Sequel of Prose and Drama
by Evance Maziga
Cambridge (CIE) exam specification aligned
Component 5 Overview
According to writer Deb Orrock and reviewer Nick redgrove; Component 5 is the optional component
you will do for the CIE IGCSE Literature in English (0475 and 0992) if you are taking the Coursework
route, in addition to Paper 1: Poetry and Prose, which is worth 50% of your IGCSE, and Paper 3: Drama
(Open Book), which is worth 25% of your IGCSE. The coursework makes up the remaining 25% of your
IGCSE.
The coursework is set and assessed internally by your centre and moderated externally by the exam board.
The component as a whole is worth 25 marks and is made up of a portfolio of two assignments. Each
assignment should be 600–1200 words in length, including quotations but excluding references and a
bibliography. Each assignment must be on a different text and based on the study of a complete
text. One of the assignments may be on a set text for Papers 1, 2 or 3. If poetry or short stories are used,
then you must cover a minimum of two poems or short stories. You can write your assignments
electronically or by hand, and you can discuss them in general terms with your teacher, but your teacher is
not allowed to proofread, correct or mark your draft assignments.
The title of each assignment must be phrased to allow for the assessment of all four assessment
objectives. These are the key skills you are expected to demonstrate in your response to the assignments.
To be successful you must explain and analyse how writers have conveyed their meanings through a wide
range of different language and structure devices, and you must do this in conjunction with relevant
evidence selected from the texts. One of your assignments may be an empathic response to a prose or
drama text. This means you can imagine that you are one of the characters in the text and write your
response as though you were that character. We will explore this in more detail in the following revision
notes.
As a reminder, the assessment objectives are:
Assessment
Definition
objective
AO1
What this means
You need to demonstrate your knowledge of the text
through reference to details in the text and via the use
Show detailed knowledge of the content of accurate, relevant quotations from the text
of literary texts in the three main forms
(drama, poetry and prose) supported by
Your use of quotations and indirect references to the
reference to the text
text should support your views or arguments
The quotations you choose should help you develop
explanations of meanings, significance and context in
your response
If you are doing an empathic task, then you should
seamlessly incorporate well-selected textual detail
You need to show that you understand the main ideas,
settings, events and characters in the text
AO2
Understand the meanings of literary texts
You need to demonstrate that you understand implied
and their contents and explore texts
or hidden meanings in the text
beyond surface meanings to show deeper
awareness of ideas and attitudes
You should also demonstrate that you understand the
significance of a part of a text in relation to the text as a
whole
AO3
You need to be able to analyse, in detail, the choices
the writer has made and how they use language,
structure and form to convey impressions and ideas, or
to present settings, characters or events, or sustain an
Recognise and appreciate ways in which entirely convincing voice for the character in an
writers use language, structure and form empathic task
to create and shape meanings and effects
You therefore need to be familiar with the techniques a
writer might use to achieve specific effects for readers
or audiences
This refers to how you shape your writing to
communicate your engagement with the text
AO4
Communicate a sensitive and informed
personal response to literary texts
Your personal, evaluative response has to be supported
with references to the text
A personal response begins by demonstrating
understanding of the question and the text in the
introduction
You should be sensitive to imagery and sound, and you
should be informed by the words of the texts
This Assessment Objective can also be explicitly
addressed and reinforced in a well-developed
conclusion
Please note that you may disadvantage yourself if your assignments are significantly over or under
the word-count guidance.
Question 2 Prose: Mark Scheme & Model Answer
The best way to improve any essay is to know how you are assessed, and what skills you are being
assessed on. This page has been created to give you a sense of what examiners are looking for in a fullmark response. It contains:

Overview

Mark scheme

Example task

Model answer

Unannotated model answer
Overview
Question 2 (Prose) will require you to answer a question based on an extract printed on the exam paper.
You will be asked to explore, or analyse, how a writer has achieved particular meanings or ideas in the
passage. Your response must also be supported with direct quotations or close reference to the text, which
should be integrated into your response.
Mark scheme
The mark scheme for any question in Literature in English is quite broad and can seem difficult to
understand. This is because there is no “correct answer” for any essay: the exam board does not provide
points that need to be included in any essay; instead, examiners use the mark scheme to place an answer
into a level.
The questions in Paper 4 are equally weighted, and each question tests all four assessment objectives.
In simple terms, to achieve the highest marks (Band 8 = 23–25 marks), this means:

