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English Language Exam

15/05/2013

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This booklet is meant to give you all the information you need about your English Language GCSE. You should make sure that you have read through it, so you know what is expected as well as tips on how best to answer each question.

Question 1 – Directed writing

What do I have to do for this question?

← You will have to read the first passage in the exam booklet.

← You will be asked to write your own text based on ideas and details from the passage.

← You will be asked to focus on either the writer of the passage, or a main character within the passage.

← You will be given 3 bullet points to help focus your answer – you should make sure that you include all of these in your response.

← You should spend around 50 minutes on this question

← You should aim to write 1 ½ - 2 sides (600-700 words)

How will I be marked for this question?

← The question is marked out of 20.

← There is a total of 15 marks for your reading skills – this is where you need to show that you can:

◦ understand and explain explicit (obvious) and implicit (suggested) meaning

◦ select, analyse and evaluate what is relevant

← There is a total of 5 marks for your writing skills – this is where you need to show that you can write concisely and fluently in full sentences and organised effectively into paragraphs.

Reading marks

|Band 1 (13-15) |The response reveals a thorough reading of the passage. A wide range of original ideas is applied. There is an |

|A/A* |appropriate amount of supporting detail, which is well integrated into the response, contributing to a strong sense |

| |of purpose and approach. The candidate shows a consistent interpretation of the key ideas in the text. Original ideas|

| |are consistently well related to the passage. |

|Band 2 (10-12) |There is evidence of a competent reading of the passage. Candidates integrate some of the material with occasional |

|B |effectiveness at most times. They do not repeat the passage mechanically. There is some development, but the ability |

| |to sustain may not be consistent. There is some supporting detail. |

|Band 3 (7-9) |The passage has been read reasonably well, but there may be some weakness in grasping the material. There may be |

|C |evidence of a mechanical use of the passage. There is focus on the task and satisfactory reference, but opportunities|

| |for development and interpretation are not always taken. |

|Band 4 (4-6) |Some reference to the passage is made without much inference or more than brief, factual development. Answers may be |

|D |thin, lack original thought, or, in places, lack focus on the text, but there is some evidence of general |

| |understanding of the main points of the passage. |

|Band 1 (1-3) |Answers are either very general with little specific reference to the passage or |

|E |paraphrase sections of the original without a sense of purpose. Content is insubstantial and there is little |

| |realisation of the need to modify material from the passage. |

Writing marks

|Band 1 (5) |Comments are very clearly expressed and enhanced by a wide range of effective and/or interesting language. Structural|

| |presentation, e.g. of argument and explanation, is sound throughout. |

|Band 2 (4) |Language is mainly fluent and there is clarity of explanation. There is a sufficient range of vocabulary to express |

| |thoughts and feelings with some precision. There are occasional hints of character or appropriate voice. Each section|

| |of the answer is mainly well sequenced. |

|Band 3 (3) |Language is clear and appropriate, but quite plain, expressing little character. Individual points are rarely |

| |extended, but explanations are adequate. There may be flaws in the sequence of the answers. |

|Band 4 (2) |There may be some awkwardness of expression, and language is too limited to express shades of meaning. Look for |

| |structural weakness in the presentation of each section of the answer. |

|Band 1 (1) |There are problems of expression and structure. Language is weak and |

| |undeveloped. There may be no introduction. There is little attempt to explain ideas. There may be frequent copying |

| |from the original. |

How should I approach this question?

It is really important that you complete a lot of practise for this question, and your teacher will be able to give you specific advice tailored for you. However, there are a few useful steps to bear in mind:

1. Re-read the passage (if necessary)

2. Highlight all the relevant explicit information given in the passage – these are the basic facts that are mentioned or explained.

3. Highlight and consider the implicit information that is suggested in the passage – here you should think about what is revealed or implied about the writer/character

4. Make sure that you are clear about the PAFT of your writing:

← Purpose – why are you writing? What are the main points you need to include?

← Audience – who is your writing for? How do you need to adapt your language?

← Form – what form will your writing take? (eg: interview/diary etc.) And what conventions do you need to include ?(eg: 'Dear....' if it is a letter)

← Tone – what tone of voice will you use to best represent the character?

