Y09W36PA - How a Bill Becomes a Law

This week you wrote an informative piece explaining how a bill becomes a law in Australia's federal parliament. Now you'll read another student's piece and judge how strong it is. Working through how assessors evaluate informative writing sharpens your own approach.

Part 1

The Assessor Scorecard for

Informative – Informative piece

Informative writing conveys knowledge. It is objective, logically organised, and uses precise vocabulary so readers understand both the information and why it matters.

Ideas & Content

Ideas come from source material, but how you synthesise them determines quality. Identify what's most relevant and understand how ideas connect. Convey both the facts and the significance of those facts. Strong informative writing helps readers see the shape of the system, not just isolated details.

  • Source synthesis: connects facts into an explanation of the whole system.

Structure & Cohesion

Informative structure is logical and purposeful. Move through information in an order that builds understanding — overview to detail, or simple to complex. Cohesion comes from signposting. Help readers see how each idea connects to what came before and what comes next.

  • Purposeful order: builds understanding from overview to process and detail.

Audience & Purpose

Your purpose is to help readers understand a specific system or process. Your audience expects clarity and relevance — information structured so they can grasp how things work. You're writing for readers who want to know, not for readers who already know.

  • Process clarity: helps readers understand how the law-making system works.

Language Choices

Informative language is precise and accessible. Use domain-specific vocabulary where necessary, but explain unfamiliar terms. Choose words that convey exact meaning. Sentences are controlled but not rigid — vary enough to keep readers engaged.

  • Accessible terminology: explains necessary civic language without oversimplifying.

Conventions

Conventions in informative writing serve clarity. Accurate grammar, spelling and punctuation allow your information to come through without distraction. Consistency in tense and perspective helps readers follow complex ideas.

  • Conventional clarity: keeps tense, punctuation and grammar from clouding the process.

Part 2

Today’s Marking Targets

Task in one sentence

Write a three-paragraph informative piece explaining how a bill becomes a law in Australia's federal parliament and what checks exist.

Let’s Focus

Three strands matter most this week: Ideas & Content, Structure & Cohesion and Language Choices. The ideas decide whether readers grasp purpose, not just steps. Structure decides whether the system reveals itself in order. Language decides whether technical terms land with precision.

Ideas & Content

When ideas are strong, you select the most important information and understand why it matters. You explain not just what happens but the purpose of each step. You help readers see that the process isn't random — it's designed to ensure laws are scrutinised carefully.

What markers scan for

  • Clear explanation of what a bill is and which house introduces most bills.
  • Explanation of what each house does and why having two houses matters for checking.
  • Understanding of the system's logic, not just its mechanics.

Score Bands

  • Basic

    Lists steps in the process; limited explanation of purpose.

  • Strong

    Explains what happens and why each stage exists; connects stages.

  • Excellent

    Helps readers understand the system's logic, not just its mechanics.

Structure & Cohesion

Structure moves readers through information systematically. You might explain the overall system first, then detail each house's role, then address checks and balances. Cohesion comes from signposting — making explicit how each idea follows from the last.

What markers scan for

  • Logical order: readers understand overview before detail.
  • Clear transitions showing how ideas connect.
  • Reader always knows where they are in the explanation.

Score Bands

  • Basic

    Information is accurate but order seems arbitrary.

  • Strong

    Clear progression that helps readers follow; most transitions are explicit.

  • Excellent

    Structure itself teaches — the order reveals how the system works.

Language Choices

Informative language is precise without being technical. Use domain vocabulary where necessary, but define it or use it in context. Choose words that distinguish between similar ideas — the difference between 'pass' and 'introduce', between 'debate' and 'amend'.

What markers scan for

  • Domain vocabulary used accurately and in context.
  • Words that distinguish between key concepts in the process.
  • Technical terms integrated without disrupting flow.

Score Bands

  • Basic

    Language is clear but imprecise; terms used loosely.

  • Strong

    Accurate domain vocabulary; precise distinctions between similar concepts.

  • Excellent

    Language serves understanding; technical terms integrated without disrupting flow.

Now read · Student sample

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Year 9 sample · \~250 words

Student sample for assessment

Written by a Year 9 student in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia.

Australia's parliament consists of two houses that must both agree before a bill—a proposed law—becomes law. The House of Representatives has 151 members, while the Senate has 76 senators. Most bills start in the House of Representatives. This system of two houses exists to ensure that laws are examined carefully and that the government cannot simply pass legislation without scrutiny. Each house acts as a check on the other. When a bill is introduced in the House of Representatives, it goes through four stages: first reading, where the bill is formally introduced; second reading debate, where members discuss whether the bill should pass; committee stage, where detailed examination occurs; and third reading, where final approval is given. Once the House of Representatives passes a bill, it moves to the Senate, where it undergoes the same four stages. The Senate can approve the bill, reject it, or propose amendments. This means the Senate functions as a genuine check—it cannot simply rubber-stamp what the House of Representatives has decided. If the Senate repeatedly rejects government legislation, a double dissolution can occur, which allows new elections to be held. However, most bills pass both houses because the government typically has enough support. Once both houses pass a bill, the Governor-General gives royal assent, which is the formal approval that makes the bill an official law. This final step exists to recognise the British tradition of parliament, but in practice it is a formality. The process ensures that laws must survive scrutiny in both houses, making it difficult to pass legislation hastily.