Demonstrate your knowledge by incorporating well-selected references to the text skillfully and with
flair in your answers

This means using quotations and indirect references to the text to support your views or arguments

Sustain a critical understanding of the text by showing individuality and insight

This means showing that you understand the main ideas, settings, events and characters, and that you
appreciate the deeper meanings of the text

Respond sensitively and in considerable detail to the way the writer achieves her/his effects

This means that you are able to explore how writers use language, structure and form to convey
impressions and ideas

Sustain a personal and evaluative engagement with the task and text

This means that you are able to give a personal response to the question and text, and support your
response with references to the text
AO1
AO2
AO3
AO4
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Although there are four specific assessment objectives assessed in this task, it is not the case that a certain
number of marks are awarded for any one objective. Instead, the examiners are looking for a wellconstructed and coherent essay that seamlessly combines all of the skills covered by the assessment
objectives.
Example task
The following task is written in the style of a question you might get on your exam paper. It is based on
the non-fictional memoir “H is for Hawk” by Helen Macdonald. The annotations indicate the kind of
things you should be looking for when reading the unseen prose passage in the exam for the first time.
Read carefully the extract from a non-fictional memoir. The writer is buying a bird of prey, which she intends to
train. Here she sees the hawk for the first time.
In what ways does the writer powerfully convey the impact the hawk has on her?
To help you answer this question, you might consider:

How the writer portrays waiting to see the hawk

How she describes the hawk and what she imagines it sees

How the writer conveys the strength of her feelings about the hawk
Model Answer
Below you will find a full-mark model answer for this task. The commentary labelled in each section of
the essay illustrates how and why it would be awarded full marks. Despite the fact it is an answer to the
above question, the commentary is relevant to any unseen prose essay, because it models how to structure
an answer incorporating the relevant assessment objectives.
Unannotated model answer
The writer powerfully conveys the impact the hawk has on her by describing the sense of anticipation she has while
waiting for the hawk, and then through detailed imagery to describe the bird itself and its transition from its small and
confined world to being something that sees and experiences everything everywhere all at once.
At the start of the passage, the writer portrays waiting to see the hawk with anticipation and tension. Her encounter with
the hawk is clearly very meaningful for her, as she begins to identify with it emotionally before she even sees it. Initially,
the content of the boxes seems to have some kind of supernatural power, as she describes them as “alien suitcases” that
defy “the laws of physics”. This gives the impression that whatever is in the boxes is not of this world. The
unpredictability of their movement is echoed in the “little thump” of the writer’s heart, as she doesn’t know what to
expect and is nervous. There is also a sense of danger implied in the fact that the writer’s hawk is “bigger” and in the
description of the talon scratch on the falconer’s wrist, “angry” at its edges and crusted with “dried blood”. This further
implies the exciting yet dangerous feeling the writer is experiencing.
The onomatopoeic “thump” of the writer’s heart is repeated in the middle of the extract in the “sudden thump of
feathered shoulders” from the box, which shook as though someone had “punched it, hard”. This implies that there is
something powerful inside. However, the speaker begins to identify with the creature as she realises that we, as humans,
are the ones to strike fear, rather than the other way around. The short sentence “Like us” demonstrates the impact of
this realisation on the writer.
The use of short sentences to build the sense of anticipation the writer feels continues with “another hinge untied”,
“concentration” and “infinite caution”. Again, the repetition of “thump” along with “scratching talons” gives the
impression of an enormous beast getting closer. Her first sight of the hawk has the most powerful impact on her, as she
repeats “enormous” twice, along with “a great flood of sunlight” as though the hawk has been sent from heaven in an
oxymoronic “brilliance and fury”. The writer appears to be both enchanted and afraid in equal measure. The writer then
uses a string of metaphors for the hawk as “a conjuring trick”, a “reptile”, a “fallen angel” and “a griffon from the
pages of an illuminated bestiary”. This suggests the writer sees the hawk as a mythical creature direct from the pages of
a book, and that it therefore cannot be real. It is as though the hawk has come to her from a different realm.
The impact of the hawk on the writer also means that she is interested in how our world would look to the hawk. The
hawk has been released from the narrow world of the aviary and now she is “seeing more than she has ever seen before”.
The writer then picks out little details that the hawk might see, such as the “glitter on the waves” and “pigment flakes
under wax on the lines of parked cars”. These small details emphasise that the hawk is seeing these things for the first
time, and it is astonishing.
Overall, the writer powerfully conveys the impact the hawk had on her by describing both her reaction and the hawk’s
reaction to seeing and experiencing things for the very first time, and how wonderful and frightening that can be.
Question 2 Prose: How To Get Full Marks
The starting point for the analysis of any text is active reading. This means, as you read, annotating the
text with your own comments and questions. Texts will often contain many layers of meaning, so it is
important that you explore beyond any surface meanings to uncover the deeper ideas and themes. In the
Unseen paper, you won’t necessarily be able to write about the background or historical context of the
extract, so it is even more important to concentrate on what the text is telling you. There may be,
however, some helpful information in the question, such as whether the extract is taken from the start or
the end of a text, which will help you to place it in context.
It is tempting to jump straight in and start writing immediately. However, following this guide will ensure
you answer the question in the way the examiners are looking for.
Below you will find sections on:

