Writing in Irish for Purpose and Audience

Writing that does its job

Good writing in Irish is not just correct Irish: it is writing that suits why you are writing and who will read it. A note to a friend, a formal letter and a short article each call for a different tone, a different level of politeness and different words, even when the language is the same. In the exam you write short responses and one longer piece chosen from three, and the best answers do three things at once. They match the reader and the reason for writing. They join their ideas smoothly with connecting words rather than leaving short, choppy sentences. And they show off a range of language: more than one tense, some varied vocabulary, and an opinion backed by a reason. This module works through each of those, so that your Irish writing reads as though it were planned for its reader, not just translated in your head.

Words for writing in Irish

Learn these terms before the connectives are matched up. They name the ideas used in this topic.

Match each Irish connective to its job

Formal against informal writing

The same message is written differently depending on how well you know the reader.

Which piece will score higher?

Two students answer the same Irish writing task. Which piece is likely to score higher?

• One that uses more than one tense and gives a reason for a view
• One that uses only the present tense in short sentences
• One that copies the words of the question back
• One that leaves most of the task blank

Show what you can do

A writing task is your chance to show off, so do not play it safe with the same short sentence over and over. Reach for more than one tense: say what you did last week as well as what you do now and what you will do next. Bring in a range of vocabulary rather than repeating the one word you are sure of, and link your sentences so they flow. Take care with the small accurate touches that mark a strong writer of Irish, above all the initial mutations at the start of words. And always give a reason for what you think, because a view with a reason behind it reads as real writing rather than a list. Aim to leave the marker in no doubt about the range of Irish you can actually handle.

Pick the marks of strong Irish writing

Select every habit that makes a piece of Irish writing stronger.

• Using more than one tense
• Linking ideas with connecting words
• Giving a reason for a view
• Repeating the one word you are sure of
• Writing only short, choppy sentences

Order how to plan a piece of writing

Put the steps of planning a piece of Irish writing into a sensible order.

• Read the task and note what it asks
• Decide the reader and the reason for writing
• Jot down useful words and tenses
• Write the piece, linking your ideas
• Check spelling, tenses and mutations

Complete the writing facts

The reason you are writing, such as to invite or to persuade, is your _____. The reader you are writing for, and whose language level you must match, is your _____. A joining word such as agus, meaning and, or ach, meaning but, is a _____. Saying what you think and giving a reason for it shows an _____.

Tap the two Irish connectives

Read these four Irish words. Tap the TWO that are connectives, the words that join ideas.

• agus
• ach
• teach
• madra

Dressing for the occasion

Think about how you dress. You would not wear a smart suit to the beach, or a swimsuit to a job interview, even though both are perfectly good clothes. You match what you wear to where you are going and who you will meet. Writing works in exactly the same way. A message to a close friend can be relaxed, short and full of everyday words, like clothes you throw on at the weekend. A letter to someone you do not know needs to be tidier and more careful, like the smart outfit you keep for important days. The words are all Irish either way, just as clothes are all clothes, but the good writer chooses the right ones for the occasion. Before you write a single sentence, picture the reader and the reason, and dress your writing to suit them.

The Irish writing run

Answer each one correctly to keep your lives. Choose the best answer.

Choose how to write it

Read each situation and choose the best approach.

• You are writing a letter to a teacher you do not know well. What tone fits?
• Your writing is a string of short, separate sentences. What would improve it?
• You want to show your range in one sentence. What helps most?

Build a point about writing

Choose the word for each gap to complete one point about writing in Irish.

Explain how to write well in Irish

A friend wants to raise their mark in Irish writing. Using what you have learned, explain how to write well.

• Explain why you match writing to its purpose and reader
• Explain the difference between formal and informal writing
• Explain how connectives improve a piece of writing
• Explain why using more than one tense helps
• Explain why a view should come with a reason