CCEA GCSE Specimen Assessment Materials for English Language · English Language GCSE For first teaching from September 2017 ... The total mark for this paper is 150 marks. Section

CCEA GCSE SpecimenAssessment Materials for

English Language

GCSE

For first teaching from September 2017For first assessment in Summer 2018For first award in Summer 2019Subject Code: 5030

Version 2: 10 January 2019

ForewordCCEA has developed new specifications which comply with criteria for GCSE qualifications. The specimen assessment materials accompanying new specifications are provided to give centres guidance on the structure and character of the planned assessments in advance of the first assessment. It is intended that the specimen assessment materials contained in this booklet will help teachers and students to understand, as fully as possible, the markers’ expectations of candidates’ responses to the types of tasks and questions set at GCSE level. These specimen assessment materials should be used in conjunction with CCEA’s GCSE English Language specification.



GCSE English LanguageSpecimen Assessment Materials

Contents

Specimen Papers 3

Unit 1 Writing for Purpose and Audience and Reading to Access Non-fiction and Media Texts

3

Unit 4 Personal or Creative Writing and Reading Literary and Non-fiction Texts

21

Mark Schemes 39

General Marking Instructions 41

Unit 1 Writing for Purpose and Audience and Reading to Access Non-fiction and Media Texts

45

Unit 4 Personal or Creative Writing and Reading Literary and Non-fiction Texts

69


Subject Code 5030

QAN 603/1346/8

A CCEA Publication © 2017

You may download further copies of this publication from www.ccea.org.ukVersion 2: 10 January 2019

SPECIMEN PAPERS



Centre Number

Candidate Number

General Certificate of Secondary Education2018

For Examiner’s use only

Section Marks

A

B

TotalMarks

3

TIME1 hour 45 minutes.

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATESWrite your Centre Number and Candidate Number on this answer booklet.Complete all the tasks; the single task in Section A and the four tasks in Section B.

INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATESThe total mark for this paper is 150 marks. Section A (Writing) One task marked out of 87 marks. Spend 55 minutes on this section.Section B (Reading) Four tasks marked out of 63 marks. Spend 50 minutes on this section.Pay attention to the suggested timings shown at the beginning of each task, these will enable you to complete all the tasks within the time limit.Figures in brackets printed down the right-hand side of pages indicate the marks awarded to each task.Examiners can only credit what they can read. Keep your work legible.

English Language

[CODE]SPECIMEN PAPER

Unit 1

Writing for Purpose and Audience and Reading to Access Non-fiction and

Media Texts


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Section A: Writing for Purpose and Audience

Task 1: Spend 55 minutes on your response.

Mark allocation: 87 marks

Up to 57 marks are available for an organised and engaging piece of writing that matches form and purpose with audience.

Up to 30 marks are available for the use of a range of sentence structures and accuracy in spelling, punctuation and grammar.

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You are advised to spend:• 15 minutes thinking and planning your response.• 30 minutes writing the article.• 10 minutes checking your writing.

Planning Space:

Write a short article to appear in your college/school newspaper.In the article, persuade the readers that it would be better for everyone’s health if all students went back to taking proper school meals.


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Article for college/school newspaper:


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6Version 2: 10 January 2019

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Section B: Reading to Access Non-fiction and Media Texts

Four tasks: 50 minutes


Additional answer pages are available at the back of this booklet should you require them.

Reading Non-fiction Texts

Tasks 2 and 3 are based on a piece of travel writing. The writer describes the scene of a recent forest fire in Nevada, USA and he then thinks about the experience.

Task 2: Spend 15 minutes on this task.

Read the text below. Explain how the writer has presented his views on the damage caused by the forest fire to engage the reader.

The road was steep and slow and it took me much of the afternoon to drive the hundred or so miles to the Nevada border. Near Woodfords I entered the Toiyabe National Forest, or at least what once had been the Toiyabe National Forest. For miles and miles there was nothing but charred land, mountainsides of dead earth and stumps of trees. Occasionally I passed an undamaged house around which a firebreak had been dug. It was an odd sight, a house with swings and a paddling pool in the middle of an ocean of blackened stumps. A year or so before the owners must have thought they were the luckiest people on the planet, to live in the woods and mountains, amid the cool and fragrant pines. And now they lived on the surface of the moon.

From ‘The Lost Continent’ by Bill Bryson (1989) © Secker & Warburg


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The writer is thinking about his reactions to this recent forest fire.

Read the text below. In your own words write down two reasons the writer gives to explain why he did not know about this forest fire. Present two pieces of supporting evidence for each reason.

(a) First reason:

[4]

Two pieces of supporting evidence:

[2]

Soon the forest would be replanted and for the rest of their lives they could watch it grow again inch by annual inch. I had never seen such devastation - miles and miles of it - and yet I had no recollection of having read about it. That’s the thing about America. It’s so big that it just absorbs disasters, muffles them with its vastness. Time and time again on this trip I had seen news stories that would elsewhere have been treated as colossal tragedies - a dozen people killed by floods in the South, ten crushed when a store roof collapsed in Texas, twenty-two dead in a snowstorm in the east - and each of them treated as a brief and not terribly important diversion between ads for soap powder and cottage cheese. Partly it is a consequence of the idiotic breeziness common to local TV newsreaders in America, but mostly it is just the scale of the country.

From ‘The Lost Continent’ by Bill Bryson (1989) © Secker & Warburg


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(b) Second reason:

[4]

Two pieces of supporting evidence:

[2]


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Reading Media Texts

Tasks 4 and 5 are based on an advertising brochure.


Below is some of the text used in this brochure.

Comment on how language has been used to develop a sense that Titanic Belfast would be a really special place for a wedding. Present supporting evidence.

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Titanic Belfast stands at the head of the original Harland & Wolff Slipways and offers stunning views of Belfast Lough and Cave Hill beyond. This magnificent setting offers a stunning backdrop for your wedding day photography.

With multiple viewing galleries, you have many photo-friendly locations for your ceremony; from the cosy north slipway gallery on the 2nd floor to the original Drawing Rooms where RMS Titanic was first developed.

At the effortlessly unique Titanic Belfast, the only requirement is your presence. By entrusting your important day to us, be assured that every detail is addressed in our quest to ensure you will experience a truly extraordinary service.

© Titanic Belfast


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[20]


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Study the front panel of the wedding brochure below.

Select two presentational features used in this image to support the idea that Titanic Belfast is an ideal place to hold a wedding. Explain the intended effect of these two presentational features on the reader.

(a) First feature:

[1]

Explanation:

[4]

© Titanic Belfast


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(b) Second feature:

[1]

Explanation:

[4]


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Additional answer pages


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THIS IS THE END OF THE QUESTION PAPER


BLANK PAGE


Centre Number

Candidate Number


For Examiner’s use only

Section Marks

A

B

TotalMarks

TIME1 hours 45 minutes.

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATESWrite your Centre Number and Candidate Number on this answer booklet.Complete four tasks; one task in Section A and the three tasks in Section B.

INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATESThe total mark for this paper is 150 marks. Section A (Writing) One task marked out of 88 marks. Spend 55 minutes on this section.Section B (Reading) Three tasks marked out of 62 marks. Spend 50 minutes on this section.Pay attention to the suggested timings shown at the beginning of each task, these will enable you to complete all the tasks within the time limit.Figures in brackets printed down the right-hand side of pages indicate the marks awarded to each task.Examiners can only credit what they can read. Keep your work legible.

21

English LanguageUnit 4

Personal or Creative Writing and Reading Literary and Non-fiction Texts

[CODE]SPECIMEN PAPER


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Section A: Personal or Creative Writing



Up to 58 marks are available for an organised piece of personal/creative writing that matches form with purpose to engage the specified audience.

Up to 30 marks are available for the use of a range of sentence structures and accuracy in spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Complete only one task.

Either

(a) Write a personal essay for the examiner about an incident in your own life that did not start well but ended up being a positive experience.

Or

(b) Write your entry for a creative essay writing competition. The audience is young people. The picture below is to be the basis for the competition entry. Provide your own title.

[88]

© omgimages/ iStock/Thinkstock


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You are advised to spend:• 15 minutes thinking and planning• 30 minutes writing your response• 10 minutes checking your writing

Planning Space:


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Complete only one task in this section. Either (a) or (b).

(a) Personal writing: Write a personal essay for the examiner about an incident in your own life that did not start well but ended up being a positive experience:


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(b) Creative writing: Write your entry for a creative essay writing competition. The audience is young people. The picture on page 22 is to be the basis for the competion entry. You may provide your own title.


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Section B: Reading Literary and Non-fiction Texts

Texts A and B Literary texts: Task 2 – 26 minutes

Non-fiction text: Tasks 3 and 4 – 24 minutes


This insert is for use with Task 2

English LanguageUnit 4: Personal or Creative Writing and Reading Literary and Non-Fiction Texts

[GEN41]

General Certificate of Secondary Education


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Task 2

You have 26 minutes in which to read both texts and respond to the task below.

Compare and contrast how the writers of Texts A and B have created a sense of unease. Present supporting evidence from both texts.

Text A

Two young teenagers, Finn and Tara have just met. She takes him to the site of an ancient battle, Cluain na nGall.

She led him to the lily pond and they looked at the lazy lizards. Then she took him through the grove of trees. Finn gasped when they turned a bend and were confronted with a flat wilderness. The stillness was the first thing that hit him. It was as if he had suddenly been clamped with earmuffs. Nothing stirred. The trees stood like silent sentries all around, casting cold shadows over the scrubby grass. Finn shivered and wrapped his arms around himself.

“What’s this place?” he asked in a hushed voice. “It’s creepy.”

“Cluain na nGall. It means the Field of the Foreigners. Dead foreigners,” she added as she moved into the scrubby grass. “Underneath this wasteland is a whole bunch of dead foreigners.”

Finn gave another shiver. “What do you mean?” he asked, following Tara.

She stopped and turned towards him. “It’s true,” she said. “Way back over a thousand years ago, a fierce battle was fought here, between the Vikings and the Irish, right on this very spot. Loads of people died.”

“It’s an eerie place,” said Finn. “Cold.”

“Come on,” said Tara. I’ll show you some of the bumpy graves.”Together they ran across the scrubby field.

“Have you noticed that it’s colder as we go towards the middle?” asked Tara.

Finn had noticed, but he felt it was up to him to keep level-headed.

© Reproduced with permission of Mary Arrigan


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Text B

Four young people with a shared interest in Animal Rights are heading off by car on a night-raid to expose cruelty on a puppy-farm.

It was almost dark, with a bright half-moon occasionally obscured by hurrying clouds. Excitement clutched at Elaine’s stomach. There was no doubt she was regretting her offer to join the others on the raid.

“Won’t there be a farmhouse or anything with people in it?” she asked.

“No it’s half-derelict. What...are you feeling just a teensy bit... worried?” Steve spoke quietly but the nasty edge was quite clear.

“Don’t worry...there’s a public footpath going right through the farmyard,” Karen said from the depths of the back seat, “so if anyone sees us there – not that it’s likely in the dark – we’ve got a perfect excuse.”

They were well away from the town now. Elaine shivered slightly as the car’s headlights illuminated the old trees and hedgerows so that they looked like monsters from a nightmare as they leaned over the mini, leering and creaking in the wind.

“Park about half a mile further up the lane and we’ll walk back,” Steve suggested.

