Responsibility for the meaning which arrives
Original practice source: a commentary about interpreting words.
A speaker cannot control every association a listener brings to a sentence. Words may be received in a context the speaker did not foresee, and another person’s interpretation is not automatically proof of the intended meaning.
That limit does not remove responsibility for foreseeable confusion. A vague promise, an unexplained term or a joke which depends on shared knowledge can leave a listener with a reasonable but unintended understanding. Useful communication includes attention to context and a willingness to clarify, rather than treating either intention or reception as the only account which matters.
A national newspaper is running an essay competition on the statement: “People are responsible for how others interpret their words.”
Write an essay for the competition 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 Section B: Directed writing, covering 2.2.1 Writing for audience and purpose, 2.2.2 Responding to multiple and diverse demands, and 2.2.3 Writing linked to the Section A sources. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.