This is an extract from my guide.
What Does the Examiner Want?
It’s language analysis.
That thing you’ve done since year 4. It ought to be impossible to get less than 70% on this question, but students mess up with rubbish exam technique. And maybe as teachers, we over-complicate things.
This guide will cure that.
The Mark Scheme
Level 4
Write an analysis which is detailed and perceptive.
To do this:
analyse the effects of the writer’s choices of language
select a range of appropriate quotes
use accurate subject terminology to explain the effects of language choice
The marks are allocated like this:
Level 4
Detailed, perceptive analysis
10-12 marks
Level 3
Clear, relevant explanation
7-9 marks
Level 2
Some understanding and comment
4-6 marks
Level 1
Simple, limited comment
1-3 marks
The Mr Salles Method
After analysing over 100 exam answers which have been marked by senior examiners, I have worked out a method for awarding the right marks every time.
I know this sounds unlikely, but it is true.
1. Introduce the quote, naming a literary technique only if you can.
2. Explain what the choice of words makes us think, feel or predict. 1 mark.
3. Do this 12 times for 12 marks.
(You could write 12 explanations about 12 different quotes, or (in theory) 12 explanations about 1 quote or (as usually happens) a total in between.)
As you can see, this is simple!
What the Question Looks Like
Question 3 Based on Paper 2 November 2021
You now need to refer only to Source A from lines 22 to 32.
How does the writer use language to describe eating Ensaimadas and Chupa Chups?
12 marks
Notice that:
You will always be asked to look at only one part of the text. Anything you quote from different parts of the text will score zero marks.
You will always be asked to look at something specific – here it is ‘eating’ the treats, not ‘everything you find out about the sweets’. For example, if you just write about what the treats look like, you will score zero marks.
As you will see, many students write a lot that scores zero marks because they don’t properly focus on what the question actually asks.
What an Answer Looks Like
Students write in paragraphs. Those who can’t, still write in one big paragraph. I also used to teach my students to answer these questions in paragraphs.
This is a mistake.
There are two reasons for this.
1. Paragraphs stop you knowing how many marks you are getting.
2. Paragraphs make it much harder for the examiner to award a grade.
So I’m going to ask you to write in numbered explanations.
The Examiner
The examiner gets paid by volume. The more answers they mark, the more they get paid. So, they want to make up their minds quickly, move on, and earn more money.
There are two main types of examiner:
1. Young teachers eager to earn more money and learn more about how to help their students do well. Young teachers are poor, compared to their peers in other jobs. The urge to mark quickly and earn more money is strong for this reason.
2. Experienced teachers who want to develop a really clear picture of how to help the English department in school get great grades. They usually have families who they would rather spend time with. Marking quickly is also a proof of their skill and experience. Two strong reasons to mark quickly.
Take a look at this answer:
The writer uses a metaphor to describe Ben’s pain, “I sank beneath a sea of pain.” This is powerful because it is a short sentence. The pain in his leg must be powerful, as it made him sink. This imagery helps us imagine how great the pain is.
The imagery is also violent, “the stabbing pain ebbed”. This suggests that the pain is violent and intense. We normally associate “stabbing” with murder, so this really helps us imagine the intensity of the pain. This metaphor also suggests that this pain might actually lead to him dying on the mountain.
The pain is also described through sound: “several times I’d heard bone or tendon or both tear or snap”. This also makes us completely certain that his leg must be severely broken.
130 words
Ok, you want to make up your mind quickly. Which level would you put it in?
Level 4: Detailed, perceptive analysis. 10-12 marks
Level 3: Clear, relevant explanation. 7-9 marks
Level 2: Some understanding and comment. 4-6 marks
Level 1: Simple, limited comment. 1-3 marks
Make a choice of the level, and then the mark. Write it down.
The Mark Scheme is Unclear
Hard, isn’t it? It’s really difficult to know what the words mean!
There are only 3 quotes. Does this mean that the student has only “some understanding” or is this enough to be “clear” and relevant”? 3 quotes doesn’t sound like much. But, the student does zoom in on individual words, so maybe that counts as more quotes?
There are only 130 words in the answer. Is this enough to be detailed? Surely not. But the comments sound pretty “perceptive”, with correct use of subject terminology. There’s a lot of explanation about each quote. Isn’t that better than just “relevant explanation”?
Right, so on balance, my quick decision is it doesn’t have enough quotes, it sounds perceptive, but it is too short to be detailed overall. The explanations are detailed though, and the use of subject terminology is accurate.
So, give it a mark.
Using the mark scheme, I would give it 9 marks. The answer has aspects of a level 4 answer, I’m just putting it into level 3 because it is too short.
Did I get it right?
No.
How did you do? Take a look at the answer in numbered points. I’ll place every explanation for you in bold italic:
Answer Using the Mr Salles Method
1. The writer uses a metaphor to describe Ben’s pain, “I sank beneath a sea of pain.” This is powerful because it is a short sentence.
2. The pain in his leg must be powerful, as it made him sink.
3. This imagery helps us imagine how great the pain is.
4. The imagery is also violent, “the stabbing pain ebbed”. This suggests that the pain is violent and intense.
5. We normally associate “stabbing” with murder, so this really helps us imagine the intensity of the pain.
6. This metaphor also suggests that this pain might actually lead to him dying on the mountain.
7. The pain is also described through sound: “several times I’d heard bone or tendon or both tear or snap”. This also makes us completely certain that his leg must be severely broken.
7 marks
7 explanations.
7 marks.
Easy!
Numbering your explanations changes everything. Both you and the examiner can mark it instantly. If you are in the exam, you know that there are still 5 marks going begging. Find them.
I know your teachers aren’t telling you to do this. But, as you read the guide, you will see how essential it is that you do.
We don’t know each other, and your teacher simply wants the best for you. Why listen to me? Test it out.
Write a practice answer in numbered sentences, highlighting your 12 explanations. Ask for a mark. Then you’ll know if it works.
Or, buy the guide and show it to your teacher!
What Does an 11 or 12 Mark Answer Look Like?
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