Y08W27PA - How My Friendship Group Really Works

This week you wrote an informative account explaining how your friendship group actually works. Now you'll read another student's account and judge how strong it is. Working through how assessors evaluate informative writing builds your ability to apply the same lens to your own work.

Part 1

The Assessor Scorecard for

Informative – Informative account

An informative account explains how something works using personal experience. It needs concrete examples, precise vocabulary and awareness that the reader doesn't know your group.

Ideas & Content

Concrete observations — what actually happens, what people actually say. Real examples rather than generic claims like 'our group is close'. Depth that shows the writer has thought carefully about their experience.

  • Specific detail: observations are concrete and supported with real examples from the group's actual behaviour.

Structure & Cohesion

A logical order — communication, decisions, conflict, or any clear sequence. Sections that connect, with transitions showing how ideas relate. A unified account, not scattered observations.

  • Organisation: information is arranged logically; sections connect to create a unified account.

Audience & Purpose

Clear language a researcher outside the group can follow. Insider references explained, not assumed. A respectful tone that brings the reader into the group's world step by step.

  • Clarity: language is clear; insider references are explained so the researcher can understand.

Language Choices

Specific nouns instead of vague words like 'nice', 'cool' or 'stuff'. Active, exact verbs that show what actually happened. Descriptive language that tells the reader something real.

  • Precision: specific nouns, active verbs, and exact descriptive language allow the reader to understand clearly.

Conventions

Correct spelling, punctuation and grammar throughout. Near error-free writing that lets the reader focus on content. Consistent control that signals a credible writer.

  • Accuracy: spelling, punctuation and grammar are correct throughout.

Part 2

Today’s Marking Targets

Task in one sentence

Write an informative account explaining how your friendship group actually communicates, makes decisions and handles disagreement, based entirely on personal observation.

Let’s Focus

Three strands matter most this week: Ideas & Content, Language Choices and Audience & Purpose. Observations decide whether the account reveals real patterns. Vocabulary decides whether they are precise. Pitch decides whether a researcher can follow.

Ideas & Content

Strong writing this week is full of specific observations that reveal real patterns. The writer notices not just that something happens, but exactly how and why it matters. Examples are concrete — actual conversations, real situations, behaviours the writer has observed.

What markers scan for

  • Specific observations, not general claims.
  • Examples of actual behaviour rather than impressions.
  • Evidence of reflection — the writer has drawn real conclusions.

Score Bands

  • Basic

    Observations are present but often general or vague; examples are thin and the writer tells us about the group rather than showing us.

  • Strong

    Observations are specific and supported with real examples; actual behaviour is shown and there is clear evidence of reflection.

  • Excellent

    Every observation is specific and grounded in real behaviour; genuine insight into why the group works as it does.

Language Choices

Strong writing this week uses precise, exact language. Specific nouns replace 'something' or 'stuff'. Verbs show action clearly. Every word does work — there is no filler, no lazy adjective, no vague description.

What markers scan for

  • Specific nouns rather than 'stuff', 'things' or 'cool'.
  • Active verbs that show what people actually did.
  • Exact descriptions a reader can picture clearly.

Score Bands

  • Basic

    Language is adequate but often vague; general words appear where specific nouns and verbs would do real work.

  • Strong

    Language is mostly specific and exact; nouns and verbs are usually precise and descriptions are clear.

  • Excellent

    Every word is chosen for precision; specific nouns, active verbs, vivid descriptions — no vague language or filler anywhere.

Audience & Purpose

Strong writing this week explains everything a researcher would need. Insider terms are clarified. Context is provided. The tone is clear and professional, never too casual — the reader is brought into the group's world without assumed knowledge.

What markers scan for

  • Insider references and context explained, not assumed.
  • A tone clear and professional enough for an academic reader.
  • Enough context for someone completely outside the group to follow.

Score Bands

  • Basic

    The writer sometimes assumes shared knowledge; insider language appears unexplained and an unfamiliar reader would struggle.

  • Strong

    References and context are explained; the tone suits the audience and an outside reader could follow the patterns described.

  • Excellent

    All references and context are clearly explained; the tone is perfectly suited and a completely unfamiliar reader would understand.

Now read · Student sample

How My Friendship Group Really Works

Year 8 sample · \~400 words

Student sample for assessment

Written by a Year 8 student in Perth, Western Australia, Australia.

My group has five people: myself, Maya, Kai, Liam and Sophie. We communicate through a group chat and in person. The group chat is how we plan things. When someone suggests an idea—'let's go to the arcade'—the chat fills up. People agree or disagree. Mostly they react with emojis if they like the idea, or they go quiet. Going quiet in the chat means no. We have learned what no means without anyone saying it directly. No one says 'I don't want to go'. They just don't respond, and everyone knows what that means. We meet at lunch or on weekends. When we meet, we decide things in person. The decision is usually made by whoever speaks first and loudest. This isn't fair, but it's how it works. I'm not the loudest, so if I have an idea, I often don't say it. Kai is the loudest. Kai suggests something—'let's watch this film'—and everyone goes along with it, even if they don't really want to. If someone disagrees after Kai speaks, they usually don't say it out loud. They might text the group later saying they couldn't make it. That happens sometimes. So Kai's ideas usually win because Kai is the loudest. When someone disagrees or is upset about a decision, it is hard. Last month Sophie was upset because Maya had made plans with Kai without including the rest of us. Sophie didn't say anything to Maya directly. Instead she texted the group saying she thought it was unfair. Then everyone had to pick a side. That's usually how conflict happens in my group. It doesn't happen in person. It happens in text, and then everyone worries. After Sophie texted, nobody felt comfortable for a week. Eventually someone—I forget who—sent a meme and that kind of started things back to normal, but it was uncomfortable for a while. That's just how my group works. Things aren't resolved. They just get uncomfortable and then fade out when people move on to something else. My group is close, but we don't actually talk about anything real. We text about plans and jokes, but if someone had a real problem, I don't think they would tell the group. I think they would tell one person. That's different from being a real friend group. But that's how we work. We are very comfortable together, but maybe not in the way the word 'friend group' usually means.