eataaans Rea aio WRITING GENERAL IMPRESSION MARK SCHEME BAND 5 Fora Band 5 to be awarded, the candidate's writing has a very positive effect on the target teader, The content is relevant” and the topic is fully developed. Information and ideas are skilfully ‘organised through a range of cohesive devices, which are used to good effect. A wide range of complex structures and vocabulary is used effectively. Errors are minimal, and inaccuracies which ddo occur have no impact on communication. Register and format are consistently appropriate to the purpose of the task and the audience. BAND 4 For a Band 4 to be awarded, the candidate's writing has a positive effect on the target reader. The ‘ontent is relevant® and the topic is developed. Information and ideas are clearly organised through the use of a variety of cohesive devices. A good range of complex structures and vocabulary is used. Some errors may occur with vocabulary and when complex language is attempted, but these do ‘ot cause difficulty for the reader. Registec and format are usually appropriate to the purpose of the task and the audience. BAND 3 For a Band 3 to be awarded, the candidate's writing has a satisfactory effect on the target reader. ‘The content is rclevant* with some development of the topic. Information and ideas are generally ‘organised logically, though cohesive devices may not always be used appropriately. A satisfactory ‘ange of structures and vocabulary is used, though word choice may lack precision. Errors which do ‘occur do not cause difficulty for the reader. Register and format are reasonably appropriate to the purpose of the task and the audience. BAND 2 For a Band 2 to be awarded, the candidate's writing has a negative effect on the target reader. The content isnot always relevant. Information and ideas are inadequately organised and sometimes incoherent, with inaccurate use of cohesive devices, The range of structures and vocabulary is limited and/or repetitive, and errors may be basic or cause difficulty for the reader. Register and format are sometimes inappropriate to the purpose of the task and the audience, BAND 1 For a Band 1 to be awarded, the candidate's writing has a very negative effect on the target reader. The content is often irrelevant. Information and ideas are poorly organised, often incoherent, and there is minimal use of cohesive devices. The range of structures and vocabulary is severely limited, and ertors frequently cause considerable dificulty for the reader. Register and format are inappropriate to the purpose of the task and the audience, BAND 0 For a Band 0 to be awarded, there is either too little language for assessment or the candidate's writing is totaly irrelevant or illegible, “Candidates who do not address all the content points will be penalised for dealing inadequately with the requirements of the task. Candidates who fully satisfy the 8and 3 descriptor will demonstrate an adequate performance in writing at Advanced level WRITING FILE: GENERAL MARK SCHEME FoR waiTinc = EESEssay (Part 1) ee 4 You must answer this question. Write your answer in 220-260 words in an appropriate style. In the exam, you write your answer on the separate answer sheet provided, 1 Following a class discussion on how technology has affected the way we live today, you have made the notes below. Whi ct of of ily Li most by technology? * communication * relationships * working life Some opinions expressed in the discussion: ‘It’s great to be able to communicate with people 24 hours a day,’ ‘It’s so hard to make personal relationships — everyone's online all the time.’ ‘People have an easier working life because they can work from home.’ Write an essay discussing two of the points in your notes. You should explain which aspect of daily life you think has been most affected by technology, giving reasons in support of your answer. ‘You may, if you wish, make use of the opinions expressed in the discussion, but you should use your own words as far as possible. 164 WRITING FILE: ESSAY eu Part 1 + Make sure that you have enoush ideas about the topic tov 220-260 words, The point cf = essayist present an argurrene clearly and provide evidence fox your point of view. You may be asked to agree or disagree 2 statement, or write about issues on a given topic Read the question carefully, choose the two points you want to discuss, and then plan your answer in paragraphs. It is e957 to organise your essay if these paragraphs are the points you have chosen from the task. You ate presenting an argument, so YyOU need to explain your ideas Gleary and justify them. This means you should use suitable connectors. Use a formal or semi-formal style. It may be appropriate to use rhetorical questions to lead into your argument or ideas. Use a range of vocabulary and tty to think of interesting detais 10 support your ideas. Ty to present a balanced <2rgument, showing that you are ‘aviare of all the possible Issues Don't begin your essay giving your opinion, but finish with 3 {onclusion stimmarising your ‘own point of view. Ths should be the one you have argued for in your essay. Essay * The purpose of an essay is to present an argument. It should highlight and discuss important points or issues on a topic, supporting and developing the ‘argument with extra points which are clarified through reasons and examples. The reader should understand the opinion of the writer through the argument presented in the essay, ‘An essay should