What skills are required

Steps for success

Top tips
What skills are required
Both question options in this exam paper assess all four assessment objectives equally. This means it is
important that you know what skills these assessment objectives require you to demonstrate in order to
get the most marks.



AO1 is about demonstrating detailed knowledge of the text:
o
This can be through reference to specific quotations and indirect references to the text
o
Whatever references you make, they need to be well-selected and well-integrated into
your response
AO2 is about going beyond the text’s surface meaning and plot to look for underlying ideas and
attitudes – the writer’s and your own:
o
This requires you to ask “why” the author has made the choices they have
o
Some elements of the writer’s context can be used to inform your personal response, but
only if relevant to the focus of the question
AO3 requires critical engagement and evaluation of how the text works:

o
“Meanings and effects” suggests that there is more than one meaning for a text, and the
language, structure and form of the text contribute to those meanings
o
It does not mean just listing the literary techniques the writer has used
o
In prose, this also means considering how the writer has presented settings, characters
and events
AO4 refers to the way you shape your writing in order to communicate your engagement with the
text:
o
These responses directly address the words in the question, which are designed to elicit
personal responses, such as “powerful”, “vivid”, “striking”, “memorable” and “moving”
o
Contextual information should help reinforce your own interpretation, but not replace it
o
Your own response is valid as long as it is supported by evidence
The following sections explore the skills you will need to demonstrate in more detail:

Analysing prose

Developing a personal response
Analysing prose
Question 2 on this exam paper will give you some contextual information about the passage that is
printed, but primarily you are being tested on your ability to apply the skills you have developed to
analyse prose (while studying Paper 1 of your IGCSE) to an unseen prose extract.
Analysing a piece of prose involves not just looking at the language the writer has used. You might also
wish to consider the following techniques, all related to the form of the text:
Technique
Explanation
A plot could be cyclical:
Plot structure

This means there could be a recurrent theme or motif

Or it could mean that the plot “circles back” to the beginning
The writer might also use parallelism:

This means the use of matching sentences, phrases or longer marks to balance ideas of
equal importance
Mood describes the feelings or attitudes of roles and/or characters:
Mood

It is the emotional impact intended by the writer
To place two things side by side to compare or contrast for effect:
Juxtaposition

This might include the use of foil characters

A foil is a character who contrasts with another character

For example, Harry Potter and Voldemort are foils
This is a warning or a prediction of a future event in the story:
Foreshadowing

In medias res
The writer might also employ dramatic irony, where the reader might be aware of
what is coming, but the characters are not
This is when the story starts in the middle of the action
A scene set in a time earlier than the main story:
Flashbacks