They piled out.

Mike locked the car and gave Elaine’s arm a reassuring squeeze. She smiled back gratefully and followed the others. They hurried along the lane, the farm buildings standing out black against the moonlit sky. The windows of the derelict farmhouse stared like unwinking eyes, so that Elaine gave a sudden shudder. All those half-remembered ghost stories came back to haunt her and her instincts told her to run away – NOW!

From ‘Run With the Hare’ by Linda Newbery (1989) © Pearson Education


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[32]


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Tasks 3 and 4

You have 24 minutes in which to read and respond to the two tasks based on the newspaper article “Why I Hate Fashion”.


The extract below is the beginning of the newspaper article.

Explain how the writer has tried to gain and hold the interest of the reader.

WHY I HATE FASHION

I am a reasonably normal person – I like food and friends and comfort. It is just that I cannot ignore the fashion silliness any more. I walk past a shop that sells 6 inch heels and I am angry. Top Shop? Angry again. All these adverts for this season’s “must have”... . Don’t even go there. I have had it with the giant faces and figures of overpaid skinny actors telling me what I should buy from every billboard and magazine and TV screen.

I decided to write this piece last year when I read that a 16-year-old girl wearing high-heeled shoes had fallen between the carriages of a train. She died, of course. It was snowing that night, but still this young woman, with a lifetime of fashion choices before her, ran along the platform and is now dead.

Adapted from “Why I Hate Fashion” by Tanya Gold, 22 January 2010 © 2016 Guardian News and Media Limited


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[15]


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The extract below is the final four paragraphs of the newspaper article.

As the writer finishes off her article, she is considering the part fashion has played in her own life and also the part it played in the tragic death of a 16 year-old girl.

Explain how the writer has created a negative view of fashion.

I couldn’t help suspecting that had she been wearing a shoe designed for actually walking rather than for fashion, she would be alive. This was different from the usual fashion death, where a model has a heart attack on the catwalk, because she lives on grapes.

This was an ordinary girl, a bystander. And why was she wearing high-heeled shoes on an icy night? Because fashion, the whispering monster, told her to.

I thought about that young woman for days; I couldn’t forget her. Why? Because I realised that fashion has hounded me. It has followed me around like an eternal schoolyard bully, throwing self-doubt and rubbish into my path.

I can look at clothes on the catwalk now and laugh at their daftness. They are not for me. I still think about that young woman on the train tracks though. What price did she pay for her shoes?

Adapted from “Why I Hate Fashion” by Tanya Gold, 22 January 2010 © 2016 Guardian News and Media Limited


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[15]


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THIS IS THE END OF THE QUESTION PAPER


BLANK PAGE


MARK SCHEMES



General Certificate of Secondary Education

GENERAL MARKING INSTRUCTIONS

English Language


46

General Marking Instructions

A General Introduction to the Assessment of CCEA’s GCSE English Language

IntroductionMark schemes are intended to ensure that the GCSE examinations are marked consistently and fairly. The mark schemes provide markers with an indication of the nature and range of candidates’ responses likely to be worthy of credit. They also set out the criteria which they should apply in allocating marks to candidates’ responses. The mark schemes should be read in conjunction with these general marking instructions.

Assessment objectivesBelow are the relevant assessment objectives for English Language.AO3 Candidates must: (i) read and understand texts, selecting material appropriate to purpose, collating from different sources and making comparisons and cross-reference as appropriate; (ii) develop and sustain interpretations of writers’ ideas and perspectives; and (iii) explain and evaluate how writers use linguistic, structural and presentational features to achieve effects and engage and influence the reader.

AO4 Candidates must: (i) write to communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, using and adapting forms and selecting vocabulary appropriate to ask and purpose in ways that engage the reader; (ii) organise information and ideas into structured and sequenced sentences, paragraphs and whole texts, using a variety of linguistic and structural features to support cohesion and overall coherence; and (iii) use a range of sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Quality of candidates’ responsesIn marking the examination papers, examiners should be looking for a quality of response reflecting the level of maturity which may reasonably be expected of a 16-year-old which is the age at which the majority of candidates sit their GCSE examinations.

Flexibility in markingMark schemes are not intended to be totally prescriptive. No mark scheme can cover all the responses which candidates may produce. In the event of unanticipated answers, examiners are expected to use their professional judgement to assess the validity of answers. If an answer is particularly problematic, then examiners should seek the guidance of the Supervising Examiner.

Positive markingExaminers are encouraged to be positive in their marking, giving appropriate credit for what candidates know, understand and can do rather than penalising candidates for errors or omissions. Examiners should make use of the whole of the available mark range for any particular question and be prepared to award full marks for a response which is as good as might reasonably be expected of a 16-year-old GCSE candidate.

Awarding zero marksMarks should only be awarded for valid responses and no marks should be awarded for an answer which is completely incorrect or inappropriate.


47

The style of assessmentThe exams will be marked using positive assessment; crediting what has been achieved. The mark schemes emanate from the Assessment Objectives and are designed to support this positive approach.

The relationship between tasks, mark schemes and Competence Level StrandsEach task is designed to test a specified series of Assessment Objectives. Every task has either:

(a) a mark scheme that is built around a task specific checklist, Competence Level (CL) Strands and a mark grid

The Competence Levels, which detail increasing levels of proficiency, are made up of three strands. These are derived from the task-specific Assessment Objectives and each of the strands focuses on important characteristics within the response. The job for each examiner is to identify positively what has been achieved and then match each candidate’s level of proficiency to the appropriate descriptors.

Or

(b) an individual task checklist tied to specific mark allocations

Writing: an outline of the marking process

Two discrete assessments have to be made.

The first assessment will be used to gauge the candidate’s performance in Writing (i) and (ii) of the Assessment Objectives. The second assessment is measured against the remaining Assessment Objective, Writing (iii).

The assessment of Task 1 begins with the examiner highlighting what is creditworthy as well as marking up the errors in Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar (SPG). At the conclusion of the response, the examiner will summarise the candidate’s achievement and then select the appropriate mark from the mark grid.

The required process, standard and style of marking will be the business of the standardising meetings. Pre-marked exemplar scripts will be distributed to all examiners at these conferences. These ‘benchmark scripts’ have been marked and annotated by the senior examining team prior to each standardising meeting.

Studying Written Language (Reading): an outline of the marking processThe assessment of an individual response begins with the examiner highlighting what, within a response, is creditworthy. Then, at the conclusion of the response, the examiner will evaluate the candidate’s achievement before selecting the appropriate mark from the mark grid.

These procedures which have been outlined above are described in detail in the Mark Schemes that follow.


BLANK PAGE


MARKSCHEME

English Language

[CODE]SPECIMEN

Unit 1

Writing for Purpose and Audience and Reading to Access Non-fiction and

Media Texts



50

Section A: Writing for Purpose and Audience

Task 1

The Assessment Objectives

Writing (AO4)

(i) Write to communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, using and adapting forms and selecting vocabulary appropriate to task and purpose in ways that engage the reader.

(ii) Organise information and ideas into structured and sequenced sentences, paragraphs and whole texts, using a variety of linguistic and structural features to support cohesion and coherence.

(iii) Use a range of sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar.

All are being assessed in Task 1.

The examiner will be required to make two distinct assessments: one for Task 1: Writing (i) and (ii) and a second assessment for Task 1: Writing (iii).

The two required assessments

1 Each response will be assessed on the basis of a single reading and annotated using the three e-marking tools: underlining, circling and wavy underlining.

The following method and style of marking is to be used:

• the underlining tool to indicate creditworthy material

• the circling facility serves two purposes:

(a) to highlight spelling mistakes with each error being circled only once - alot...happend

(b) for indicating minor and/or occasional lapses in punctuation such as missing apostrophes, commas and full stops - run’s/... two three or four/...to me it was not long after...

• wavy underlining will denote failings in syntax. When used vertically in the margin this will indicate ongoing issues, for example, failings in grammar/lapses in sentence structure - he seen yous threw the open door


51

2 Using the method and style of marking outlined on p. 46 in conjunction with the Competence Level (CL) Strands for Task 1: Writing (i) and (ii) on p.51, the examiner will assess, positively, the features of that response.

This process (a worked example follows below and on the next page) will be carried out in this order:

(a) The examiner will carefully read and annotate the response.

(b) The three Competence Level Strands that best match the candidate’s achievement will be noted.

(c) Only after selecting and noting the three Competence Level Strands will the examiner turn to the mark grid to establish the mark to be awarded. Where the mark grid calls for an examiner judgement, the extent to which a candidate has met the overall requirements of the particular Competence Level will determine the mark to be awarded.

Where a range of marks are available, the following procedure should be followed:

• where a two mark range is available, the examiner will consider whether the response is mostly in the ‘upper half’ or ‘lower half’ of the achieved Competence Levels and award either mark accordingly; and

• where a three or four mark range is available, the examiner will consider whether the response is mostly at the ‘top’, ‘middle’ or ‘bottom’ of the achieved Competence Levels and award the available marks accordingly.

In exceptional circumstances the standard of a candidate’s work might range across more than two strand levels. Such an eventuality is not covered by the mark grids. Where this happens, the examiner should decide the mark to be awarded on a ‘best fit’ basis. The support of the supervising examiner could usefully be sought.

3 A final check of every page of the answer booklet:

(a) Use the ‘E’ tool to indicate the end of the candidate’s final response.

(b) Stamp all blank or planning pages with the ‘SEEN’ tool.

Here is an example of this style of annotation in action for Task 1: Writing (i) and (ii)(this should be read in conjunction with the relevant Competence Level Strands on p. 51):

The response is positively assessed against each of the three strands that make up the Competence Levels for Task 1: Writing (i) and (ii). Let’s assume it can best be summarised by the following descriptors:

• “Generally effective and appropriate development. An increasingly fluent and engaging...” (Development and Style CL3)

• “Clear structuring with a conscious effort to use some structural and linguistic devices” (Structuring/Linguistic and Structural

Features CL3)• “Recognition of purpose and audience...a straightforward direction.... Language

choices...generally appropriate” (Purpose and Audience CL2)


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These individual strand levels are noted at the end of the response in a text box:

The next stage in the process is to check these ‘strand scores’ on the mark grid for Task 1: Writing (i) and (ii). This indicates a mark range of 26–29 marks.

This score would then be entered against No. 1i/ii in the scoring facility at the bottom, right corner of the screen.

In order to assess Task 1: Writing (iii), the same process (step 2 on p. 47) is used to make this second assessment using the Competence Level Strands that relate to Writing (iii).

Here is an example of this style of annotation in action (it should be read in conjunction with the relevant Competence Level Strands on p. 53).

The response is positively assessed against each of the three strands that make up the Competence Level Strands for Task 1: Writing (iii). Let’s assume it can best be summarised by the following descriptors:

• “Increasingly sustained competence in the control of sentence structures. Some variety of sentence structuring is evident”

(Range of Sentence Structure CL3)• “The basics of punctuation...increasingly secure...used to add clarity and engage” (Use

of Punctuation CL3) • “Increasingly accurate spelling of regular words...some with irregular patterns...

widening vocabulary to actively help engage the audience” (Spelling and Range of Vocabulary CL3)


The next stage in the process is to check these ‘strand scores’ across the mark grid for Task 1: Writing (iii). This indicates a score of 17/18 marks.

