Scoring the writing test

Grammatical Range and Lexical Range &

Task Achievement Appropriacy Coherence Cohesion
Accuracy Accuracy
Task achieved at a high level
Intention: Entirely clear Structure:
Cohesive devices: Grammatical Structures: Complex
Instructions: Completely Style & Format: Ideas sequenced logically
A wide range of cohesive Spelling: Very good
followed Appropriate to genre, no and accurately Wide range of lexis to complete
devices used naturally, Word order: Correct
Effect: A positive effect on irrelevant information the task, some original lexical
efficiently and appropriately Punctuation: Used properly
the target reader Purpose: solutions
5 to link words, clauses, throughout
Outcome: Sure to achieve a Register: Clear
sentences and paragraphs Errors: Very few, none
successful outcome Good awareness of Lexis used appropriately with
of them impedes
Content: All relevant details register and formality level Information: isolated misuse
Reference: meaning,
included appropriate to genre Well organised into a
Skilled use message
Some original ideas coherent text
or presentation
4
Grammatical Structures:
Adequately complex structures with
Task achieved, some gaps Structure:
Style & Format: rare mistakes that do not impede
Intention: Clear in most areas Some confusion in logical Cohesive devices:
Usually appropriate to comprehension
Instructions: All important ones and accurate sequencing Adequate amount of
genre with little or no Spelling: Some mistakes Sufficient range of lexis to
followed devices used to link words,
irrelevant information that do not complete the task
Effect: A generally positive Purpose: clauses, sentences mostly
3 impede
effect on the reader Mostly clear appropriately
Register: comprehension Lexis used mostly appropriately
Outcome: Likely to achieve a
Limited exponents but Word order: Mostly correct with occasional misuse
successful outcome Information: Reference:
awareness of register is Punctuation: Mostly effective
Content: Many relevant Adequately organised into Limited use
shown Errors: Some, but do
details included a mostly coherent text
not significantly
impede meaning
2
Task unachieved Structure:
Intention: Very unclear Style & Format: Muddled Grammatical Structures: Very
Cohesive devices: Poor range of lexis to complete
Euro C1 Webset - Writing - MARKING CRITERIA & MODEL ANSWERS

Instructions: Many not followed Inappropriate to genre, or simple with frequent and serious
Minimal the task
Effect: Negative minimal evidence Purpose: mistakes
1 Outcome: Will not achieve a Unclear Spelling: Very poor
Reference: Lexis used inappropriately in
successful outcome Register: Word order: Often wrong
Simple / none most cases
Content: Omission, Minimal Information: Punctuation: Often wrong
irrelevance Very confused
Task unattempted / partially No meaning or the
Not enough language to No effective use of cohesive Little or no evidence of grammatical
attempted meaning conveyed is No relevant lexis organised into
0 make an assessment, or devices and reference, or knowledge of simple structures, or
Not enough language to make an irrelevant, or under 20 sentences, or under 20 words
under 20 words. under 20 words under 20 words
assessment, or under 20 words words
Page 1
Page 2 Euro C1 Webset - Writing - MARKING CRITERIA & MODEL ANSWERS

Model Answers
Task One:
204 words
Dear Sir/Madam,

Re: The Heaton School of English

I attended a twenty-four hour per week course for two weeks in July at the Heaton
School of English. I am writing to you because I understand that this school is accredited
by your organisation.
The standards of the school fell short of those expected from an accredited school and
those which were advertised by the school.
The school promised qualified and experienced native English teachers. In reality
several of these teachers had not taught before and lacked any knowledge of pedagogy.
The classes were made up of a random selection of students: different ages, abilities and
reasons for studying English.
I was promised in advance a course to prepare me for examinations but this was
unavailable, so how the school can boast of a high exam pass rate is inexplicable.
The school also undertook to provide modern functioning computers; in reality the
computers were both dated and often non-operational.
In view of this completely unsatisfactory course, in breach of both your stipulated
standards and the advertising of the Heaton School, I am asking for a full refund of the
course fee. I would like your advice and assistance in this matter.
Yours faithfully,
Bridget Reninson,

Task Two:
Article (226 words)
Grenberg Decongested?

Last week in a rainy November morning I set off from my home to drive into town,
along about a quarter of the ring road in the direction of the town hall. In all, the
journey is about ten kilometres; it took an hour and a half.
From Monday however to make the same journey I will have to buy a EUR 10 sticker
for my windscreen window. Entering the ring round and the centre of the town without
a sticker will cost EUR 100 in an on-the-spot fine.
Congestion charging has been proposed for years, but when Arnie Fischer was re-elected
mayor for a third term in April, he gave an explicit promise to promote the charge.
As he pointed out yesterday in the Grenberg Times the charge ‘will lessen congestion
and raise money for public transport.’ Fischer has allocated an extra EUR 1 million to
upgrade the bus and tram network.
The campaign Grenberg Free Roads has mounted an on-going battle against road
charging. Group spokesperson, Edgar Grice, told me yesterday, ‘We are going to challenge
this law in the courts. Nobody is going to make me pay for using the public roads.’
Perhaps Mr Grice will be among the first people to pay the EUR 100 fine.
An opinion poll last week showed an overwhelming backing of 86% in favour of the
charge.
Euro C1 Webset - Writing - MARKING CRITERIA & MODEL ANSWERS Page 3

Review (186 words)

Two very different plays are currently being shown at Grenberg’s Playhouse this week.
For those who enjoy romantic comedy, you shouldn’t miss Ben Gold’s “It Happened to
Me” featuring young Sarah Jenner as the incurable romantic Jude Smith. Producer,
Hermann Shils has made several innovations on the original play, nearly all of which
have added to the humour and flow of the performance. Also don’t miss an excellent
performance by the slick and well-casted Jeremy Fletcher as the hapless Alfie.
Tuesday and Friday are given over to heavy-going “Death in the Morning” by local
playwright, Miriam Pink. The protagonist, Elsa, is played by the talented Gertrude
Horn who has made this tragic role her own. Some commentators doubted whether Pink
could produce this performance of her own play, but she seems to have effortlessly made
the transition from playwright to producer.
Seats are selling fast for “It Happened to Me” which has the edge on popularity, though,
while singing the praise of both plays, I would say “Death in the Morning” is the better
drama. But why not treat yourself to two theatre outings this week?

Essay (262 words)

‘Stereotypes help us understand the world.’

Stereotypes, as forms of generalisation and the abstraction of the key features of

things, are necessary for understanding the world around us; however the blind
use of stereotypes can lead to misunderstanding.

If, for example, you imagine every type of chair in the world you have an array
of thousands. Yet to all these entities we apply the stereotype – or label – chair.
If somebody asks us what a chair is we don’t start by listing everything that
is a chair. Instead, we utter some key features of a chair which in our view
characterise all chairs; e.g. a surface for sitting above the ground.

What applies to chairs of course applies to everything else in the world that we
think about: a family, a government, bad behaviour and so on. What then are
the dangers in this mode of abstraction? I will mention two.

First, and perhaps most important, is when we assemble stereotypes according

to prejudicial thinking. In the past, and among some people today, concepts are
constructed according to false stereotypes; e.g. labelling certain work as women’s
or men’s work.

Second, is simply when we define our stereotypes too narrowly or widely to make
them useful. An example of the former is defining a chair as having four legs.
Why can’t a chair have three or four? An example of the latter would be defining
a chair as something that can be sat on. Well a tree trunk can be sat upon.

In conclusion, stereotypes are useful but should not be used lazily.