Question 01 to 10 (answer the one on your text)
Post-1914 prose or drama
40 marksAO1, AO2 · 35AO4 · 5About 45 min
What it asks
Write about a character, relationship or theme and how it is presented at different points in the text, using the printed extract and your knowledge of the whole novel or play.
What earns marks
- A clear line of argument that answers the question, using the extract and moments from across the whole text.
- Analysis of the writer’s language, form and structure, and for a play its dramatic methods, such as stage directions.
- Understanding of the characters and events, shown through the argument rather than a retelling.
- One mark out of 35 for understanding (AO1) and analysis (AO2), judged together on one grid and counting equally. The bands below are for these 35 marks.
- A separate mark out of 5 for accuracy (AO4): threshold (1 mark) where errors never block meaning, intermediate (2-3) for mostly accurate work with a good range, high (4-5) for accuracy and control throughout.
What each level looks like
Top level first.
| Level | Marks | What an answer at this level does |
|---|---|---|
| Band 5 | 29-35 | Insightful from start to finish, with a view across the whole text, exactly the right references and analysis that weighs how the writer’s choices shape meaning. |
| Band 4 | 22-28 | Stays on the question throughout, with a confident grasp of the text, good references from the extract and beyond, and analysis that keeps getting deeper. |
| Band 3 | 15-21 | Sticks to the question and understands the text, with suitable references and the first real analysis of methods and effects. |
| Band 2 | 8-14 | Partly answers the question and shows some knowledge of the text, with a few quotations and brief remarks on methods. |
| Band 1 | 1-7 | Says a few basic things about the text, with loose references and vague comments on the writer’s methods. |
What to avoid
- Writing only about the extract, or ignoring it.
- Retelling the story instead of answering the question.
- Misspelling the writer’s or characters’ names, or missing capital letters for names and titles.
Tip: Use the extract as your starting point, then move to two or three other moments elsewhere in the text that answer the same question.
Mark an answer to this question