✍️ NAPLAN Y9 Writing Skills

✍️ Writing — Year 9 Skills & Strategies

Narrative or Persuasive writing for Year 9

One writing task in 42 minutes. Format: Online. Prompt type: Narrative or Persuasive.

Criterion	Marks	What Markers Look For
Audience	6	Sophisticated and sustained voice
Text Structure	4	Purposeful and effective structure
Ideas	5	Insightful and original ideas, fully developed
Vocabulary	5	Precise, sophisticated and deliberate vocabulary
Cohesion	4	Seamless integration of ideas
Paragraphing	2	Strategic and controlled paragraphing
Sentence Structure	6	Masterful sentence variety and control
Punctuation	5	Accurate and purposeful punctuation throughout
Spelling	5	Accurate spelling of all words including technical and complex

Establish a distinctive voice immediately — Year 9 markers are reading hundreds of pieces; make yours memorable
Complexity of ideas matters — go beyond surface-level treatment of the topic
Every sentence should earn its place — remove vague or filler language ruthlessly
For persuasive writing — use rhetorical questions, rule of three, statistics and anecdote
For narrative — consider structure as a creative tool; non-linear structures can be highly effective

🏆 Audience is worth 6 marks — the most of any single criterion. Always write to engage your reader first.