Writing to Advise:

Advice for a newcomer to your area

Summer 2005 paper 1 Exemplar (grade A) answer

Look for the devices and features of “writing to advise” used by this candidate.

WHAT A PLACE! (Advice for a newcomer to your area)

You’ve never really been round Manchester and seen what it has to offer? You haven’t lived yet!Manchester is, in my eyes, the greatest city in the world. There are things for all ages. To start with, there are all the usual things that a big city has to offer, but then there is more as well.

The first thing that I would advise you to do when you go to Manchester for the first time, is get a map of the city. These maps can be found all over the place. If you go into the centre by train, then there are maps at the station; if you go by Metro, the transport link connecting all parts of the city, then the maps will be at all the stations; if you go by car then these maps can be found at the many Tourist Information Centres in the city. The map you get will show you exactly what Manchester has to offer.

After you have got your map and worked out roughly where everything is, you should go for a walk round the centre of the city to see everything. You will be amazed and impressed by St. Peter’s Square, Piccadilly Gardens, the Urbis Centre and the many museums to give just a few. Once you have seen all of the sites, I think that you will be exhausted, so I suggest you leave everything else for some other day.

If you are interested in sport, then Manchester has huge amounts to offer. There are two Premiership football teams in Manchester: Manchester United and Manchester City (although it is only really worth following United as City are rubbish). Both of the clubs have amazing stadiums, with City’s being the City of Manchester Stadium where the 2002 Commonwealth Games were held. I recommend a visit to both these stadiums, and getting a guided tour round. If you visit Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United, it may also be worth a look round the other Old Trafford, home of Lancashire County Cricket Club. Both of these have wonderful museums with all the club’s history in.

Talking of museums, Manchester has many to visit. There is the Manchester Museum, which is a museum of history and art; The Lowry, which is all about the artist L. S. Lowry; The Museum of Science and Industry which is extremely good for children as there are activities and games to do; and there is also Urbis, an amazing building which is another art museum.

Theatre and music also has a major part in the layout of Manchester. There is the MEN Arena and The Apollo, which have many concerts; the Royal Exchange Theatre where I would recommend going to see a performance as they are always of the highest quality; and, of course, there are many cinemas. All of these places are well worth a visit.

I’ve told you about the sport for the boys - there are also the shops for the girls. Everyone knows that girls love to shop, and Manchester has huge amounts to offer. On King’s Street in the centre of the city, there are all the extremely expensive shops like Gucci, but there are also the less expensive ones. The Triangle hosts a huge and wide variety, from specialist Japanese clothing to surf clothing in O’Neil. Manchester also has the largest shopping centre in the UK. On the outskirts of the city, there is the Trafford Centre, where most types of shops can be found.

Finally, there are all the bars, cafes and restaurants. Some of the best restaurants in the country are located in Manchester, and after a meal at one of these why not go to one of the huge number of bars and nightclubs where you can enjoy a great night.

All of these places are the ones which are the most popular, but there are also many more, especially in the areas on the outskirts of the city. You may not be able to visit them all, but visit some at least and then you might decide that you have finally lived Manchester - what a place!