English Language Example Candidate Responses Booklet

[Pages:64]Example Candidate Responses

(Standards Booklet)

Cambridge International AS Level English Language

8693

Cambridge Advanced

Copyright Acknowledgements:

Question 1 ? Michele Hanson, The Guardian ; G2, pg 9; 05/08/2008. Question 3 ? Extract taken from: Cable News; ; 2007.

Permission to reproduce items where third-party owned material protected by copyright is included has been sought and cleared where possible. Every reasonable effort has been made by the publisher (UCLES) to trace copyright holders, but if any items requiring clearance have unwittingly been included, the publisher will be pleased to make amends at the earliest possible opportunity.

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University of Cambridge International Examinations retains the copyright on all its publications. Registered Centres are permitted to copy material from this booklet for their own internal use. However, we cannot give permission to Centres to photocopy any material that is acknowledged to a third party even for internal use within a Centre.

? University of Cambridge International Examinations 2011

Contents

Introduction........................................................................................................................... 2 Assessment at a glance........................................................................................................ 3 Generic mark schemes ......................................................................................................... 4 Paper 1 ? Passages for Comment ........................................................................................ 8 Paper 2 ? Composition........................................................................................................ 37

Introduction

Introduction

The main aim of this booklet is to exemplify standards for those teaching Cambridge International AS Level English Language (8693), and to show how different levels of candidates' performance relate to the subject's curriculum and assessment objectives. In this booklet a range of candidate responses has been chosen to illustrate as far as possible each grade, a, c and e. Each candidate response is accompanied by a commentary explaining the strengths and weaknesses of the answers. For ease of reference the following format for each paper has been adopted:

Question

Example candidate response

Examiner comment

Each question is followed by examples of marked candidate responses, each with an examiner comment on performance. Comments are given to indicate where and why marks were awarded, and how additional marks could have been obtained. In this way, it is possible to understand what candidates have done to gain their marks and what they still have to do to improve their grades. Past papers, Principal Examiner Reports for Teachers and other teacher support materials are available on our Teacher Support website at

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Cambridge International AS Level English Language 8693

Assessment at a glance

AS Level

All candidates take:

Paper 1 Passages for Comment and Paper 2 Composition

Duration 2 hours

Duration 2 hours

Teachers are reminded that a full syllabus is available on .uk

Assessment at a glance

Weighting 50% Weighting 50%

Cambridge International AS Level English Language 8693

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Generic mark schemes

Generic mark schemes

Paper 1

Part (a): Commentary (maximum 15 marks)

Mark

Knowledge & Understanding

Band 1 13?15 Perceptive appreciation of content and ideas;

Fluidly relates content to structure, audience, purpose, genre, style; shows keen awareness of intentions of passage.

Band 2 10?12 Shows consistent appreciation of content and ideas;

Analysis of language effects

Analyses text with sensitive and discriminating awareness of how language creates effects; moves with ease between part and whole in discussing specific examples of language use and the effect of the whole passage.

Analyses text, with awareness of the effects created;

Organisation

Strong structure; may be concise; quotation is used fluently, `embedded' in the argument.

Strong structure used to convey clear argument.

Able to relate content to structure, audience, purpose, genre, style, main aims of passage.

Able to relate part to whole in discussing specific examples of language use and the effect of the whole passage.

Band 3 8?9 Shows steady engagement with content/ideas of piece;

Thorough analysis of passage Clear structure, is made, correctly identifying sustained focus.

a range of features of

Shows general understanding language, giving examples,

of structure audience, purpose, and showing ability to explain

genre, style of passage.

how they create effects

with some relation of part to

whole.

Band 4 6?7 Shows some engagement with Appropriate points are made, Clear structure;

content/ideas of piece;

correctly identifying some

may be line-by-

features of language use,

line; essay may

Shows general, overall

giving examples, and showing drift in and out of

understanding of structure

some ability to explain how focus.

audience, purpose, genre, style they create effects. May be a

of passage.

fragmented approach.

