Are Movie Stars' Weddings Too Extravagant?

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09 / Q.2 / p.

2009 UE Section B Q.2

Dear Editor,

        Noticing the trickles of extravagant weddings sta+ged by movie stars in recent years, I cannot help suspiring how millions of dollars could have been better spent instead of being squandered on events that could have been just as beautiful and memorable if the budget was cut half.  I am therefore writing this letter to express my serious concern over the despicable behaviour of these public figures who clearly have little idea of what it really takes to have an unforgettable wedding.

        It is not exactly inconceivable why movie stars tend to spend profusely  that they wish to garner media attention and show off their wealth and affluence to the world.  But as often as we learn of star wedding news, equally frequently are we aware that they divorce a few years  or more outrageously a few months  after marriage.  I have to say I am surprised at how marriage could be as disrespected as such.  I am doubly surprised at how forgetful these people are, obviously having no memory of their vows and commitments on their lavish wedding day.  It is henceforth a headache think of marriage being treated as a ridiculous game.

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        With this in mind  that marriage is now nothing more than an empty concept that lacks respect and dignity  one comes to the conclusion that it is simply pointless in holding wedding parties at exorbitant prices.  Name any loving couples around you and you realize the key to long-lasting marriages is not to make the wedding as unreasonably expensive as possible but to truly devote oneself to the relationship.  Regardless of whether the wedding is huge or humble, so long as the two persons are faithful to and caring for each other, their marriage will always be graceful and ...

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The Quality of Written Communication is well above average. There is an impressively broad range of adjectives used by the candidate and a confident use of a wide variety of punctuation points. There are very few grammatical errors that would ever penalise an exam script of this quality.

The Level of Analysis, or rather more appropriately, the Level of Persuasion here is above average, though it does feel as though the candidate repeats themselves unnecessarily (though some may say this is a good thing; cementing the argument in the readers' minds by way of repetition is an effective persuasion technique). Also used as a technique form persuasion is empathy for the opposing view, but as with much of the letter, it is dowsed in satire and disrespect ("It is not exactly inconceivable why movie stars tend to spend profusely — that they wish to garner media attention and show off their wealth and affluence to the world"). This shows the examiner that the candidate has a clear passion for what they're writing, and thus wins marks for showing an active enthusiasm for writing with flair. All candidates hoping to score highly should feel passionately about what they're writing about, and this is why selecting the right question on the question paper is so important. Directly addressing the recipient of the letter (Name any long-lasting couples..."); alliteration ("Regardless of whether the wedding is huge or humble"); and providing a constructive alternative to that which irritate the candidate (donating to charity to create a philanthropic image of the couple) make the persuasion ever more effective.

This task to persuade an editor of a gossip magazine why on earth celebrity marriages are so extravagant is brilliantly written. There's an undeniable scorn and contempt for such a waste of needless fortune and a consistent focus on how to persuade the editor to consider the candidate's point of view. Written in the style of a letter, with accurate forms of address "Dear Editor"/"Yours faithfully", the candidate has considered many aspects of what makes a good persuasive argument and instilled them into this essay to produce a good response to the proposed question.