rivals.
  3. False · Flattery fills space but never answers what was asked.
  4. Cut it, misses the prompt · Test each paragraph against the prompt and cut what misses.
  5. I volunteered weekly at a clinic desk for eight months · A dated, checkable fact beats an adjective about yourself.
  6. You ran a fair with 30 stalls and 200 visitors · A result with numbers proves the claim better than adjectives.
  7. Answer exact questions with proof for each place · Shape the story to each question with evidence chosen for that reader.
  8. A, because it matches checkable proof to this reader · Evidence picked to fit this reader beats generic praise.
Worksheet · LightMySky