The introduction before the story
Original practice source: a commentary about introductions to books.
An introduction can give a reader a helpful way into an unfamiliar work. It may explain why a choice of form mattered or identify a question which is easy to miss at first. Reading does not have to begin without assistance in order to be an individual experience.
The same introduction can also arrive too early for a particular reader. A confident interpretation may occupy the space in which a first impression would have formed, or describe an event the reader hoped to encounter in the story. Guidance can be useful before, during or after reading, rather than require the same entrance for everyone.
A reading magazine is inviting articles on the statement: “Readers should always read a book’s introduction before beginning the main text.”
Write an article for the magazine arguing your view. You may use ideas from the source and your own ideas.
60 exam-style questions on Oxford AQA IGCSE English Language 2.2.1 Writing for audience and purpose. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.