be well- organised with an introduction, clear development of ideas ‘and an appropriate conclusion to round off the argument. It should use appropriate connectors and range of language. Itmay be writen as a result of an activity lke taking part in 3 class discussion, listening to 2 fag programme or waiching a film. The style is usually formal or ssemi-formal a‘Sample an ‘Technology is such a feature of everyday life difficule to remember what we did without | on almost every aspect of our daily lives. But where has | technology's greatest impact been? Usesuitable }-mFirsly, technology has affected the way we make inp relationships and our expectations of them. It is increasingly common to find people with more friends oon the internet than in real life, and they spend more time chatting to cyber friends than they do to real world friends. Although feeling part ofa wider community like this can be positive, it could also have a negative effect con people's ability to relate to others on a personal level. Supporyour for In turn, this could make it hard not only to establish beans relationships initially but to maintain them. The impact of this development on society is clearly enormous, Use clear Another area in which technology has affected peoples | preteens lives is in the workplace. Sitting in opencglin fea pha working at computer screens creates an unsatisfying pontorisue. | and unsupportive environment, On the plus side, technology also enables people to work from home, Show that you] | which can lead to a healthier work/life balance. sporecete | OF course, people may also find this difficult as ic can otter pins lead to isolation. i of view ast i strengthens | | ‘To sum up, ic appears that the impact of technology has your been greatest on the way we form relationships, because ann this affects people emotionally as well as practically. However, given that itis impossible to return to a world without technology, we must accept its increasing impact on our lives in as many areas 2s we can Introduce the topic in general terms, using fhetorcal questions to lead in to the iscussion Don't give your own opinion unt the final paragraph, Make sure your conelusion folows your argument oar. ee ee | Itis often said that This is a hotly-debated topic This isa topic that is often discussed but rarely solved. Many people feel that Linking ideas While many may agree with this, it may still be a mistake, Conversely it may be inappropriate for ths situation. (On the contrary its seen by many as an excellent Solution 10 the problem, While can see some benefits, these may be outweighed by the disadvantages. Giving opinions It seems to me that In my opinion, this is. From my perspective, this seems tobe To be honest, | feel that . Conclusion To sum up, it seems to me that On balance, | feel that ... Taking all the arguments into account, | would say that warring rue: essay EBSProposal (Part 2) + Read through all the questions before choosing which one to You are on the social committee of your college. You have been asked to write a answer. You should think about ‘proposal for your college principal on the kind of social and sporting activities the wat type of writing you are college should provide for new students. You should assess the current situation, best at, and then any ideas you describe the needs of new students and suggest activities the college should provide. ave rac oooh Proposal + The purpose of a proposal is to give information and not engage the reader, so SO techniques like rhetorical ELM questions are not appropriate * A proposal is usually for the \Write your proposal. Wite your answer in 220-260 words in an appropriate style. 5 S sae ae future, and recommendations Tnireaiiion iis seta maybe epee ung mol Starting ata new college can be daunting fog Durpse of tne . new students. The purpose of this proposal i 10 propaalinthe | * Thesis usualy sem-ormal evaluate the social and sporting activities already J Lvoducton, J Or FOmaN (on offer, describe the needs of new students i sa.ooce karo ise ead . $0 that you present information and suggest further activities the college should a These ome provide + Don’t use too many bullt-points sews \"2" | | Current social and sporting activities < Headings make ] as you need to show a range throascton ‘There ae football and tennis clubs in college, the propo of language, Bult points are Sorreons | | how nw sitscan male trends Howeee_ || [27 vst forfecormendations oi eproooea! | | ir they are not particularly interested or alented, eee an these may not be of interest to them. On the social Oe cteramttacan cote side there are meeting places like the ea, but with reasons, they are not particularly welcoming, Finally, there are two music elubs which are generally popular, ‘but they only meet weekly and the type of music is limited to jazz and pop. The worst thing is that accessing information about social activites ean be difficult, Needs of new students New students must establish social contacts otherwise they ean be lonely. Apart from finding out about activities on offer, they may be unaware of existing facili Suppor your | Recommendations ‘ecommendtons] | rhe range of social opportunities should be extended to include a dance club and a debating club. The latter would be particularly effective as it would also develop life skills + Music clubs should meet more frequently and include types of music like classical and ‘choral, Singing has been proved