The selected score would then be entered against No. 1iii in the scoring facility at the bottom, right corner of the screen.

Wi/ii 332

Wii

Wi/ii

Wiii 333


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General Guidance on the Application of the Competence Level Strands

The first assessment: Task 1: Writing (i) and (ii)

The following checklist will help to highlight the extent to which a candidate has shaped her/his response appropriately. It offers general guidance on how the candidates, across all the Competence Level Strands, may employ the skills from Task 1: Writing (i) and (ii).

Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively demonstrating:

• a handling of the topic in such a way as to attempt to consciously persuade the prescribed audience/positively develop the audience’s interest;

• use of a style that builds a positive relationship with the prescribed audience; and• possible use of anecdotes/humour to engage/persuade the prescribed audience.

Adapting form and vocabulary to task and purpose in ways that engage the audience, demonstrating:

• a sense that the piece has been developed for the prescribed audience;• use of an appropriate tone that is specifically designed to engage and sustain the

audience’s attention; and• use of vocabulary that is in keeping with the purpose of the task and audience.

Organise information and ideas into structured, sequenced sentences, paragraphs and whole texts demonstrating:

• a sense of a persuasive pathway being created/a logical progression through the student’s point of view;

• use of engaging/challenging introductory and concluding paragraphs;• use of topic/link sentences for different paragraphs; and• development that endeavours to use organisation to sustain the audience’s interest.

Use a variety of linguistic and structural features to support cohesion and overall coherence demonstrating:

• a conscious varying of sentence length for effect;• the use of connectives to give coherence; and• the use of rhetorical devices (such as the rule of three, questions, hyperbole) to

develop interest/build a case/develop a rapport with the specified audience.

Credit any other valid strategies used that are not mentioned above.

The second assessment: Task 1: Writing (iii)

The following checklist will help to highlight the extent to which a candidate has shaped her/his response appropriately. It offers general guidance on how the candidates, across all the Competence Levels, may employ the skills from Task 1: Writing (iii).

The range and effectiveness of sentence structures:

• the wider the range and the greater the degree of originality and control in structuring sentences, the more opportunity the candidate gives her/himself to establish a positive rapport with the reader; and

• the more assured and varied that manipulation of sentence structuring is, the higher will be the mark awarded.


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The use made of accurate punctuation and grammar:

• linked to the control of sentence structure is the control of a variety of appropriate punctuation and accurate use of grammar. Here, too, competent usage can help to maintain the reader’s interest. The greater the control and variation in the use of punctuation, the higher will be the reward.

The use made of accurate spelling and range of vocabulary:

• accuracy in spelling, in isolation, can be misleading; it needs to be viewed beside the range and precision of the vocabulary used. A limited vocabulary spelt accurately is unlikely to capture the reader’s attention; and

• examiners should credit ambitious use of vocabulary where the word may not always be accurately spelt but has been chosen carefully to capture a sense of the situation.



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con

stra

ins

styl

e an

d lim

its c

omm

unic

atio

n to

a b

asic

leve

l.A

basi

c/ru

dim

enta

ry s

truct

ure

with

som

e at

tem

pt a

t pro

gres

sion

; the

re m

ay b

e so

me

atte

mpt

to u

se s

impl

e st

ruct

ural

or l

ingu

istic

fe

atur

es.

Som

e br

oad/

over

all,

basi

c se

nse

of p

urpo

se

and/

or a

udie

nce

may

be

evid

ent.

CL1

CL2

Del

iber

ate

deve

lopm

ent u

sing

a

stra

ight

forw

ard

styl

e in

a c

onsc

ious

atte

mpt

to

per

suad

e/pr

esen

t a p

oint

of v

iew

.

Logi

cally

org

anis

ed, l

eadi

ng th

e au

dien

ce

thro

ugh

the

resp

onse

. Th

is m

ay

occa

sion

ally

be

supp

orte

d w

ith s

ome

stra

ight

forw

ard

use

of s

truct

ural

or l

ingu

istic

fe

atur

es.

Rec

ogni

tion

of p

urpo

se a

nd a

udie

nce

givi

ng

a st

raig

htfo

rwar

d di

rect

ion

to th

e w

ritin

g.

Lang

uage

cho

ices

are

als

o ge

nera

lly

appr

opria

te.

CL2

CL3

Gen

eral

ly e

ffect

ive

and

appr

opria

te

deve

lopm

ent.

An

incr

easi

ngly

flue

nt a

nd

enga

ging

sty

le c

onsc

ious

ly a

ttem

ptin

g to

pe

rsua

de.

Com

bine

s cl

ear s

truct

urin

g w

ith a

con

scio

us

effo

rt to

use

som

e st

ruct

ural

and

ling

uist

ic

devi

ces

in o

rder

to d

evel

op th

e au

dien

ce’s

in

tere

st.

Pur

pose

and

aud

ienc

e ar

e cl

early

un

ders

tood

. Th

is u

nder

stan

ding

und

erpi

ns

the

resp

onse

and

is e

vide

nt in

the

varie

ty o

f so

me

of th

e la

ngua

ge c

hoic

es.

CL3

CL4

Incr

easi

ngly

com

pete

nt d

evel

opm

ent o

f a

styl

e th

at is

clo

sely

alig

ned

to p

urpo

se. T

he

enga

gem

ent o

f the

aud

ienc

e is

sus

tain

ed.

Pro

ficie

nt s

truct

urin

g al

lied

to th

e po

sitiv

e us

e of

stru

ctur

al a

nd li

ngui

stic

dev

ices

to

enha

nce

the

audi

ence

’s e

ngag

emen

t.

Incr

easi

ngly

con

vinc

ing

sens

e of

pur

pose

an

d au

dien

ce w

oven

with

in th

e fa

bric

of t

he

resp

onse

. Th

is is

app

aren

t in

the

cons

ciou

s ta

ilorin

g of

sui

tabl

e la

ngua

ge.

CL4

CL5

Con

fiden

t dev

elop

men

t of a

n en

gros

sing

/ap

posi

te s

tyle

that

com

man

ds th

e at

tent

ion

of th

e sp

ecifi

ed a

udie

nce.

Ass

ured

com

pete

nce

in s

truct

urin

g is

m

atch

ed b

y th

e sk

illed

use

of a

var

iety

of

stru

ctur

al a

nd li

ngui

stic

dev

ices

to e

nliv

en

the

wor

k an

d ac

tivel

y cu

ltiva

te a

con

nect

ion

with

the

audi

ence

.

A co

nfid

ent h

andl

ing

of p

urpo

se a

llied

to

a c

onsc

ious

ly d

evel

oped

rapp

ort w

ith

the

spec

ified

aud

ienc

e. T

his

is, i

n pa

rt,

gene

rate

d th

roug

h pr

ecis

e se

lect

ion

of

appo

site

lang

uage

.

CL5


56

Mark Grid Task 1: Writing (i) and (ii) (57 marks)

Strands attained Marks awarded

000 0

100 1–2

110 3–5

111 6–9

112 10–13

221 14–17

222 18–21

223 22–25

332 26–29

333 30–33

334 34–37

443 38–41

444 42–45

445 46–49

554 50–53

555 54–57


57

Com

pete

nce

Leve

l Str

ands

Tas

k 1:

Writ

ing

(iii)

Ran

ge o

f Sen

tenc

e St

ruct

ures

Use

of P

unct

uatio

n an

d G

ram

mar

Spel

ling

and

Ran

ge o

f Voc

abul

ary

CL0

No

cred

itwor

thy

resp

onse

.N

o cr

editw

orth

y re

spon

se.

No

cred

itwor

thy

resp

onse

.C

L0

CL1

Som

e at

tem

pt to

use

sen

tenc

e st

ruct

urin

g.S

ome

basi

c pu

nctu

atio

n (fu

ll st

ops)

and

gr

amm

ar a

re o

ccas

iona

lly u

sed

in a

n at

tem

pt to

sup

port

mea

ning

.

Som

e ac

cura

te s

pelli

ng o

f bas

ic w

ords

. A

narr

ow ra

nge

of v

ocab

ular

y lim

its

com

mun

icat

ion

to a

bas

ic le

vel.

CL1

CL2

Con

trol o

f stra

ight

forw

ard

sent

ence

st

ruct

ure

is g

ener

ally

mai

ntai

ned.

Th

e us

e of

gen

eral

ly s

ecur

e ba

sic

punc

tuat

ion

(full

stop

s an

d co

mm

as)

and

gram

mar

to s

uppo

rt un

com

plic

ated

co

mm

unic

atio

n.

Gen

eral

ly a

ccur

ate

spel

ling

of re

gula

r, st

raig

htfo

rwar

d w

ords

. S

ome

cons

ciou

s at

tem

pt to

use

voc

abul

ary

to e

nliv

en th

e w

ritin

g.C

L2

CL3

Incr

easi

ngly

sus

tain

ed c

ompe

tenc

e in

th

e co

ntro

l of s

ente

nce

stru

ctur

es. S

ome

varie

ty o

f sen

tenc

e st

ruct

urin

g is

evi

dent

.

The

basi

cs o

f pun

ctua

tion

(full

stop

s,

com

mas

, exc

lam

atio

n an

d qu

estio

n m

arks

) and

gra

mm

ar a

re in

crea

sing

ly

secu

re a

nd a

re u

sed

to a

dd c

larit

y an

d en

gage

.

Incr

easi

ngly

acc

urat

e sp

ellin

g of

regu

lar

wor

ds, a

s w

ell a

s so

me

with

irre

gula

r pa

ttern

s. G

reat

er c

are

in th

e se

lect

ion

of a

wid

enin

g vo

cabu

lary

to a

ctiv

ely

help

en

gage

the

audi

ence

. C

redi

t atte

mpt

s at

am

bitio

us u

sage

.

CL3

CL4

Varie

ty in

sen

tenc

e ty

pes

and

stru

ctur

ing

is c

ontro

lled

and,

whe

re a

ppro

pria

te,

delib

erat

ely

man

ipul

ated

for e

ffect

.

A pr

ofic

ient

use

of a

rang

e of

pun

ctua

tion

and

gram

mar

to s

usta

in c

larit

y an

d to

ac

tivel

y en

gage

the

audi

ence

.

Acc

urat

e sp

ellin

g of

mos

t wor

ds,

alth

ough

som

e er

rors

with

mor

e pr

oble

mat

ic w

ords

will

per

sist

. A

n ex

tend

ed v

ocab

ular

y is

em

ploy

ed w

ith

incr

easi

ng p

reci

sion

.

CL4

CL5

Ass

ured

use

of a

wid

e ra

nge

of s

ente

nce

stru

ctur

es to

enh

ance

the

over

all e

ffect

in

term

s of

cla

rity,

pur

pose

and

aud

ienc

e.

A va

riety

of p

unct

uatio

n an

d gr

amm

ar

is c

onfid

ently

and

acc

urat

ely

depl

oyed

, en

hanc

ing

and

gene

ratin

g a

rapp

ort w

ith

the

audi

ence

.

Err

ors

will

be

limite

d to

one

-off

mis

take

s or

the

outc

ome

of a

mbi

tious

atte

mpt

s to

use

com

plex

lang

uage

. E

xten

ded,

ap

posi

te v

ocab

ular

y co

nsci

ousl

y us

ed fo

r ef

fect

.

