Paper 2 Question 5: Mark Scheme (AQA GCSE English Language): Model Answers

AO5 Content and Organisation

Level	Marks	Descriptors	How to Arrive at a Mark
Level 4	19-24	Compelling, Convincing
Upper Level 4	22-24	Content: Register is convincing and compelling for audience; assuredly matched to purpose; extensive and ambitious vocabulary with sustained crafting of linguistic devices. Organisation: Varied and inventive use of structural features; writing is compelling, incorporating a range of convincing and complex ideas; fluently linked paragraphs with seamlessly integrated discourse markers.	At the top of the upper range, a student's response will meet all of the skills descriptors for Content and Organisation. At the bottom of the upper range, a student's response will have the lower range of Level 4 and at least one of the skills descriptors for Content and Organisation from the upper range of Level 4.
Lower Level 4	19-21	Content: Register is convincingly matched to audience; convincingly matched to purpose; extensive vocabulary with evidence of conscious crafting of linguistic devices. Organisation: Varied and effective structural features; writing is highly engaging, with a range of developed complex ideas; consistently coherent paragraphs with integrated discourse markers.	At the top of the lower range, a student's response will meet all of the skills descriptors for Content and Organisation. At the bottom of the lower range, a student's response will have the upper range of Level 3 and at least one of the skills descriptors for Content and Organisation from the lower range of Level 4.
Level 3	13-18	Consistent, Clear
Upper Level 3	16-18	Content: Register is consistently matched to audience; consistently matched to purpose; increasingly sophisticated vocabulary and phrasing, chosen for effect with a range of successful linguistic devices. Organisation: Effective use of structural features; writing is engaging, using a range of clear connected ideas; coherent paragraphs with integrated discourse markers.	At the top of the upper range, a student's response will meet all of the skills descriptors for Content and Organisation. At the bottom of the upper range, a student's response will have the lower range of Level 3 and at least one of the skills descriptors for Content and Organisation from the upper range of Level 3.
Lower Level 3	13-15	Content: Register is generally matched to audience; generally matched to purpose; vocabulary clearly chosen for effect and appropriate use of linguistic devices. Organisation: Usually effective use of structural features; writing is engaging, with a range of connected ideas; usually coherent paragraphs with range of discourse markers.	At the top of the lower range, a student's response will meet all of the skills descriptors for Content and Organisation. At the bottom of the lower range, a student's response will have the upper range of Level 2 and at least one of the skills descriptors for Content and Organisation from the lower range of Level 3.
Level 2	7-12	Some success
Upper Level 2	10-12	Content: Some sustained attempt to match register to audience; some sustained attempt to match purpose; conscious use of vocabulary with some use of linguistic devices. Organisation: Some use of structural features; increasing variety of linked and relevant ideas; some use of paragraphs and some use of discourse markers.	At the top of the upper range, a student's response will meet all of the skills descriptors for Content and Organisation. At the bottom of the upper range, a student's response will have the lower range of Level 2 and at least one of the skills descriptors for Content and Organisation from the upper range of Level 2.
Lower Level 2	7-9	Content: Attempts to match register to audience; attempts to match purpose; begins to vary vocabulary with some use of linguistic devices. Organisation: Attempts to use structural features; some linked and relevant ideas; attempt to write in paragraphs with some discourse markers, not always appropriate.	At the top of the lower range, a student's response will meet all of the skills descriptors for Content and Organisation. At the bottom of the lower range, a student's response will have the upper range of Level 1 and at least one of the skills descriptors for Content and Organisation from the lower range of Level 2.
Level 1	1-6	Simple, Limited
Upper Level 1	4-6	Content: Simple awareness of register/audience; simple awareness of purpose; simple vocabulary; simple linguistic devices. Organisation: Evidence of simple structural features; one or two relevant ideas, simply linked; random paragraph structure.	At the top of the upper range, a student's response will meet all of the skills descriptors for Content and Organisation. At the bottom of the upper range, a student's response will have the lower range of Level 1 and at least one of the skills descriptors for Content and Organisation from the upper range of Level 1.
Lower Level 1	1-3	Content: Occasional sense of audience; occasional sense of purpose; simple vocabulary. Organisation: Limited or no evidence of structural features; one or two unlinked ideas; no paragraphs.	At the top of the lower range, a student's response will meet all of the skills descriptors for Content and Organisation. At the bottom of the lower range, a student's response will have at least one of the skills descriptors for Content and Organisation from lower Level 1.
Level 0	No marks	Students will not have offered any meaningful writing to assess	Nothing to reward

AO6 Technical Accuracy

Candidates must use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose, and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation. (This requirement must constitute 20% of the marks for each specification as a whole.)

Level	Marks	Descriptors	How to Arrive at a Mark
Level 4	13-16	Sentence demarcation is consistently secure and consistently accurate. Wide range of punctuation is used with a high level of accuracy. Uses a full range of appropriate sentence forms for effect. Uses Standard English consistently and appropriately with secure control of complex grammatical structures. High level of accuracy in spelling, including ambitious vocabulary. Extensive and ambitious use of vocabulary.	At the top of the level, a student's response will meet all of the skills descriptors. At the bottom of the level, a student will have Level 3 and at least one of the skills descriptors.
Level 3	9-12	Sentence demarcation is mostly secure and accurate. Range of punctuation is used, mostly with success. Uses a variety of sentence forms for effect. Mostly uses Standard English appropriately with mostly controlled grammatical structures. Generally accurate spelling, including complex and irregular words. Increasingly sophisticated use of vocabulary.	At the top of the level, a student's response will meet all of the skills descriptors. At the bottom of the level, a student will have Level 2 and at least one of the skills descriptors.
Level 2	5-8	Sentence demarcation is mostly secure and sometimes accurate. Some control of a range of punctuation. Attempts a variety of sentence forms. Some use of Standard English with some control of agreement. Some accurate spelling of more complex words. Varied use of vocabulary.	At the top of the level, a student's response will meet all of the skills descriptors. At the bottom of the level, a student will have Level 1 and at least one of the skills descriptors.
Level 1	1-4	Occasional use of sentence demarcation. Some evidence of conscious punctuation. Simple range of sentence forms. Occasional use of Standard English with limited control of agreement. Accurate basic spelling. Simple use of vocabulary.	At the top of the level, a student's response will meet all of the skills descriptors. At the bottom of the level, a student will have at least one of the skills descriptors.
Level 0	No marks	Students' spelling, punctuation, etc. is sufficiently poor to prevent understanding or meaning.	Nothing to reward.