to be effective in bringing people together. + Lwould recommend displaying information in the Student Union and on the college intranet. + The café should be refurbished to improve the atmosphere. Include an Conclusion aromas The recommendations above would be simple 0 = implement, and would not only improve the lives ‘of new students, but current ones t00. ‘Making formal recommendations It would be a good idea to (One suggestion would be to It would be useful to I would recommend that It might be possible to Providing useful information We hope to High among our future plans is ‘One of our future priorities is ‘One key aspect of our future is ‘Our future plans include Giving reasons This would mean that This would not only... but also In this way This adresses the issue of This would enable... to Conclusion In the light of If these recommendations wer be implemented While there may be issues stil to resolve, following these suggestions would mean WRITING FILE: PROPOSALReview (Part 2) een ree + A review is often of a book or firm, but it an aso be about an cexhbition, an event, ete Pian your ideas carefully before Reviews wanted: best film ever! Yousartto wine and remember ; usualy to intrest or inform the We are planning to produce a set of DVDs of the ten best reader, and to give your opinion of whatever you are reviewing, “yy to invoke the reader by using techniques such as metrical questions, though don’t use films of all time, Send us a review of your favourite film. What was it about? What made it so good? Why should we include it in the set of DVDs? The best reviews will be included with 190 many as they can become boring, You can talk to the the set of DVDs. ¥ reader directly, ‘The style of a review depends on the context, type of publication ‘Write your review. Write your answer in 220-260 words in an appropriate style. ‘and who the reader is. It may be semi-formal or informal, but should use a range of language. + Add examples to support way, and remember to make This your opinion clear ered > Lam a great fan of science fiction films, and ceste although {know thee particular lear now old, rode the original trilogy isso ionic that I dont see how Mating racbininiendlations jee any et ofthe hest DVDs ever could fail o include i wuld SORTER, peering what | | them. OF course, I'm talking about Siar Wars she. festa be Indladed fetios Who docsnt know the plot? Evil Darth Vader is eae ese ie ee ines building che massive Death Star space station to pies ah cy oe Dan't give 10 help the Empize overcome the Rebel Alliance, Is wall ahead of its time frwuch detail which has been formed to fight back against t's been very influential SOE ff eyeanny. Vader caprures Princess Leia, who has Using interesting and dramatic ‘enough to stolen the plans to the Death Star and hidden them language sive an idea in the robot R2-D2, who is later bought by Luke Use It's totally spectacular ean Skywalker. Luke accidentally triggers a message put interesting 809 NING a into the droid by Leia, asking for assistance. Luke | oe te DO et later trains to be a Jedi and with his fiends sets out Seer or | it sends. shiver down my spine co crush the Empire, What follows isan action- ” points. The music is instantly packed roller coaster, crammed with special eects pda and enthralling plor wists. Talking directly to the reader We're all supposed to hate reality ‘The film has to be included in the sec of DVDs shows but do we really? because everything about it was fresh and new at Wm fart sure that you wil all the time, the special effects were totally spectacular agree with me when | say and, amazingly, i still has the power co thrill the ‘Why not think about it? You'l find audience today. The music is instantly recognisable, het ace ene mibiver oven my spite The Have you ever seen anything te this? characters are powerful and interesting and have 7 Soiis this really true? made stars of some of the actors. ‘The technical rhetorical sr Hele aly sPaneareaNt effects were well ahead of their time and have question ncbole tina influenced many films since they were first seen on Led ‘Concluding a review screens ll over the world. | Gtectivem | Fotallthe reasons given, shectiee | trecommend Do you really think any set of ‘The best filmsever'#” | | thewrtar's | It must be clear that this isthe would be complete without this trilogy? pinion. to win the competition, How could the ... be considered complete without this ..? WRITING FILE: REVIEW 7Letter (Part 2) eee eee Hi! of doing the same Jack I remember that you worked in a ski resort last winter, and I'm # interesting people? What opportunities were there for skiing? Would I gain much from doing it for just four months? Should I apply for ‘Thanks for your help ‘You have received a letter from an English friend: king this year. Were there any drawbacks? Did you meet ‘Write your letter. Write your answer in 220-260 words in an appropriate style. You do not need to include postal addresses. we eed Try 0 use interesting language and idioms. This is an informal eter, 0 use informal language. ‘Add your own ideas 10 create interest. ‘You have been asked for advice, so summarise your position. Finish with an appropriate phrase ~ in this cas, it is an informal letter. Ifyou ‘were writing a formal eter Hiyack, Gren to hear fron you. So you're thinking of applying for my old job ~ there are positive things about it, but there ave Loads of downsides. Uenow how mutch you Love skiing, but