CL5


58

Mark Grid Task 1: Writing (iii) (30 marks)

Strands attained Marks awarded

000 0

100 1–2

110 3–4

111 5–6

112 7–8

221 9–10

222 11–12

223 13–14

332 15–16

333 17–18

334 19–20

443 21–22

444 23–24

445 25–26

554 27–28

555 29–30


59

Section B: Reading to Access Non-fiction and Media Texts

The Assessment Objectives Reading (AO3)

(i) Read and understand texts, selecting material appropriate to purpose.

(ii) Develop and sustain interpretations of writers’ ideas and perspectives.

(iii) Explain and evaluate how writers use linguistic, structural and presentational features to achieve effects and engage and influence the reader.

All are being assessed in Task 1, 2, 3 and 4.

The assessment process

Tasks 2 and 4 will be assessed using Competence Level based assessment.

Tasks 3 and 5 will be assessed using the task-specific checklist.

The required style of annotation for all tasks

1 Each response will be assessed on the basis of a single reading using the two marking indicators: underlining/ticking

• use the underlining tool to highlight appropriate explanation/interpretation;• use the ticking facility to indicate presentation of relevant examples/evidence; and• ignore all errors in punctuation, syntax and spelling as they are not being assessed.


60

2 The examiner will carefully read and annotate the response.

The first purpose of the annotation is to clarify, positively, for the examiner, exactly what is creditworthy so that the appropriate Competence Level Strands can be selected, leading in turn to the award of the correct mark. A secondary function of the annotation is to ensure that, if scrutinised, this annotation will make it clear what elements of a response have been credited.

Tasks 3 and 5: the actual assessment of each of these tasks is measured against task-specific criteria laid out in detail later.

The score for each will then be entered in the scoring facility at the bottom, right corner of the screen.

3 Tasks 2 and 4 (a) Having annotated the response as required, the examiner will then assess the

response in relation to each of the three strands of the relevant Competence Level Strands (CL).

(b) The three selected Competence Level Strands will be noted in a text box at the end of the response.

(c) Only after selecting and noting the three Competence Level Strands will the examiner turn to the mark grid to establish the mark to be awarded.

Where the mark grid calls for an examiner judgement, the extent to which a candidate has met the overall requirements of the particular Competence Level will determine the mark to be awarded.




In exceptional circumstances the standard of a candidate’s work might range across more than two strand levels. Such an eventuality is not covered by the mark grids. Where this happens, the examiner should decide the mark to be awarded on a ‘best fit’ basis. Alternatively, the support of the supervising examiner could usefully be sought.


61

Here is an example of this style of annotation in action for a Task 2 response (it should be read in conjunction with the relevant Competence Level Strands on p. 59).

The response is positively assessed against each of the Competence Level Strands for Reading (i - iii). Let’s assume that the response can best be summarised by the following descriptors:

• “A straightforward understanding...an attempt to exemplify conclusions.” (Read and understand text/select material CL2)

• “An overall explanation...some straightforward appreciation” (Develop and sustain interpretations CL2)

• “A generally purposeful approach...effectively comments on and/or attempts some evaluation” (Explain and evaluate elements of writer’s craft CL3)

These individual descriptors are noted at the end of the response:

The next stage in the process is to check these ‘strand scores’ across the mark grid for Task 2. This indicates a score of 9/10 marks.

The selected score would then be entered against No. 2 in the scoring facility at the bottom, right corner of the screen.

322


62

Section B

Task 2:

Response time: 15 minutes.

Total: 21 marks

Explain how the writer has presented his views on the damage caused by the forest fire to engage the reader.

Below is a task specific checklist outlining the material that candidates at all Competence Levels may be expected to draw upon for their responses:

• The writer begins by using descriptive details of his journey to capture the reader’s attention: “The road was steep and slow... to drive the hundred or so miles”.

• The repetition of “Toiyabe National Forest” in the second sentence is used to develop the readers’ curiosity when he adds the following remark/codicil: “or at least what once had been...”

• The writer uses contrasts to emphasise the scale and completeness of the devastation caused by the forest fire.

• The initial comparison is between the untouched - “swings and paddling pool” and the surrounding scene of desolation – “an ocean of blackened stumps”.

• The writer uses a metaphor to illustrate for the reader the scale of the destruction when he describes them as surrounded by “an ocean”.

• The writer paradoxically describes these undamaged properties as “odd”, whereas before the fire these would have been viewed as normal.

• The second comparison is a “before and after” contrast. Before this forest fire the inhabitants might well have considered themselves to be “the luckiest people on the planet” as they lived “amid cool and fragrant pines” but afterwards they had been transported metaphorically to “the surface of the moon”

• The idyllic description of the scene before the fire – “cool and fragrant pines” is metaphorically contrasted for effect with somewhere that epitomises utter barrenness – “an ocean of blackened stumps”/“the surface of the moon”.

Credit any other valid suggestions (check with your Supervising Examiner)


63

Com

pten

ce L

evel

Str

ands

Tas

k 2

Rea

d an

d un

ders

tand

text

/sel

ect

mat

eria

lD

evel

op a

nd s

usta

in in

terp

reta

tions

of

writ

er’s

inte

ntio

nsEx

plai

n an

d ev

alua

te e

lem

ents

of

writ

er’s

cra

ft

CL0

No

cred

itwor

thy

resp

onse

.N

o cr

editw

orth

y re

spon

se.

No

cred

itwor

thy

resp

onse

.C

L0

CL1

A ve

ry b

asic

und

erst

andi

ng m

ay b

e su

ppor

ted

by te

xtua

l ref

eren

ces

som

e of

w

hich

may

be

rele

vant

.

Som

e ba

sic

sens

e of

the

writ

er’s

ove

rall

inte

ntio

n m

ay b

e pr

esen

ted.

A ru

dim

enta

ry a

ttem

pt to

offe

r som

e ba

sic

rem

arks

on

how

an

aspe

ct/s

of t

he

text

has

/hav

e be

en u

sed.

C

L1

CL2

A st

raig

htfo

rwar

d un

ders

tand

ing

is

deve

lope

d th

roug

h an

atte

mpt

to

exem

plify

con

clus

ions

.

An

over

all e

xpla

natio

n of

the

writ

er’s

in

tent

ions

is p

rese

nted

. S

ome

stra

ight

forw

ard

appr

ecia

tion

is e

vide

nt.

An

unco

mpl

icat

ed re

view

/ con

side

ratio

n of

som

e of

the

lang

uage

and

/or l

ingu

istic

de

vice

s th

e w

riter

has

em

ploy

ed.

CL2

CL3

Som

e ap

prop

riate

ly s

elec

ted

exam

ples

fro

m th

e ex

tract

are

link

ed to

val

id

insi

ghts

/exp

lana

tions

.

A co

mpe

tent

ove

rall

inte

rpre

tatio

n th

at

reco

gnis

es h

ow s

ome

of th

e w

riter

’s

inte

ntio

ns h

ave

been

del

iver

ed th

roug

h la

ngua

ge c

hoic

es.

A ge

nera

lly p

urpo

sefu

l app

roac

h w

hich

effe

ctiv

ely

com

men

ts o

n an

d/or

at

tem

pts

som

e ev

alua

tion

of th

e lin

guis

tic

stra

tegi

es.

CL3

CL4

Rel

evan

t sel

ectio

n of

mat

eria

l is

used

to

pinp

oint

and

com

men

t on

a se

ries

of th

e w

riter

’s in

tend

ed s

trate

gies

.

An

inte

rpre

tatio

n th

at c

ompe

tent

ly

dem

onst

rate

s a

valid

und

erst

andi

ng o

f ho

w th

e w

riter

’s in

tent

ions

are

refle

cted

in

lang

uage

cho

ices

.

A ge

nera

lly e

valu

ativ

e ap

proa

ch th

at

com

pete

ntly

exp

lore

s th

e us

e of

som

e of

th

e lin

guis

tic s

trate

gies

.C

L4

CL5

Focu

sed,

pre

cise

sel

ectio

n us

ed to

fa

cilit

ate

the

scru

tiny

of th

e w

riter

’s

inte

nded

stra

tegi

es.

An

anal

ytic

al in

terp

reta

tion

that

de

mon

stra

tes

a pe

rcep

tive

unde

rsta

ndin

g of

how

the

writ

er’s

inte

ntio

ns a

re

evid

ence

d in

the

use

of la

ngua

ge.

A co

nfid

ent,

eval

uativ

e ap

proa

ch is

use

d to

exa

min

e re

leva

nt e

lem

ents

of t

he

writ

er’s

cra

ft.C

L5


64

Mark Grid Task 2 (21 marks)

Strands attained Mark awarded

000 0

100 1

110 2

111 3

112 4

221 5–6

222 7–8

322 9–10

332 11–12

333 13–14

334 15–16

443 17

444 18

445 19

554 20

555 21


6565

Task 3

Response time: 10 minutes

Total: 12 marks

In your own words write down two reasons the writer gives to explain why he did not know about this forest fire. Present two pieces of supporting evidence for each reason.

The writer presents two reasons. The order in which candidates present them is irrelevant:

(a) First reason and two pieces of supporting evidence: 6 marks [4 marks for the reason and +1 mark for each piece of evidence]

First reason [up to a max. of 4 marks]: The immense size of the USA is such that the country seems to swallow up such dreadful events so that they pass unnoticed.

Validate through the use of underlining

• A confident summary of the above point using his/her own language – 4 marks• A competent summary of the above point mainly using his/her own language – 3

marks• A straightforward, mainly valid attempt to summarise in his/her own words but with

some reliance on the language of the text – 2 marks• A general sense of the above point, relying on the language of the text – 1 mark

Validate any of the following supporting evidence with a tick [1 mark for each piece of correct evidence whether reported or quoted]:

• ‘It’s so big that it just absorbs disasters’• ‘muffles them with its vastness’• ‘mostly it is just the scale of the country’

(b) The writer’s second explanation: 6 marks [4 marks for the reason +1 mark for each piece of evidence]

Second reason [up to a max. of 4 marks]: The way news is presented in the USA trivialises such tragedies.

Validate through the use of underlining

• A confident summary of the above point using his/her own language – 4 marks• A competent summary of the above point mainly using his/her own language – 3

marks• A straightforward, mainly valid attempt to summarise in his/her own words but with

some reliance on the language of the text – 2 marks• A general sense of the above point, relying on the language of the text – 1 mark


66

Validate either of the following pieces of supporting evidence with a tick [1 mark for each piece of correct evidence whether reported or quoted]:

• “treated as a brief and not terribly important diversion between ads for soap powder and cottage cheese”

• “the idiotic breeziness common to local TV newsreaders in America”


67

Task 4


Total: 20 marks

Comment on how language has been used to develop a sense that Titanic Belfast would be a really special place for a wedding. Present supporting evidence.

Below is a task-specific checklist outlining the material that candidates at all Competence Levels may be expected to include in their responses. Use of language to generate the sense of a really special wedding venue:

• Use of direct address: “your wedding day photography”/ “you have many photo-friendly locations”.

• Superlatives/adjectives dominate the piece: “offers stunning views”/ “magnificent setting”/ “extraordinary service”.