5. Write up a plan for your answer. You should spend a few minutes breaking your ideas into clear sections. Aim for at least 1 paragraph for each of the bullet points from the question.

6. Begin your answer, the question will often give you a starting sentence so make sure that you use it.

Is there anything else I should know?

Your teacher will give you specific feedback to help you reach your target grade, however there are a few general tips below:

← It's important to adopt a relevant tone of voice and viewpoint, so think about the type of language used in Passage 1 and try to use similar language where possible.

← Remember that the basis of your writing needs to come from the passage, but it is important not to copy or lift the words/phrases directly.

← You are marked for your writing skills too, so take your time and make sure you plan and proof-read.

Question 2 - Writer's effects question

What do I have to do for this question?

← You will have to re-read two sections from passage 1.

← You will be asked to explain the effects the writer creates in their descriptions.

← You will need to select key words/phrases from the extracts and analyse the effect they have on the read.

← You should also try to consider why the writer chose those specific words and what their intention was.

← You should spend 25 minutes on this question.

← You should aim to write 1 page (200-300 words.)

How will I be marked for this question?

← The question is marked out of 10.

← You are being marked on how well you understand how writers achieve effects.

← All 10 marks are for your reading skills which include your analysis skills. You do not get any marks for spelling, punctuation, grammar or use of language.

|Band 1 (9-10) |Wide ranging discussion of language with some high quality comments that add meaning and associations to words in |

|(A/A*) |both parts of the question, and demonstrate the writer's reasons for using them. May give an overview of the |

| |paragraph’s combined effect, or comment on language features additional to vocabulary. Tackles imagery with some |

| |precision and imagination. There is clear evidence that the candidate understands how language works. |

| |GROUP EXAMPLES OF WORDS TOGETHER |

| |EXPLAIN AND ANALYSE SPECIFIC WORDS/IMAGES |

| |CREATIVE INTERPRETATIONS OF MEANINGS IN OWN WORDS |

| |STRONG BALANCE BETWEEN BOTH PARTS OF THE QUESTION |

|Band 2 (7-8) |Reference is made to a number of words and phrases, and explanations are given and effects identified in both parts |

|(B) |of the question. Images are recognised as such and the response goes some way to explaining them. There is some |

| |evidence that the candidate understands how language works. |

| |LOCATES CORRECTS PASSAGES / SELECTS APPROPRIATE WORDS / PHRASES |

| |EXPLAIN THE MEANINGS OF WORDS AND SOME EFFECTS IN AT LEAST ONE PART OF THE QUESTION |

|Band 3 (5-6) |A satisfactory attempt is made to identify appropriate words and phrases. Literary and linguistic devices may be |

|(D/C) |correctly identified in the context of the meanings of the words. |

| |The response mostly gives only meanings of words and any attempt to suggest effects is basic or very general. One |

| |half of the question may be better answered than the other. |

|Band 4 (3-4) |The response provides a mixture of appropriate choices and words that communicate less well. The response may attempt|

|(E) |to identify devices but not explain meanings. Explanations may be few, general, slight and/or only partially |

| |effective. They may repeat the language of the original or do not refer to specific words. |

How should I approach this question?

It is really important that you complete a lot of practise for this question, and your teacher will be able to give you specific advice tailored for you. However, there are a few useful steps to bear in mind:

1. Re-read the passages that you are directed to from the question (remember that there will be two!)

2. Highlight key words/phrases that you think have created an interesting effect and scribble down a few ideas that you could mention in your analysis.

3. Try to consider the overall effect of the language in this passage – eg: does the language use make the place sound dangerous/person seem timid etc? This will be really useful as your opening sentence.

4. Think about why the writer chose those particular words or language devices.

5. Write your answer using EA (evidence and analysis). You should aim to include around 6 quotes for your evidence section.

Is there anything else I should know?

Your teacher will give you specific feedback to help you reach your target grade, however there are a few general tips below:

← Start with an overview comment to outline that you've understood the section.