to be honest You'll be Luskey to get more thaw a couple of days im _ al. And you have to buy your own ski pass, which is priceip no freebies! | got pretty frustrated when snow conditions were good and t could've been on the slopes. tk can be stressful because you're dealing with elients the whole tinte, getting equipment sorted, stuff like that. They come frome all over the workd and Lots of thene ave really interesting to tale to like one wes a professional singer, and another was a journalist who told fascinating stories. But when snow conditions are poor, you have to find entertainment for them, and they may not Ue thrilled about the situation! When twas there they conuplained @ lot. W's true | got the chance to pick up a srantiering of atker languages but in four months you dow't learn a whole Lot! | guess | did ineprove muy people skills, but t hated the paperwork, which was really time-consuming. Filing isw't my thing, and there was piles of it. o> dont really lenow what to advise. You won't get munch skiing, it's stressful, butit’s paid employment and earning to deat with people in aiffioult situations is a bonus. 1s your call! Let nee now if t ean do anything, or if you wank any contact nants. pawraad uit or LA a fanaly care EEN warring enue: verter Eze Letter + The style ofa letter could be semi-formal, formal or informal depending én the purpose of the letter and the context, Make sure you read the instructions carefully, and identify the target reader and reason for writing Keep the style consistent throughout. Use clear paragraphs and appropriate opening and closing phrases. Thanks so much for your email Sorry not to have contacted you earlier Thought it was time | dropped you alline Referring to a previous letter You said in your letter that you want to Last time you wrote, you mentioned | remember that you spoke about .. Ending an informal letter { think that’s al for now. Do write soon! (Once again, thanks for contacting me. Give my love 10 ‘Speak to you soon. Ending a formal letter Yours sincerely (if beginning with the person’s name) ‘Yours faithfully (if beginning with “Dear Sir/Madam’)EES ST Report (Part 2) [ean ie | decide what siyle to use. It will probably be semi-formal Try to think of interesting and appropriate details to support your ideas. Remember that the purpose of 2 report is to inform the reader about an existing situation in ‘order for them to make some kind of decision. You should ‘You have just fished a short period of work in a company abroad as part of your business course. You have now been asked to write a report for your course organiser, In your report you should explain what you did and how you benefited from the riod of work, describe any problems you had and make recommendations for clher students on the business course who will be working in the same ‘company abroad later, Write your report. Write your answer in 220-260 words in an appropriate style. = make recommendations, and sive your own personal opinion im order to help the reader to. their decision * Plan your report carefully, You can use 3s thinking about the best layout headings or cary |b Introduction touse. You can use bullet ‘The aim of this report for the course organiser is to outline Cm inten tof my work experience abroad, identify the benefits and appropriate for the context and vino i foe Problems and make recommendations for students doing the the person you are writing the report for 1 | same thing in the future. ‘Although you want to be clear, don''t use language that is too. simple. You stil need to show a range of language. * Include a conclusion, possibly with a final evaluation. Introducing the report ‘The aim of this report is to In this report, | will Background information Twas assigned to a large office in the city centre in order to gain experience in management. My daily duties involved shadowing the office manager and learning different Procedures, I also took part in a specific project aimed at building up new clientele, which was particulary interesting sit linked to my current course module, 4 gained a great deal from seeing different management Benefits and problems | ean te t ped styles in action, which enabled me to put the theoretical Tae eriert Ce aspects of the course into a practical context. It was also eee Valuable in giving me independence and responsibility, and ina global world itis particularly useful to experience the working environment of another country, | found a few problems in adapting to the cultural differences as I was only there a shor time, and in being ‘Making recommendations In the light of .. it seems to me that the best approach to take is | would recommend ... as | would sugges sponse fal nemrof eco nee, eke inevitable, and I certainly did not feel unwelcome. film because Recommendations I would suggest making contact with members of the office ‘Give reasons before joining them, and asking for an overview of the office ipepiain uid ‘culture: This would avoid the feeling of being an outsider, Senmenitvors | and ereate more ofa feeling of teamwork, If'students were given a schedule before the period of work experience, they could prepare more thoroughly. This would make the secondment run smoothly, Finishing the report For the reasons stated, | feel that. Inconelusion, | fee! that In shor, | feel confident in recommending Finish withan— }--& Conclusion crore Overall it was a positive experience, which I recommend to other students,