• The tone is reassuring: “the only requirement is your presence”/ “you will experience”.• Exclusivity is emphasised, Titanic Belfast is “effortlessly unique”.• The piece deliberately sets out to allay anxieties: “By entrusting your special day to

us, be assured every detail is addressed”.• The adjective “stunning” is repeated in the opening paragraph to reinforce the positive

message.• Sibilance is employed to emphasise what is being offered here: “setting offers a

stunning”.• The ‘special’ nature of the location is referred to repeatedly for emphasis: “stands at

the head of”/ focus on “photo-friendly” nature of the location/ “multiple … many” – the idea of a wide range of choices being offered.

• The use of assonance adds to the ‘sense of reassurance’ that is consciously being developed: “assured …addressed”.



68

Com

pete

nce

Leve

l Str

ands

Tas

k 4

Rea

d an

d un

ders

tand

text

/sel

ect

mat

eria

lD

evel

op a

nd s

usta

in in

terp

reta

tions

of

writ

er’s

inte

ntio

nsEx

plai

n an

d ev

alua

te e

lem

ents

of

writ

er’s

cra

ft

CL0

No

cred

itwor

thy

resp

onse

.N

o cr

editw

orth

y re

spon

se.

No

cred

itwor

thy

resp

onse

.C

L0

CL1

A ve

ry b

asic

und

erst

andi

ng m

ay b

e su

ppor

ted

by te

xtua

l ref

eren

ces

som

e of

w

hich

may

be

rele

vant

.

Som

e ba

sic

sens

e of

the

writ

er’s

ove

rall

inte

ntio

n m

ay b

e pr

esen

ted.

A ru

dim

enta

ry a

ttem

pt to

offe

r som

e ba

sic

rem

arks

on

one

or tw

o ex

ampl

es o

f la

ngua

ge u

se.

CL1

CL2

A st

raig

htfo

rwar

d un

ders

tand

ing

is

deve

lope

d th

roug

h an

atte

mpt

to

exem

plify

con

clus

ions

.

An

over

all e

xpla

natio

n of

the

writ

er’s

in

tent

ions

is p

rese

nted

. S

ome

stra

ight

forw

ard

appr

ecia

tion

is e

vide

nt.

An

unco

mpl

icat

ed re

view

/con

side

ratio

n of

som

e of

the

lang

uage

and

/or l

ingu

istic

de

vice

s th

e w

riter

has

em

ploy

ed.

CL2

CL3

Som

e ap

prop

riate

ly s

elec

ted

exam

ples

fro

m th

e ex

tract

are

link

ed to

val

id

insi

ghts

/exp

lana

tions

.

A co

mpe

tent

ove

rall

inte

rpre

tatio

n th

at

reco

gnis

es h

ow s

ome

of th

e w

riter

’s

inte

ntio

ns h

ave

been

del

iver

ed th

roug

h la

ngua

ge c

hoic

es.

A ge

nera

lly p

urpo

sefu

l app

roac

h w

hich

ef

fect

ivel

y co

mm

ents

on

and/

or a

ttem

pts

som

e ev

alua

tion

of th

e lin

guis

tic

stra

tegi

es.

CL3

CL4

Rel

evan

t sel

ectio

n of

mat

eria

l is

used

to

pinp

oint

and

com

men

t on

a se

ries

of th

e w

riter

’s in

tend

ed s

trate

gies

.

An

inte

rpre

tatio

n th

at c

ompe

tent

ly

dem

onst

rate

s a

valid

und

erst

andi

ng o

f ho

w th

e w

riter

’s in

tent

ions

are

refle

cted

in

lang

uage

cho

ices

.

A ge

nera

lly e

valu

ativ

e ap

proa

ch th

at

com

pete

ntly

exp

lore

s th

e us

e of

som

e of

th

e lin

guis

tic s

trate

gies

.C

L4

CL5

Focu

sed,

pre

cise

sel

ectio

n us

ed to

fa

cilit

ate

the

scru

tiny

of th

e w

riter

’s

inte

nded

stra

tegi

es.

An

anal

ytic

al in

terp

reta

tion

that

dem

onst

rate

s a

perc

eptiv

e un

ders

tand

ing

of h

ow th

e w

riter

’s

inte

ntio

ns a

re e

vide

nced

in th

e us

e of

la

ngua

ge.

A co

nfid

ent,

eval

uativ

e ap

proa

ch is

use

d to

exa

min

e re

leva

nt e

lem

ents

of t

he

writ

er’s

cra

ft.C

L5


69



000 0

100 1

110 2

111 3

112 4

221 5

222 6–7

322 8–9

332 10–11

333 12–13

334 14–15

443 16

444 17

445 18

554 19

555 20


70

Task 5


Total: 10 marks

Select two presentational features used in this image to support the idea that Titanic Belfast is an ideal place to hold a wedding. Explain the intended effect of these two presentational features on the reader.

Each feature and explanation: 5 marks [1 mark for pres. feature/4 marks for explanation]

Validate any of the following presentational features with a tick: [1 mark]

Credit:• the dramatic slanting front cover;• an image of a modern, stylish bride;• an old-fashioned limousine;• the front of the iconic Titanic Centre; • the image is completed with celebratory balloons; • the Titanic Belfast logo appears bottom right on the front cover, clearly reinforcing the

venue; and• the iconic rippled finish of the building is clearly visible and makes an excellent

backdrop for wedding photography.



71

Validate any of the following explanations through the use of underlining [up to 4 marks for a relevant and convincing explanation]

• A confident and convincing explanation – 4 marks• A competent explanation – 3 marks• A straightforward, mainly valid attempt to present an explanation – 2 marks• A general attempt to present an explanation - 1 mark

Credit:• images are doing the advertiser’s work of selling this idyllic, iconic, world famous

location by making every aspect of it look so visually appealing;• the intention is to create an immediate visual ‘wow factor’;• the bride is placed in a dominant central position/the focal point of the image – it is ‘her

day’, she is the centre of attention;• sophistication is being sold here – the very modern bridal outfit that contrasts with the

old-fashioned car and then there’s the iconic landmark as a backdrop; and• every aspect of the image hints at a delightful day (even the weather)/ elements of the

‘fairy-tale experience’.



BLANK PAGE


MARKSCHEME


73

English Language

[CODE]SPECIMEN

Unit 4

Personal or Creative Writing and Reading Literary and Non-fiction Texts


74

Section A: Personal/Creative Writing

Task

The Assessment Objectives

Writing (AO4)

(i) Write to communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, using and adapting forms and selecting vocabulary appropriate to task and purpose in ways that engage the reader.

(ii) Organise information and ideas into structured and sequenced sentences, paragraphs and whole texts, using a variety of linguistic and structural features to support cohesion and coherence.

(iii) Use a range of sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar.

All are being assessed in Task 1.

The examiner will be required to make two distinct assessments: one for Task 1: Writing (i) and (ii) and a second assessment for Task 1: Writing (iii).

The two required assessments

1 Each response will be assessed on the basis of a single reading and annotated using the three e-marking tools: underlining, circling and wavy underlining.

The following method and style of marking is to be used:

• the underlining tool to indicate creditworthy material.

• the circling facility serves two purposes:

(a) to highlight spelling mistakes with each error being circled only once – alot/...happend

(b) for indicating minor and/or occasional lapses in punctuation such as missing apostrophes, commas and full stops – run’s/...two three or four/...to me it was not long after...

• wavy underlining will denote failings in syntax. When used vertically in the margin this will indicate ongoing issues, for example, failings in grammar/lapses in sentence structure – He seen yous threw the open door


75

2 Using the method and style of marking outlined on p. 70 in conjunction with the Competence Level (CL) Strands for Task 1: Writing (i) and (ii), the examiner will assess, positively, the features of that response.

This process (a worked example follows on the next page) will be carried out in this order:

(a) The examiner will carefully read and annotate the response.

(b) The three Competence Level Strands that best match the candidate’s achievement will be noted.

(c) Only after selecting and noting the three Competence Level Strands will the examiner turn to the mark grid to establish the mark to be awarded. Where the mark grid calls for an examiner judgement, the extent to which a candidate has met the overall requirements of the particular Competence Level will determine the mark to be awarded.




In exceptional circumstances the standard of a candidate’s work might range across more than two strand levels. Such an eventuality is not covered by the mark grids. Where this happens, the examiner should decide the mark to be awarded on a ‘best fit’ basis. The support of the supervising examiner could usefully be sought.

3 A final check of every page of the answer booklet:

(a) Use the ‘E’ tool to indicate the end of the candidate’s final response.

(b) Stamp all blank or planning pages with the ‘SEEN’ tool.


76

Here is an example of this style of annotation in action for Task 1: Writing (i) and (ii) (this should be read in conjunction with the relevant Competence Level Strands on p. 75).

The response is positively assessed against each of the three strands that make up the Competence Levels for Task 1: Writing (i) and (ii). Let’s assume it can best be summarised by the following descriptors:

• “Generally effective and appropriate...increasingly fluent and engaging style” (Development and Style CL3)

• “Logically organised...some straightforward use of structural and linguistic features” (Structuring/Linguistic and Structural Features CL2)

• “Recognition of purpose and audience...a straightforward direction... Language choices...generally appropriate” (Purpose and Audience CL2)

These individual strand levels are noted at the end of the response in a text box

The next stage in the process is to check these ‘strand scores’ on the mark grid for Task 1: Writing (i) and (ii). This indicates a score of 23–26 marks. This score would then be entered against No. 1i/ii in the scoring facility at the bottom, right corner of the screen.

In order to assess Task 1: Writing (iii), the same process (step 2 on p. 67) is used to make this second assessment using the Competence Level Strands that relate to Writing (iii).

Here is an example of this style of annotation in action (it should be read in conjunction with the relevant Competence Level Strands on p. 77).

The response is positively assessed against each of the three strands that make up the Competence Level Strands for Task 1: Writing (iii). Let’s assume it can best be summarised by the following descriptors:

• “Increasingly sustained competence...some variety of sentence structuring” (Range of Sentence Structure CL3)

• “The basics of punctuation...increasingly secure...used to add clarity and engage” (Use of Punctuation CL3)

• “Generally accurate spelling of regular, straightforward words. Some conscious attempt to use vocabulary to enliven the writing” (Spelling and Range of Vocabulary CL2)


Wi/ii 322 Wi/ii

Wi/ii Wi/ii 332


77

The next stage in the process is to check these ‘strand scores’ across the mark grid for Task 1: Writing (iii). This indicates a score of 15–16 marks.

The selected score would then be entered against No. 1b in the scoring facility at the bottom, right corner of the screen.

General Guidance on the Application of the Competence Level Strands

The first assessment: Task 1: Writing (i) and (ii)

The following checklist will help to highlight the extent to which a candidate has shaped her/his response appropriately. It offers general guidance on how the candidates, across all the Competence Level Strands, may employ the skills from Task 1: Writing (i) and (ii).

Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively demonstrating:

• a handling of the topic in such a way as to attempt to positively develop the interest of the specified audience;

• use of a style that builds a positive relationship with that audience; and• if appropriate, use of anecdotes/humour in an effort to engage the audience.

Adapting form and vocabulary to task and purpose in ways that engage the specified audience, demonstrating:

• conscious awareness of the audience and purpose evident in the development of form;• a use of tone that endeavours to engage and sustain the audience’s attention; and• use of vocabulary that is in keeping with the purpose of the task and audience.

Organise information and ideas into structured, sequenced sentences, paragraphs and whole texts demonstrating:

• logical progression/a conscious attempt to develop a storyline;• use of engaging/challenging introductory and concluding paragraphs;• use of topic/link sentences for different paragraphs; and• development that endeavours to use organisation to sustain the audience’s interest.

