This is an extract from my guide:
Introduction to Question 3
This is a ‘new’ question, which had never appeared in any exam before 2017.
Teachers have always found this a puzzling one – they haven’t studied the structure of extracts like this for A level or for their degree.
AQA is equally puzzled by it, which is why they give it only 8 marks. They have found students write a lot more for question 3 than question 2, even though question 2 is also worth the same 8 marks.
This is a problem I will try to cure.
The second problem AQA hadn’t anticipated is with the wording of the question which suggests you should look at ‘sentence forms’. This led to students writing gibberish. The examiners now say: don’t write about sentence forms, you’ll only write gibberish. I agree.
Amazingly, there is a stunningly simple way to answer this question and get 100%. It is obviously called the Mr Salles Method, and you’ll meet it in just a minute.
Mark Scheme
The mark scheme tries to grade this in all sorts of abstract ways.
a) Perceptive, detailed analysis 7-8 marks
b) Clear, relevant explanation 5-6 marks
c) Some understanding and comment 3-4 marks
d) Simple, limited comment 1-2 marks
e) (Note this is exactly the same as for question 2)
What’s the difference between simple and some? Between understanding and explanation? Between clear and perceptive? You get the idea. Put two English teachers together, and they will probably disagree. The mark scheme is nowhere near as helpful as AQA would have us believe.
In fact, trained AQA examiners are allowed to give wildly different marks before their marking is checked. 8 marks out of 40 is the tolerable limit. So, a 20% difference. In other words, a chief examiner might give a question 2 response 6 marks, while two normal examiners might give it 5 and 7 respectively. All these marks would be considered ok!
That’s because the wording of the mark scheme is vague, abstract, and open to interpretation.
The mark scheme makes the question suddenly seem pretty difficult. It isn’t.
The Mr Salles Method
After analysing over 100 exam answers which have been marked by senior examiners, I have worked out a method for getting the mark right in every single one.
I know this sounds unlikely, but it is true.
1. Write about the first focus. This will be whatever the first paragraph is about.
2. Write about 6 of the other paragraphs, as changes of focus.
3. With each focus and change of focus, explain how that affects what we think, feel or predict.
4. Write about the last paragraph, and its change of focus.
5. That will give you 8 changes of focus, 8 explanations of the effect on the reader, and 8 marks.
When You Read the Student Exam Answers
You will notice that I lay out each answer as numbered bullet points.
You don’t have to write your exam answers this way. However, if you did, you would help the examiner. They would easily be able to see how many quotations you are using, how many points you are making, and how many explanations you are giving about what we think, feel or predict.
But it will also make your task easier. You will write less, and still get the marks. You will know when you have written a full mark answer. This is especially useful in your exam practice and revision.
Many of you will find that you can write more than 8 of these points in 10 minutes. That’s fine – sometimes you might write a point which doesn’t score, so having more than 8 is a good insurance.
But never go over your time limit! (You have 12 minutes to read the question and the extract and write your answer).
Adapted From Language Paper 1 November 2020
Question 3
You now need to think about the whole of the source.
How has the writer structured the text to interest you as a reader?
You could write about:
- what the writer focuses your attention on at the beginning of the source
- how and why the writer changes this focus as the source develops
- any other structural features that interest you.
[8 marks]
Response 4
The writer begins by focusing on the fact that Robert is meeting the “eerie” dog for the first time. The writer withholds information about what the dog is doing, or where it has come from, which creates a problem for the reader to try to solve.
The focus changes to the field itself being mysterious, with descriptions suggesting the field might be dangerous. This creates tension, where we wonder whether Robert’s own children will be in danger.
The extract ends with a cliff hanger of the unexplained disappearance of the eerie hound. This invites us to predict how the disappearance is possible. This creates a sense of mystery. This links back to the sense of mystery created at the start of the extract, where we wondered what mystery was hidden in the overgrown field.
How Will You Mark It?
Perceptive, detailed analysis 7-8 marks
Clear, relevant explanation 5-6 marks
Some understanding and comment 3-4 marks
Simple, limited comment 1-2 marks
The student has only written about three changes of focus. This feels like only ‘some understanding’. 3-4 marks.
But, the explanations are ‘perceptive and detailed’. 7-8 marks.
Well, my gut instinct is that it must be some way between the two. Everything in it is definitely clear, and definitely relevant.
So, I am going to give it 6 marks.
But I would be wrong!
Now Look at the Answer with The Mr Salles Method
The explanations are in italics:
1. The writer begins by focusing on the fact that Robert is meeting the “eerie” dog for the first time.
2. The writer withholds information about what the dog is doing, or where it has come from, which creates a problem for the reader to try to solve.
3. The focus changes to the field itself being mysterious, with descriptions suggesting the field might be dangerous. This creates tension, where we wonder whether Robert’s own children will be in danger.
4. The extract ends with a cliff hanger of the unexplained disappearance of the eerie hound. This invites us to predict how the disappearance is possible.
5. This creates a sense of mystery.
6. This links back to the sense of mystery created at the start of the extract, where we wondered what mystery was hidden in the overgrown field.
5 marks
My Commentary
a. Point 1 has no explanation, so doesn’t score any marks.
b. There are 5 explanations of the effects of the changes of focus in points 2-6.
c. Point 5 also explains how the structure of the text is circular (referring back to something at the start). Examiners literally love this idea, and go to great lengths every year to make sure that the extract does have a circular structure! So this is a point you will be able to make practically any year you sit the exam.
d. Clear, relevant explanation 5-6 marks
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