Question 5 Paper 2
Task: Plan (using the plan offered below and write your answer to the question)
‘The lack of reliable and affordable public transportation is creating severe socioeconomic
disparities, deepening inequality.’
Write a letter to your local MP in which you argue your point of view on this statement.
Model example:
Pcture this: you wake up early in the morning, bleary-eyed, but suddenly panic as you realize that your bus is late,
and you’re going to miss your job interview. Imagine: you rush outside, hoping to catch a different route, but find
that the bus stop is empty, and the next one won’t arrive for another hour. Imagine: you finally arrive at the
interview, flustered and late, only to find that the position has been filled by someone who had reliable transport.
Your opportunity has slipped through your fingers, not because you weren’t capable, but because you couldn’t get
there.
For those of you who aren’t already aware, here’s the issue: the lack of reliable and affordable public transportation
is creating severe socioeconomic disparities, deepening inequality, and making it nearly impossible for many people
to break out of poverty. This must change.
There are many reasons why we should address the lack of accessible public transport. Firstly, and most obviously,
without reliable transport, people are cut off from job opportunities, education, and essential services. In urban
areas, this leads to a gap where only those who can afford cars or live in well-connected neighborhoods get ahead,
while others are left behind. According to the Department for Transport, 1 in 10 people in the UK don’t have access
to a car and rely solely on public transport, yet many of these communities experience inadequate services, forcing
them into a cycle of poverty and limited opportunity. Secondly, the lack of public transport exacerbates inequality. A
study by the Institute for Public Policy Research found that areas with poor public transport networks experience
20% higher unemployment rates, as people simply can’t get to work on time or at all. Without mobility, individuals
can’t access the resources that might help them improve their situation, and society as a whole suffers as a result.
You may be thinking that public transport isn’t always perfect, but it’s not that bad, or that personal vehicles are a
better alternative. But the truth is, many people simply can’t afford a car, and even those who can are struggling
with the rising costs of fuel, insurance, and maintenance. Take Sarah Thompson, for example – a 34-year-old single
mother from Manchester. She relies on public transport to get her children to school and to attend her part-time
job. One winter morning, the bus she needed was delayed by over an hour due to bad weather, causing her to miss
an important meeting with a potential employer. As a result, she was passed over for a full-time position that would
have significantly improved her family’s financial situation. This is not an isolated incident – thousands of people
across the UK are facing similar challenges, struggling to get to work or to access healthcare because of unreliable
public transport.
So, here is the solution I propose: we need to invest in expanding and improving public transportation networks
across the country. This includes increasing the frequency of buses, trains, and trams in underserved areas, ensuring
that schedules are reliable and that fares remain affordable. Additionally, the government should implement
subsidies or incentives to ensure that low-income individuals and families can afford public transport, allowing them
to access education, jobs, and opportunities that will help break the cycle of poverty. The investment in better public
transport systems will not only create jobs and boost the economy but also help reduce the inequality that is
widening across the country.
Now, imagine this: you wake up early for your new job, confident that your bus will arrive on time, as it always does.
Imagine: you arrive at work well ahead of time, calm and prepared for the day ahead, knowing that public
transportation has been improved to give everyone, regardless of their background, an equal opportunity to
succeed. Imagine: you leave work at the end of the day, satisfied and hopeful for the future, knowing that your
access to affordable transport has helped you build a brighter tomorrow.
What should you be What strategies should you be using?
doing in this section?
Paint a • You need to • Use imperatives/ direct address- ‘Picture this:’ ‘Imagine the
picture begin by scene:’- then make it descriptive so they can picture it
hooking a • ‘Ethos’- Establish why you’re writing about this issue in the first
reader by place and why it’s worth reading your view point e.g. use an
making them anecdote
picture • Begin with your motif/ extended metaphor/ cyclical structure
something in here
their minds
straight away
and establish
why the issue
is important.
What’s • Outline the • ‘Logos’- prove to me that this is a problem- facts/ statistics/
the issue? topic/issue simple sentence/ rhetorical question followed by hypophora
you will be • ‘For those of you that aren’t already aware…’
discussing • ‘Currently, in the UK…’
throughout • ‘So, why is everyone talking about _____________? Here’s the
your issue:’
response.
Make your
opinion clear
through a
clear topic
sentence.
Argue • Give your • Topic sentence should build on previous paragraph using
once first main discourse marker- ‘therefore, beyond this, furthermore’
argument for • ‘Pathos’- people are persuaded via emotions. Link back to
why reasons anecdote at the beginning. Use emotive language, repetition and
that your pronouns you build feelings of guilt and responsibility.
opinion is
‘correct’.
Sound as
well-
informed as
possible.
Argue • Present the • Topic sentence should build on previous paragraph using
against counter- discourse marker- ‘alternatively/consequently/further to this you
argument might argue’ Some people may argue that…Many would suggest
and then that…You might be thinking...
dismiss it • Could add counter argument if appropriate or just build on
previous point.
• Here you are building the tension to a conclusion- use listing,
anaphora to build this.
Resolution • Provide a • Big picture ideas- why is this a wider issue than the question
solution to might have initially seemed? How can you make this about wider
your issues in society- philosophically/economically/psychologically?
problem. • Change the tone/atmosphere to one of hope and positivity
Don’t make it through a semantic field: ‘The solution is simple:’ Your argument
too extreme. may have become too negative and now you need to show them
Make it there’s hope.
impossible
not to agree!
Link • Go back to • How can you link back to the beginning of your article go back to
what you those imperatives ‘Now picture this: So, now let’s imagine a world
said in your where… So let us picture a different scene:’
intro and • How is your motif/extended metaphor/ cyclical structure going to
twist it into a finish?
positive. Give
them the
alternative if
they listen to
you