Use a variety of linguistic and structural features to support cohesion and overall coherence demonstrating:

• a conscious varying of sentence length for effect; • the use of connectives to give coherence; and• the use of rhetorical devices (such as the rule of three or questions) to develop interest

and to build a rapport with the specified audience.



78

The second assessment: Task 1: Writing (iii)

The following checklist will help to highlight the extent to which a candidate has shaped her/his response appropriately. It offers guidance on how the candidates, across all the Competence Levels, may employ the skills from Task 1: Writing (iii).

The range and effectiveness of sentence structures:

• the wider the range and the greater the degree of originality and control in structuring sentences, the more opportunity the candidate gives her/himself to establish a positive rapport with the reader; and

• the more assured and varied the manipulation of sentence structuring is, the higher will be the mark awarded.

The use made of accurate punctuation and grammar:

• linked to the control of sentence structure is the control of a variety of appropriate punctuation and accurate use of grammar. Here, too, competent usage can help to maintain the reader’s interest. The greater the control and variation in the use of punctuation, the higher will be the reward.

The use made of accurate spelling and range of vocabulary:

• accuracy in spelling, in isolation, can be misleading; it needs to be viewed beside the range of the vocabulary used. A limited vocabulary spelt accurately is unlikely to capture the reader’s attention; and

• examiners should credit ambitious use of vocabulary where the word may not always be accurately spelt but has been chosen carefully to capture a sense of the situation.



79

Com

pete

nce

Leve

l Str

ands

and

Mar

k G

rids

Task

1:

Res

pons

e tim

e: 5

5 m

inut

esM

ark

allo

catio

n: 8

8 m

arks

(a

) W

rite

a pe

rson

al e

ssay

for t

he e

xam

iner

abo

ut a

n in

cide

nt in

you

r ow

n lif

e th

at d

id n

ot s

tart

wel

l but

end

ed u

p be

ing

a po

sitiv

e ex

perie

nce.

or

(b

) W

rite

your

ent

ry fo

r a c

reat

ive

essa

y w

ritin

g co

mpe

titio

n. T

he a

udie

nce

is y

oung

peo

ple.

The

pic

ture

prin

ted

is to

be

the

basi

s fo

r the

com

petit

ion

entry

. P

rovi

de y

our o

wn

title

.

Com

pete

nce

Leve

l Str

ands

Tas

k 1:

Writ

ing

(i) a

nd (i

i)D

evel

opm

ent a

nd S

tyle

Stru

ctur

ing/

Use

of L

ingu

istic

and

St

ruct

ural

Fea

ture

sPu

rpos

e an

d A

udie

nce

CL0

No

cred

itwor

thy

resp

onse

.N

o cr

editw

orth

y re

spon

se.

No

cred

itwor

thy

resp

onse

.C

L0

CL1

Sim

ple

deve

lopm

ent w

hich

con

stra

ins

styl

e an

d lim

its c

omm

unic

atio

n to

a b

asic

leve

l.R

udim

enta

ry a

ttem

pt to

stru

ctur

e a

resp

onse

. A

ny a

ttem

pt a

t the

use

of

lingu

istic

feat

ures

will

be

elem

enta

ry in

ou

tcom

e.

Som

e br

oad/

over

all,

basi

c se

nse

of p

urpo

se

and/

or a

udie

nce

may

be

evid

ent.

CL1

CL2

Del

iber

ate

deve

lopm

ent u

sing

a

stra

ight

forw

ard

styl

e in

a c

onsc

ious

atte

mpt

to

writ

e ab

out a

n ex

perie

nce,

or w

rite

crea

tivel

y.

Logi

cally

org

anis

ed, l

eadi

ng th

e au

dien

ce

thro

ugh

the

resp

onse

. Th

is m

ay

occa

sion

ally

be

supp

orte

d w

ith s

ome

stra

ight

forw

ard

use

of s

truct

ural

and

lin

guis

tic fe

atur

es.

Rec

ogni

tion

of p

urpo

se a

nd a

udie

nce

givi

ng a

stra

ight

forw

ard

dire

ctio

n to

the

writ

ing.

Lan

guag

e ch

oice

s ar

e ge

nera

lly

appr

opria

te.

CL2

CL3

Gen

eral

ly e

ffect

ive

and

appr

opria

te

deve

lopm

ent.

An

incr

easi

ngly

flue

nt a

nd

enga

ging

sty

le is

cre

ated

to d

iscu

ss a

n ex

perie

nce,

or w

rite

crea

tivel

y.

Com

bine

s cl

ear s

truct

urin

g w

ith a

con

scio

us

effo

rt to

use

som

e st

ruct

ural

and

ling

uist

ic

devi

ces

in o

rder

to d

evel

op th

e au

dien

ce’s

in

tere

st.

Pur

pose

and

aud

ienc

e ar

e cl

early

un

ders

tood

. Th

is u

nder

stan

ding

und

erpi

ns

the

resp

onse

and

is e

vide

nt in

the

varie

ty o

f so

me

of th

e la

ngua

ge c

hoic

es.

CL3

CL4

Incr

easi

ngly

com

pete

nt d

evel

opm

ent o

f a

styl

e th

at is

clo

sely

alig

ned

to p

urpo

se.

The

enga

gem

ent o

f the

aud

ienc

e is

sus

tain

ed.

Pro

ficie

nt s

truct

urin

g al

lied

to th

e po

sitiv

e us

e of

stru

ctur

al a

nd li

ngui

stic

dev

ices

to

enha

nce

the

audi

ence

’s e

ngag

emen

t.

Incr

easi

ngly

con

vinc

ing

sens

e of

pur

pose

an

d au

dien

ce w

oven

with

in th

e fa

bric

of t

he

resp

onse

. Th

is is

app

aren

t in

the

cons

ciou

s ta

ilorin

g of

sui

tabl

e la

ngua

ge.

CL4

CL5

Con

fiden

t dev

elop

men

t of a

sty

le th

at is

ta

ilore

d to

pur

pose

in o

rder

to g

ener

ate

writ

ing

that

com

man

ds th

e au

dien

ce’s

at

tent

ion.

Ass

ured

com

pete

nce

in s

truct

urin

g is

m

atch

ed b

y th

e sk

illed

use

of a

var

iety

of

stru

ctur

al a

nd li

ngui

stic

dev

ices

to e

nliv

en

the

wor

k an

d ac

tivel

y cu

ltiva

te a

con

nect

ion

with

the

audi

ence

.

A co

nfide

nt h

andl

ing

of p

urpo

se a

llied

to

a c

onsc

ious

ly d

evel

oped

rapp

ort w

ith

the

audi

ence

. Th

is is

, in

part,

gen

erat

ed

thro

ugh

prec

ise

sele

ctio

n of

app

osite

la

ngua

ge.

CL5


80

Marking Grid Task 1: Writing (i) and (ii) (58 marks)


000 0

100 1–2

110 3–6

111 7–10

112 11–14

221 15–18

222 19–22

223 23–26

332 27–30

333 31–34

334 35–38

443 39–42

444 43–46

445 47–50

554 51–54

555 55–58


81

Com

pete

nce

Leve

l Str

ands

Tas

k 1:

Writ

ing

(iii)

Ran

ge o

f Sen

tenc

e St

ruct

ures

Use

of P

unct

uatio

n an

d G

ram

mar

Spel

ling

and

Ran

ge o

f Voc

abul

ary

CL0

No

cred

itwor

thy

resp

onse

.N

o cr

editw

orth

y re

spon

se.

No

cred

itwor

thy

resp

onse

.C

L0

CL1

Som

e at

tem

pt to

use

sen

tenc

e st

ruct

urin

g.S

ome

basi

c pu

nctu

atio

n (fu

ll st

ops)

and

gr

amm

ar a

re o

ccas

iona

lly u

sed

in a

n at

tem

pt to

sup

port

mea

ning

.

Som

e ac

cura

te s

pelli

ng o

f bas

ic w

ords

. A

narr

ow ra

nge

of v

ocab

ular

y lim

its

com

mun

icat

ion

to a

bas

ic le

vel.

CL1

CL2

Con

trol o

f stra

ight

forw

ard

sent

ence

st

ruct

ure

is g

ener

ally

mai

ntai

ned.

Th

e us

e of

gen

eral

ly s

ecur

e ba

sic

punc

tuat

ion

(full

stop

s an

d co

mm

as)

and

gram

mar

to s

uppo

rt un

com

plic

ated

co

mm

unic

atio

n.

Gen

eral

ly a

ccur

ate

spel

ling

of re

gula

r, st

raig

htfo

rwar

d w

ords

. S

ome

cons

ciou

s at

tem

pt to

use

voc

abul

ary

to e

nliv

en th

e w

ritin

g.

CL2

CL3

Incr

easi

ngly

sus

tain

ed c

ompe

tenc

e in

th

e co

ntro

l of s

ente

nce

stru

ctur

es.

Som

e va

riety

of s

ente

nce

stru

ctur

ing

is e

vide

nt.

The

basi

cs o

f pun

ctua

tion

(full

stop

s,

com

mas

, exc

lam

atio

n an

d qu

estio

n m

arks

) an

d gr

amm

ar a

re in

crea

sing

ly s

ecur

e an

d ar

e us

ed to

add

cla

rity

and

enga

ge.

Incr

easi

ngly

acc

urat

e sp

ellin

g of

regu

lar

wor

ds, a

s w

ell a

s so

me

with

irre

gula

r pa

ttern

s. G

reat

er c

are

in th

e se

lect

ion

of a

w

iden

ing

voca

bula

ry to

act

ivel

y he

lp e

ngag

e th

e au

dien

ce.

Cre

dit a

ttem

pts

at a

mbi

tious

us

age.

CL3

CL4

Varie

ty in

sen

tenc

e ty

pes

and

stru

ctur

ing

is c

ontro

lled

and,

whe

re a

ppro

pria

te,

delib

erat

ely

man

ipul

ated

for e

ffect

.

A pr

ofic

ient

use

of a

rang

e of

pun

ctua

tion

and

gram

mar

to s

usta

in c

larit

y an

d to

ac

tivel

y en

gage

the

audi

ence

.

Acc

urat

e sp

ellin

g of

mos

t wor

ds, a

lthou

gh

som

e er

rors

with

mor

e pr

oble

mat

ic w

ords

w

ill p

ersi

st.

An

exte

nded

voc

abul

ary

is

empl

oyed

with

incr

easi

ng p

reci

sion

.

CL4

CL5

Ass

ured

use

of a

wid

e ra

nge

of s

ente

nce

stru

ctur

es to

enh

ance

the

over

all e

ffect

in

term

s of

cla

rity,

pur

pose

and

aud

ienc

e.

A va

riety

of p

unct

uatio

n an

d gr

amm

ar

is c

onfid

ently

and

acc

urat

ely

depl

oyed

, en

hanc

ing

styl

e an

d ge

nera

ting

a ra

ppor

t w

ith th

e au

dien

dce.

Err

ors

will

be

limite

d to

one

-off

mis

take

s or

th

e ou

tcom

e of

am

bitio

us a

ttem

pts

to u

se

com

plex

lang

uage

. E

xten

ded,

app

osite

vo

cabu

lary

con

scio

usly

use

d fo

r effe

ct.

