Guide Model Answer (Edexcel IGCSE English Language A)
Revision Note
Written by: Deb Orrock
Reviewed by: Kate Lee
Remember, in Section B you will be given a choice of two questions, and each question will give you the option of writing in one of the following forms (genres):
A letter
A leaflet
A review
A speech
A guide
An article
You only complete one task from the choice of two. Remember to put a cross in the box to indicate whether you have chosen Question 6 or Question 7 in your answer booklet. You will need to prepare for all of the genres of writing because you won’t know which two will come up in the exam.
The following guide will demonstrate how to answer a Section B task in the format of a guide. The task itself is taken from a past exam paper. It includes:
Question breakdown
Planning your response
Guide model answer with annotations
Question breakdown
The first thing you should do is to read the task carefully and identify the format, audience and purpose of the task. This is sometimes referred to as a GAP analysis or the “3 Ws”:
G | A | P |
|---|---|---|
Genre (format) | Audience | Purpose |
What am I writing? | Who am I writing for? | Why am I writing? |
For example:
For this task, the focus is on the importance of preparation. No specific intended audience is given, but it is better to write about something you have some experience of, so it would be reasonable to infer that the intended audience is young people, or school or college students. If the task does not specify the intended audience, it is important for you to decide who your audience is going to be in your planning stage, as this leads to a more focused response with clear attempts to engage and influence the reader.
You should use some stylistic conventions of a guide, such as a heading, sub-headings or occasional bullet points, and there should be clear organisation and structure with an introduction, development of points and a conclusion.
Planning your response
You should spend 5 minutes writing a brief plan before you start writing your response.
For example:
Guide model answer with annotations
Remember, this task is worth 45 marks. Your answer might not always satisfy every one of the assessment criteria for a particular level, but examiners apply a best-fit approach to determine the mark which corresponds most closely to the overall quality of the response.
To get the highest mark, you are aiming to meet the Level 5 marking criteria:
AO5 | 23-27 marks |
|
AO6 | 16-18 marks |
|
The following model answer is an example of a top-mark response to the above task:
The key to success is being prepared [Marking comment]
[Marking comment]
So, give yourself the upper hand. Continue reading for specific advice about preparing for different situations, such as interviews, as here too preparation will be the key to success. [Marking comment] |
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