← Aim to select around 6 words/phrases from the two passages – If you don't use many quotes you won't be analysing a wide variety of language/language devices. If you use too many quotes, you won't be analysing them in enough detail.

← Use the EA formula as all of your comments should be developing the same point – You should instead use a quote as evidence, and then explain the effect of this.

← Try to group similar words/phrases together – This will show that you can reflect on the extracts as a whole and will help you to consider what the writer was intending to show.

← Don't go crazy spotting lots of techniques – This question wants you to analyse the effect of a passage, not to show off your knowledge of language features.

Question 3 – Summary question

What do I have to do for this question?

← You will have to read both passages in the exam booklet.

← You will be asked to summarise a particular aspect from the passages – this is usually split into two parts (A and B) and you will usually have to summarise different things in the extracts. However, you may be asked to focus on just 1 thing.

← You need to use your own words as much as possible – try not to copy words or phrases as there is no need for specific quotes.

← You should spend about 35-40 minutes on this question.

← You should aim to write 1 side (200-300 words) – The exam paper specifies this. Don’t go sailing over unless you have big handwriting!

← Y

How will I be marked for this question?

← The question is marked out of 20.

← There is a total of 15 marks for your reading skills – this is where you need to show that you can:

◦ understand and explain explicit (obvious) and implicit (suggested) meaning

◦ select, analyse and evaluate what is relevant

← There is a total of 5 marks for your writing skills – this is where you need to show that you can:

◦ write concisely and fluently in full sentences and organise your writing effectively into paragraphs.

Reading marks

The examiner will have a list of 15 points that you could include and will reward 1 mark per point. It is therefore important that you can identify the main points of the passages.

Writing marks

|Band 1 (5) |All points are made clearly, concisely, and fluently, and in the candidate’s own words. The answer is strongly |

| |focused on the passages and on the question. |

|Band 2 (4) |Both parts of the answer are concise and well focused even if there is an |

| |inappropriate introduction or ending. Own words are used consistently. |

|Band 3 (3) |There are some areas of concision. There may be occasional loss of focus. Own words are used for most of the answer. |

| |The candidate may use some quotations in place of explanation. Answers may be list-like, and not well sequenced. |

|Band 4 (2) |The answer is mostly focused, but there may be examples of comment, repetition or unnecessarily long explanation. |

| |There may be occasional lifting of phrases and sentences. |

|Band 1 (1) |The answer frequently loses focus and is wordy, or is over long. It may be |

| |answered in the wrong form (e.g. a narrative or a commentary). There may be |

| |frequent lifting of phrases and sentences. |

How should I approach this question?

It is really important that you complete a lot of practise for this question, and your teacher will be able to give you specific advice tailored for you. However, there are a few useful steps to bear in mind:

1. Re-read the passages with the question in mind – this will help you to focus on what it is you need to summarise.

2. Highlight the main points in both passages that relate to the question – you should try to identify around 15 relevant points in total.

3. Make a plan by putting the underlined phrases into your own words – you could do this next to the highlighted words.

4. Write up your answer, making sure to extend your ideas from your plan a bit and ensuring that you write in full sentences and with paragraphs if necessary.

5. There's no need for an introduction, just get straight into it.

Is there anything else I should know?

Your teacher will give you specific feedback to help you reach your target grade, however there are a few general tips below:

← Don't worry about including an introduction, you should just go straight into your summary.

← Remember that you need to cover a total of 15 points if you want top marks for your reading skills – don't repeat similar points.

← Try to balance your ideas equally between the two passages.

← Avoid including any irrelevant detail such as explanation or analysis.

← Use your own words.

← Signpost which passage you are writing about.

← Structure your answer clearly.

← Write fluently and in full sentences – try to include some complex sentences to be more concise.

BUT HOW CAN I PRACTISE THIS ALL AT HOME?

← Ask your teacher for some more past papers, or type 'IGCSE: ENGLISH – FIRST LANGAGE (0500) into google and click the links for 'past papers.' Go on the VLE or follow the link from the Weebly.

← Invest in the Collins IGCSE English Student book and work through the relevant activities. Look out for the 'PAPER 2 E' activities as these are the ones that focus on your exam.

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