CL5


82

Mark Grid Task 1: Writing (iii) (30 marks)


000 0

100 1–2

110 3–4

111 5–6

112 7–8

221 9–10

222 11–12

223 13–14

332 15–16

333 17–18

334 19–20

443 21–22

444 23–24

445 25–26

554 27–28

555 29–30


83

Section B: Reading Literary and Non-fiction Texts

The Assessment ObjectivesReading (AO3)

(i) Read and understand texts, selecting material appropriate to purpose, collating from different sources and making comparisons and cross-references as appropriate.

(ii) Develop and sustain interpretations of writers’ ideas and perspectives.

(iii) Explain and evaluate how writers use linguistic, structural and presentational features to achieve effects and engage and influence the reader.

All are being assessed in Task 1, 2, 3 and 4.

The assessment process

All tasks will be assessed using Competence Level based assessment.

The required style of annotation for all tasks

1 Each response will be assessed on the basis of a single reading using the three e-marking tools: underlining/ticking C & C button

• use the underlining tool to highlight appropriate explanation/interpretation;• use the ticking facility to indicate presentation of relevant examples/evidence;• use the button in the margin to highlight comparing and contrasting; and• ignore all errors in punctuation, syntax and spelling as they are not being assessed.

2 The examiner will carefully read and annotate the response.

The first purpose of the annotation is to clarify, positively, for the examiner, exactly what is creditworthy so that the appropriate Competence Level Strands can be selected, leading in turn to the award of the correct mark. A secondary function of the annotation is to ensure that, if scrutinised, this annotation will make it clear what elements of a response have been credited.

All tasks:

(a) Having annotated the response as required, the examiner will then assess the response in relation to each of the three strands of the Competence Level Strands (CL).

(b) The three selected Competence Level Strands will be noted in a text box at the end of the response.

(c) Only after selecting and noting the three Competence Level Strands will the examiner turn to the mark grid to establish the mark to be awarded.

The mark grid for Task 2 calls for examiner judgement. The extent to which a candidate has met the overall requirements of the achieved Competence Levels (whether the response is in the ‘upper half’ or ‘lower half’ of the achieved levels) will determine the mark to be awarded.

C

C


84




In exceptional circumstances the standard of a candidate’s work might range across more than two strand levels. Such an eventuality is not covered by the mark grids. Where this happens, the examiner should decide the mark to be awarded on a ‘best fit’ basis. Alternatively, the support of the supervising examiner could usefully be sought.

Here is an example of this style of annotation in action for a Task 3 response (it should be read in conjunction with the relevant Competence Level Strands on p. 86).

The response is positively assessed against each of the Competence Level Strands for Reading (i-iii). Let’s assume that the response can best be summarised by the following descriptors:

• “An overall understanding...some appropriate examples...linked to valid insights/explanations” (Read and understand text/select material CL3)

• “Competent overall interpretation...the writer’s intentions have been delivered through language choices” (Develop and sustain interpretations CL2)

• “Uncomplicated review/consideration of some of the language and/or linguistic devices...” (Explain and evaluate elements of writer’s craft CL2)

These individual descriptors are noted at the end of the response:

The next stage in the process is to check these ‘strand scores’ across the mark grid for Task 3. This indicates a score of 7 marks.

The selected score would then be entered against No. 3 in the scoring facility at the bottom, right corner of the screen.

322


85

Section B

Task 2: Response time: 26 minutes

Total: 32 marks

Compare and contrast how the writers of texts A and B have created a sense of unease. Present supporting evidence from both texts.

Below is a task specific checklist outlining the material that candidates at all competence levels may be expected to draw upon to their responses:

• In Text A the scene changes quite suddenly because of a shift of location - they move from the idyllic “lily pond...the lazy lizards” to being “confronted by a flat wilderness”; in Text B, by contrast, a combination of factors gradually build unease as they journey to the puppy farm. They are going on a “raid” on a derelict farm: it’s night time and the moon is “occasionally obscured by hurrying clouds”/“in the dark” and the main character is increasingly nervous about the impending raid.

• Both writers use the reactions of a central character to emphasise the unease generated. The following may be drawn upon to compare and contrast:

TEXT A• Finn is so surprised when he first sees the place he “gasped”. The choice of the verb

“confronted” in the same sentence emphasises the abruptness of the change.• He immediately notices the ominous silence “The stillness was the first thing that hit

him”. The writer’s choice of “hit” to describe the silence emphasises its intensity. This is continued by the description of the effect this silence has: “he had suddenly been clamped with earmuffs”.

• An uncomfortable simile is used to describe the effect generated by the surrounding trees that “stood like sentries all around”. Their frosty effect is seen as “casting cold shadows”. Like Elaine in Text B, Finn “shivered”/“he gave another shiver”.

• He speaks to Tara in a “hushed” voice before going on to describe the place as “creepy”/“eerie”/“cold”.

TEXT B• Initially we learn that “Excitement clutched at Elaine’s stomach... she was regretting

her offer to join the others on the raid”.• Elaine’s anxiety is evident in her comment about the farmhouse and people to the

extent that Steve notices.• “Elaine shivered” as the countryside ‘closes in’ on their car.• Mike, obviously is aware of her nervousness: “...gave Elaine’s arm a re-assuring

squeeze”.• The appearance of the derelict farm engenders a physical response: “Elaine gave a

sudden shudder”.• She’s clearly disconcerted by the end of the text: “half-remembered ghost stories...

NOW!”

• In Text A the barren nature of the place is emphasised by the writer’s language choices: “flat wilderness”/“scrubby field” and repetition of “scrubby grass”/“wasteland”; in Text B a deliberately menacing description of their surroundings is developed as they head to the “half-derelict” farm: the ominous simile - “trees and hedgerows... looked like monsters from a nightmare”/threatening use of metaphoric personification – “leaned over... leering”. Further unease is added by the “creaking” noises.


86

• In Text A the violent past is emphasised: “Underneath this wasteland is a whole bunch of dead foreigners”/“over a thousand years ago, a fierce battle... right on this very spot. Loads of people died.” The reference to drop in temperature/“colder” as they move towards the graves adds to the sinister, uneasy feeling that Finn is experiencing; in Text B the writer focuses her readers’ attention using a daunting description of the farm buildings to add to the feeling of unease: they were “standing out black against the moonlit sky”/an uncomfortable simile follows - “the windows... like unwinking eyes”.



8787

Task

2

Com

pete

nce

Leve

l Str

ands

Tas

k 2

Rea

d an

d un

ders

tand

text

/sel

ect

appr

opria

te m

ater

ial

Dev

elop

and

sus

tain

inte

rpre

tatio

ns

of w

riter

’s id

eas

Expl

ain

and

eval

uate

ele

men

ts o

f w

riter

’s c

raft

CL0

No

cred

itwor

thy

resp

onse

No

cred

itwor

thy

resp

onse

No

cred

itwor

thy

resp

onse

CL0

CL1

A ge

nera

l ove

rall

com

men

t or a

n is

olat

ed re

flect

ion

on o

ne o

r tw

o ex

ampl

es. T

hese

may

be

draw

n fro

m

eith

er o

r bot

h so

urce

s.

Som

e el

emen

tary

und

erst

andi

ng o

f th

e te

xt(s

) ref

lect

ed in

a b

asic

atte

mpt

to

com

men

t on

som

e as

pect

s of

the

writ

ers’

use

of l

angu

age.

Rep

ortin

g/a

sim

ple

cons

ider

atio

n of

th

e us

e of

som

e la

ngua

ge fe

atur

es.

Exa

mpl

es m

ay, o

ccas

iona

lly, b

e su

ppor

ted

by s

ome

basi

c at

tem

pt to

su

gges

t the

inte

nded

effe

ct.

CL1

CL2

A st

raig

htfo

rwar

d se

lect

ion

of s

ome

appr

opria

te e

xam

ples

. S

ome

atte

mpt

to

link

thes

e w

ith e

xpla

natio

ns a

bout

w

riter

’s c

raft

and

to d

raw

stra

ight

forw

ard

conn

ectio

ns a

cros

s bo

th te

xts.

A br

oad

gras

p of

the

text

s ex

empl

ified

in

stra

ight

forw

ard

com

men

ts o

n so

me

spec

ific

exam

ples

OR

a v

ery

gene

ral

reco

gniti

on o

f som

e of

the

writ

ers’

in

tent

ions

.

Unc

ompl

icat

ed e

xpla

natio

ns o

f som

e of

the

writ

ers’

use

of l

angu

age.

A

stra

ight

forw

ard

cons

ider

atio

n of

som

e el

emen

ts o

f the

writ

er’s

cra

ft.C

L2

CL3

App

ropr

iate

sel

ectio

n of

exa

mpl

es fr

om

both

sou

rces

and

apt

cr

oss-

refe

renc

ing

to o

ffer e

xpla

natio

ns

and

occa

sion

ally

inte

rpre

tatio

ns.

A so

und,

ove

rall

unde

rsta

ndin

g of

th

e te

xts

resu

lting

in a

gen

eral

ly

appr

opria

te in

terp

reta

tion

of th

e w

riter

s’

inte

ntio

ns. T

hese

are

pre

sent

ed th

roug

h in

crea

sing

ly s

peci

fic c

omm

ents

on

the

use

of la

ngua

ge.

Gen

eral

ly a

ppro

pria

te e

xpla

natio

ns o

f a

serie

s of

exa

mpl

es o

f writ

er’s

cra

ft w

ill o

ccas

iona

lly b

e co

mbi

ned

with

so

me

atte

mpt

to e

valu

ate

thei

r int

ende

d ef

fect

s.

CL3

CL4

A se

ries

of a

ppro

pria

tely

sel

ecte

d m

ater

ial f

rom

bot

h so

urce

s in

ord

er to

cl

early

com

pare

and

con

trast

infe

renc

es

or in

terp

reta

tions

abo

ut w

riter

’s c

raft.

A cl

ear u

nder

stan

ding

of t

he te

xts

supp

ortin

g an

eva

luat

ive

appr

oach

. M

ainl

y ac

cura

te in

terp

reta

tions

on

how

th

e w

riter

s’ id

eas

have

bee

n pr

esen

ted

thro

ugh

lang

uage

cho

ices

.

A ra

nge

of a

ppro

pria

te e

xpla

natio

ns

and

a ge

nera

lly e

valu

ativ

e ap

proa

ch to

co

mm

ent o

n el

emen

ts fr

om w

ithin

the

writ

er’s

cra

ft.C

L4

CL5

A pr

ecis

e se

lect

ion

of il

lust

rativ

e m

ater

ial

colla

ted

from

bot

h te

xts

to p

rese

nt

a fo

cuse

d an

alys

is o

f the

writ

er’s

st

rate

gies

.

An

anal

ytic

al a

ppro

ach

is b

ased

on

an a

ssur

ed u

nder

stan

ding

of t

he

text

s, d

emon

stra

ting

a co

nfid

ent

unde

rsta

ndin

g of

how

the

writ

ers

have

act

ivel

y co

ntro

lled

the

read

er’s

pe

rspe

ctiv

e th

roug

h la

ngua

ge c

hoic

es.

An

eval

uativ

e ap

proa

ch w

hich

co

nfid

ently

exp

lore

s a

rang

e of

the

writ

er’s

stra

tegi

es a

nd th

eir i

nten

ded

effe

cts.