Band 5 3?5 Makes some relevant points about content;

Some relevant points made, Little structure; identifying a restricted range points may

of examples of language

be rather

Shows some understanding of use; some examples are not disconnected.

some aspects of the structure, related to the effects created;

audience, purpose, genre, style some examples may be listed

of passage; with some failures without development; much

to identify key features and or generalisation.

misunderstanding.

Band 6 0?2 Comments on content of passage, may be confused.

One or two points made about language of passage; may be unclear.

Expression breaks down at times. Very short work. Unstructured.

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Cambridge International AS Level English Language 8693

Generic mark schemes

Marks 8?10

Part (b): Directed Writing task (maximum 10 marks)

A perceptive recognition of context, audience and purpose supported by a good range of appropriate vocabulary and expression suitable for the task.

Responses at the top of this band will be persuasive and confident, supported by a consistent, and at best personal, engagement with context and purpose, using fluent and accurate expression accompanied by a strong sense of audience.

6?7 A clear and informed sense of purpose, context and relevance supported by a reasonable attempt to use language appropriate for the task.

4?5 An adequate attempt but marked by an inconsistent and uneven sense of purpose, context and style. Generally sound expression and accuracy.

2?3 The beginnings of an answer, but limited by an inappropriate sense of style, purpose and language. Expression and accuracy may be limited.

0?1 Confused and unfocused sense of purpose, context and audience. Wholly inappropriate language and style. Work may be brief or fragmented and expression very limited.

Cambridge International AS Level English Language 8693

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Generic mark schemes

Paper 2

Section A: Narrative/Descriptive/Imaginative Writing

? Imaginative, possibly original, appropriate approach to task, engaging audience;

? Tightly controlled, appropriate structure; very directed writing;

Band 1 22?25 ? Language used imaginatively to create specific effects on the reader;

? Fluent, mature expression, achieves complex effects, with a high level of technical accuracy.

? Imaginative approach to task, appropriate to audience and engaging interest;

? Effective, appropriate structure, with a strong sense of purpose;

Band 2

18?21

?

Language used to create specific effects on the reader, narrative or descriptive as appropriate;

? Fluent expression achieves effects; occasional technical errors will not impede expression.

? Consistent focus on a relevant form and content, with an appropriate sense of audience and some sustained imagination;

Band 3

14?17

? Clear structure that fits the task; with a sense of purpose;

? Some effects of language are attempted and achieved, narrative or descriptive as appropriate;

? Clear expression with some variety, a few technical inaccuracies.

? Clear focus on relevant form and content, with some imaginative touches, and some appropriate sense of audience;

? Structure is in place, though purpose is sometimes unclear; may drift in and out of focus at times;

Band 4 10?13 ? Appropriate effects of language are attempted, narrative or descriptive as appropriate;

? Clear expression, a little unvaried or with a number of technical errors (confusion of tenses, wrong subject/verb agreement, a range of spelling errors, absent punctuation) which limit the ability to achieve effects.

? Relevant form and content with some sense of audience;

? Structure may not be fully apparent ? may go on without clear narrative control or descriptive contrast;

Band 5 6?9 ? Some effects of language are attempted, narrative or descriptive as appropriate;

? Expression unclear at times; may not flow easily, with frequent technical errors (confusion of tenses, wrong subject/verb agreement, frequent spelling errors, absent punctuation).

? Evidence of attempted focus on some appropriate ideas for content, but not fully appropriate to the task; form may be less sure, e.g. a wholly narrative response to a descriptive task;

? Lacks structure, may be diffuse, may ramble;

Band 6 2?5 ? Occasional effects of language are created, narrative or descriptive as appropriate;

? Expression is unclear; technical and structural problems (confusion of tenses, wrong subject/verb agreement, frequent spelling errors, absent punctuation) get in the way of the flow of the whole.

? Work will be inappropriate to the task, confused or incoherent, with little grasp of suitable form or content.

Band 7 0?1 ? Weakness of organisation and technical inaccuracy (confusion of tenses, wrong subject/verb agreement, frequent spelling errors, absent punctuation) will seriously impede the candidate's ability to create an overall impression.

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Cambridge International AS Level English Language 8693

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