CL5


88



000 0

100 1–2

110 3–4

111 5–6

112 7–8

221 9–10

222 11–12

322 13–14

332 15–16

333 17–18

334 19–20

443 21–22

444 23–24

445 25–26

554 27–29

555 30–32


89

Task 3

Response time: 12 minutes Total Marks: 15 marks

Explain how the writer has tried to gain and hold the interest of the reader.

• The writer makes extensive use of the first person to connect with the reader: “I am a reasonable...I like...”/“I decided to write...”/“And I couldn’t help suspecting...”

• A conversational style/approach is employed in order to build a rapport with the reader: “Don’t even go there.”

• A question and answer technique draws the reader in: “Top Shop? Angry again.”

• Use is made of use of exaggeration to convey her scornful attitude about fashionable billboard/screen images: “giant faces and figures of overpaid skinny actors telling me what I should buy”.

• An exasperated, angry tone follows on from an initially calm opening – this intrigues/engages the reader: “I am a reasonably normal person...I am angry...I’ve had it”.

• Short sentences are used in order to mirror her strong opinions: “Top Shop? Angry again.”/“Don’t even go there.”

• Short sentence is also used to create a blunt, dramatic effect: “She died , of course.”

• Informal language draws the reader in: “Don’t even go there. I have had it”.



90

Com

pete

nce

Leve

l Str

ands

Tas

k 3

Rea

d an

d un

ders

tand

text

/sel

ect

mat

eria

lD

evel

op a

nd s

usta

in in

terp

reta

tions

of

writ

er’s

inte

ntio

nsEx

plai

n an

d ev

alua

te e

lem

ents

of

writ

er’s

cra

ftC

L0N

o cr

editw

orth

y re

spon

seN

o cr

editw

orth

y re

spon

seN

o cr

editw

orth

y re

spon

seC

L0

CL1

A ve

ry b

asic

und

erst

andi

ng m

ay b

e su

ppor

ted

by te

xtua

l ref

eren

ces

som

e of

whi

ch m

ay b

e re

leva

nt.

Som

e ba

sic

sens

e of

the

writ

er’s

ov

eral

l int

entio

n m

ay b

e pr

esen

ted.

A ru

dim

enta

ry a

ttem

pt to

offe

r som

e ba

sic

rem

arks

on

how

an

aspe

ct/s

of

the

text

has

/hav

e be

en u

sed.

CL1

CL2

A st

raig

htfo

rwar

d un

ders

tand

ing

is

evid

ent.

The

re is

an

atte

mpt

to s

elec

t so

me

appr

opria

te s

uppo

rting

mat

eria

l.

An

over

all e

xpla

natio

n of

the

writ

er’s

in

tent

ion

is p

rese

nted

– s

ome

stra

ight

forw

ard

appr

ecia

tion

is e

vide

nt.

An

unco

mpl

icat

ed re

view

/con

side

ratio

n of

som

e of

the

lang

uage

and

/or

lingu

istic

dev

ices

the

writ

er h

as

empl

oyed

.

CL2

CL3

An

over

all u

nder

stan

ding

of t

he te

xt.

Som

e ap

prop

riate

exa

mpl

es a

re

sele

cted

and

link

ed to

val

id in

sigh

ts/

expl

anat

ions

.

A co

mpe

tent

ove

rall

inte

rpre

tatio

n th

at

reco

gnis

es h

ow s

ome

of th

e w

riter

’s

inte

ntio

ns h

ave

been

del

iver

ed th

roug

h la

ngua

ge c

hoic

es.

A ge

nera

lly p

urpo

sefu

l app

roac

h w

hich

effe

ctiv

ely

com

men

ts o

n an

d/

or a

ttem

pts

som

e ev

alua

tion

of th

e lin

guis

tic s

trate

gies

.

CL3

CL4

A cl

ear u

nder

stan

ding

of t

he te

xt

faci

litat

es th

e re

leva

nt s

elec

tion

of

mat

eria

l whi

ch is

use

d fo

r pur

pose

ful

com

men

t.

An

inte

rpre

tatio

n th

at c

ompe

tent

ly

dem

onst

rate

s a

valid

und

erst

andi

ng o

f ho

w th

e w

riter

’s in

tent

ions

are

refle

cted

in

lang

uage

cho

ices

.

A ge

nera

lly e

valu

ativ

e ap

proa

ch th

at

com

pete

ntly

exp

lore

s th

e us

e of

som

e of

the

lingu

istic

stra

tegi

es.

CL4

CL5

An

assu

red

unde

rsta

ndin

g en

sure

s fo

cuse

d, p

reci

se s

elec

tion

of m

ater

ial,

whi

ch in

turn

, fac

ilita

tes

scru

tiny

of th

e te

xt.

An

anal

ytic

al in

terp

reta

tion

that

dem

onst

rate

s a

perc

eptiv

e un

ders

tand

ing

of h

ow th

e w

riter

’s

inte

ntio

ns a

re e

vide

nced

in th

e us

e of

la

ngua

ge.

A co

nfide

nt, e

valu

ativ

e ap

proa

ch is

us

ed to

exa

min

e re

leva

nt e

lem

ents

of

the

writ

er’s

cra

ft.C

L5


91



000 0

100 1

110 2

111 3

112 4

221 5

222 6

322 7

332 8

333 9

334 10

443 11

444 12

445 13

554 14

555 15


92

Task 4

Response time 12 minutes

Total Marks: 15 marks

Explain how the writer has created a negative view of fashion.

• The personal style of the writing, its honesty and direct conversational quality help to persuade the reader to see fashion from her perspective.

• In the opening sentence the writer shares her personal view on the tragedy, blaming fashion for this girl’s death: “I couldn’t help suspecting...rather than fashion”.

• In the other sentence of the first paragraph she employs a tonal shift, moving from the serious tone of the opening comment to a less serious, almost flippant comment on “the usual fashion death”, the model who has “a heart attack” as a result of living “on grapes”.

• There is another change in tone at the beginning of the second paragraph highlighted by the repetition of ‘This was’. The tone of the next short sentence is serious and compassionate by comparison and it portrays the unfortunate girl as a victim: “This was an ordinary girl, a bystander.”

• She uses a series of questions and then answers them in order to lead the reader to share her negative perspective: “And why... icy night? Because...”/ “I couldn’t forget her. Why? Because I realised...”

• Fashion is described in a dramatically negative metaphor as “the whispering monster” and this “whispering monster” is directly responsible, according to the writer, for this young girl’s decision to go out in inappropriate shoes on an “icy night”.

• She uses imagery to portray fashion in a negative light – she admits that metaphorically fashion has harassed her: “hounded me”; in an extended simile she compares fashion to something despicable, a school bully, putting obstacles in her way: “like an eternal schoolyard bully, throwing self-doubt and rubbish into my path”.

• The final paragraph is used to draw together the experiences of the two women. The writer is no longer under the spell of fashion: “I can look at clothes...and laugh at their daftness. They are not for me.” However, she has not forgotten the young girl: “I still think about that young woman...”

• The extract finishes with a question: “What price did she pay for her shoes?” On this occasion it is not answered by the writer; she leaves the reader to reach her/his own negative conclusion about the price this young girl paid to be fashionable.



93

Com

pete

nce

Leve

l Str

ands

Tas

k 4

Rea

d an

d un

ders

tand

text

/sel

ect

mat

eria

lD

evel

op a

nd s

usta

in in

terp

reta

tions

of

writ

er’s

inte

ntio

nsEx

plai

n an

d ev

alua

te e

lem

ents

of

writ

er’s

cra

ftC

L0N

o cr

editw

orth

y re

spon

seN

o cr

editw

orth

y re

spon

seN

o cr

editw

orth

y re

spon

seC

L0

CL1

A ve

ry b

asic

und

erst

andi

ng m

ay b

e su

ppor

ted

by te

xtua

l ref

eren

ces

som

e of

w

hich

may

be

rele

vant

.

Som

e ba

sic

sens

e of

the

writ

er’s

ove

rall

inte

ntio

n m

ay b

e pr

esen

ted.

A ru

dim

enta

ry a

ttem

pt to

offe

r som

e ba

sic

rem

arks

on

how

an

aspe

ct/s

of t

he

text

has

/hav

e be

en u

sed.

CL1

CL2

A st

raig

htfo

rwar

d un

ders

tand

ing

is

evid

ent.

The

re is

an

atte

mpt

to s

elec

t so

me

appr

opria

te s

uppo

rting

mat

eria

l.

An

over

all e

xpla

natio

n of

the

writ

er’s

in

tent

ion

is p

rese

nted

– s

ome

stra

ight

forw

ard

appr

ecia

tion

is e

vide

nt.

An

unco

mpl

icat

ed re

view

/con

side

ratio

n of

som

e of

the

lang

uage

and

/or l

ingu

istic

de

vice

s th

e w

riter

has

em

ploy

ed.

CL2

CL3

An

over

all u

nder

stan

ding

of t

he te

xt.

Som

e ap

prop

riate

exa

mpl

es a

re

sele

cted

and

link

ed to

val

id in

sigh

ts/

expl

anat

ions

.

A co

mpe

tent

ove

rall

inte

rpre

tatio

n th

at

reco

gnis

es h

ow s

ome

of th

e w

riter

’s

inte

ntio

ns h

ave

been

del

iver

ed th

roug

h la

ngua

ge c

hoic

es.

A ge

nera

lly p

urpo

sefu

l app

roac

h w

hich

effe

ctiv

ely

com

men

ts o

n an

d/

or a

ttem

pts

som

e ev

alua

tion

of th

e lin

guis

tic s

trate

gies

.

CL3

CL4

A cl

ear u

nder

stan

ding

of t

he te

xt

faci

litat

es th

e re

leva

nt s

elec

tion

of

mat

eria

l whi

ch is

use

d fo

r pur

pose

ful

com

men

t.

An

inte

rpre

tatio

n th

at c

ompe

tent

ly

dem

onst

rate

s a

valid

und

erst

andi

ng o

f ho

w th

e w

riter

’s in

tent

ions

are

refle

cted

in

lang

uage

cho

ices

.

A ge

nera

lly e

valu

ativ

e ap

proa

ch th

at

com

pete

ntly

exp

lore

s th

e us

e of

som

e of

th

e lin

guis

tic s

trate

gies

.C

L4

CL5

An

assu

red

unde

rsta

ndin

g en

sure

s fo

cuse

d, p

reci

se s

elec

tion

of m

ater

ial,

whi

ch in

turn

, fac

ilita

tes

scru

tiny

of th

e te

xt.

An

anal

ytic

al in

terp

reta

tion

that

dem

onst

rate

s a

perc

eptiv

e un

ders

tand

ing

of h

ow th

e w

riter

’s

inte

ntio

ns a

re e

vide

nced

in th

e us

e of

la

ngua

ge.

A co

nfide

nt, e

valu

ativ

e ap

proa

ch is

use

d to

exa

min

e re

leva

nt e

lem

ents

of t

he

writ

er’s

cra

ft.C

L5


94

Mark Grids Task 4 (15 marks)


000 0

100 1

110 2

111 3

112 4

221 5

222 6

322 7

332 8

333 9

334 10

443 11

444 12

445 13

554 14

555 15


© CCEA 2017

Documents

CCEA GCSE Specimen Assessment Materials for English Language · English Language GCSE For first teaching from September 2017 ... The total mark for this paper is 150 marks. Section