This device can be used to convey extra information about plot or character
A soliloquy is a speech that a character makes to themselves:
Soliloquies/dialogue

It is a device in which a character’s inner thoughts can be made known to the reader

Dialogue is a conversation between two or more characters in a novel or play
What to do when analysing the author’s methods

Take a whole-text approach:
o

Consider how the passage given on the exam paper might relate to the rest of the text (if
you are given this information)
Always frame your essay with the author in mind:
o
As the examiners say: “writers use methods, including language and structure, to form
and express their ideas – the choices the writer makes are conscious and deliberate”
o
Therefore, write that the author “highlights X”, “suggests Y”, “challenges Z”
o
Use the words “so” and “because” to push you to explain your own ideas further

Zoom out to big ideas in your analysis:

Go from analysing language, or other writer’s choices, to the author’s overall intention or
message

This should always link to the focus of the question
What not to do when analysing the author’s methods

Do not just “spot techniques”:
o
Examiners dislike it when students use overly sophisticated terminology unnecessarily
and without analysis
o
Knowing the names of sophisticated techniques will not gain you any more marks,
especially if these techniques are only “spotted” and the author’s intentions for this
language are not explained
o


Instead of technique spotting, focus your analysis on the reasons why the author is
presenting the character or theme the way they are
Do not just limit your analysis to a close reading of the author’s use of language:
o
You gain marks for explaining all of the author’s choices, not just their language
o
Instead, take a whole-passage approach and think about the author’s decisions about:

Form

Structure

Characterisation

Setting
Never retell the story:
o
“Narrative” and “descriptive” answers get the lowest marks
o
Move from what the author is presenting to how and why they have made the choices
they have
Perspective
The narrative perspective of a piece of prose is the point of view from which the story is told. It is like a
lens through which we view characters and events; we interpret those characters and events based on what
the speaker shows and tells us.
There are two main types of narrative perspective:
First-person
narrator
Third-person
narrator

This means the story is told from the perspective of a character, most likely the
protagonist

It is easily identifiable by the use of the word “I”

In a first-person narrative, the reader only has access to the experiences and thoughts of
the narrator, and we see and experience events through their eyes

This can lead to the reader feeling sympathy for the character, or exposing the character as
an unreliable narrator

Sometimes, the reader may know something the narrator does not seem to – this is
called dramatic irony

This means the story is told from a perspective that sits outside of the world of the story

The narrator refers to all of the characters by their names or pronouns

A third-person narrator is sometimes referred to as an omniscient narrator, which means
that the narrator knows everything about the characters and events
When considering the narrative perspective, ask yourself if the perspective shifts, or how the perspective
affects your understanding of the extract.
Characterisation
It is important to remember that characters are constructs, not real people. You should therefore consider
what each character’s function is in the extract, how they are presented, how they develop and how they
interact with each other. Some characters may also be “foil” characters – this means any two characters
who are opposites of each other. For example, Harry Potter and Voldemort are foils of each other – they
embody the idea of good versus evil. Foil characters therefore help establish important themes.
There are two main types of characterisation:
Direct
characterisation
Indirect
characterisation

This means what we are told by the author about a character’s appearance and
personality

It might also involve the writer explicitly showing what characters think of one
another

For example, a character might directly describe another character’s traits

This involves implying what a character is like

This could involve what a character says, how they say it or how they interact with
other characters

It might also involve their inner thoughts and feelings, and more subtle indications of
character, such as how they move and behave
Often, characters are symbolic of broader ideas or attitudes. It is therefore important to consider what a
character might represent.
Structure
When considering structure in an unseen extract, you should think about:

The way the writer has put the extract together

How they set up the “world” being conveyed

How they introduce characters

What conflicts there are and how they are resolved

How things change in the passage
Developing a personal response
A personal response is your opinion about the text, as relevant to the focus of the question. You are being
asked to consider what the writer has tried to do and whether you think they have succeeded. However, it
is important that your arguments are convincing, which means that they need to be supported with
evidence. Your choice of evidence, whether that be direct quotation of language, or references to the form
and structure of a text, must be careful, accurate and effectively explained.
How to structure your response:
Start with an introduction that
demonstrates that you understand the
focus of the question and the extract
Then, structure your response into
paragraphs
Finish with a conclusion
You can do this by using the wording of the question to develop
a thesis statement:

For example: “Orwell strikingly portrays the absolute power of the
Party by presenting us with a society in which everything, even a
person’s thoughts, is monitored and controlled.”

Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence

You should integrate direct quotations or specific references to the
text to prove your point

Then comment on how this evidence proves your point

Each point you make must be directly relevant to the focus of the
question

Ensure you use the whole of the passage

Summarise your findings and your response to these findings

Do not just repeat the points you have already made

For example: “So overall, Orwell’s dystopian novel powerfully
presents the absolute power of the Party by presenting us with a
suffocating, bleak vision of the future as a warning against one
person or organisation being able to hold complete authority over a
society.”
Steps for success
Following these steps will give you a strategy for answering the prose question effectively:
1. Grab your highlighter and read the question first:

Read any contextual information

Highlight the focus of the question

Highlight the focus of each of the three bullet points (these will help you to structure your
answer)
2. Read the passage with the focus of the question in mind:

Highlight and annotate as you read

Note down any comments about structure, form and language that will help you to
answer the question

Ask yourself: how does what I am noting down show the focus of the question?
o
Do not just write a list of techniques the writer has used
3. Do a brief plan of 4–5 points, linking to the quotations you are going to use
4. Start your answer using the wording of the question:

This demonstrates to the examiner that you have understood both the question and the
text
5. Go into detail:

Now you need to make as many points as possible, ranging throughout the passage

It is a good idea to make your points in chronological order, if possible

Use the annotations you have made in the margins to form the basis of each point:
o
Make your point, then support it with quotations and/or direct references to the
text
o
Explain how the quote highlights the idea in the question
o
Analyse what the key words and phrases in the quotation make the reader feel
about the idea in the question

Comment on and analyse language, form and structure

Link your ideas to the theme and the focus of the question:

o
You should refer back to the keyword(s) in the question throughout your answer
o
Use “because” or “as” to support your ideas with detailed reasons
Explore the writer’s intention and message
6. Sum up:

Finish your answer with a “So overall…” statement

Zoom back out to the big ideas in the text

Your finishing statement should sum up what you have discovered, relevant to the focus
of the question:
o
However, it should not just repeat the points you have already made
Top tips

Avoid being too general or vague in your introduction:
o
Your introduction should address the assessment objectives in some way

Avoid simply “re-telling” the story

Make sure every paragraph answers the question:
o
Do not just write everything you know about the text

Avoid unnecessary words

Re-read each of the paragraphs you have written before you write the next:
o

Check that each paragraph is clear and that it answers the question
Ensure your selection of quotations is directly relevant to the focus of the question
Question 2 Prose: What The Question Is Asking
If you are taking the unseen route for your IGCSE Literature in English, then you will do three exams:
Paper 1: Poetry and Prose, Paper 3: Drama (open book) and Paper 4: Unseen. In Paper 4, you will answer
one question from a choice of two. The guide below will enable you to approach Question 2, the prose
question, with confidence. It is divided into:

Overview

Breaking down the question

Top tips
Overview
Question 2 will give you an extract from a novel, a short story or another type of prose writing printed on
the exam paper. You will then have one question to answer about the extract, which will include bullet
points to support you. The question is worth 25 marks and assesses all four assessment objectives. You
have 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete this exam. The exam board advises that you spend about 20
minutes carefully reading the question and the extract (including time to annotate the extract) before
starting your answer.
In your response you are expected to:

Write a critical commentary on the extract printed on the question paper

Demonstrate appreciation of the text by developing a personal response

Use quotations and reference to detail from the extract to support your points

Show your understanding of characters, relationships, situations and themes

Respond to the writer’s use of language, form and structure in the extract
The suggested timings for the prose question are:
20
minutes

Read both questions and decide on the question you are going to answer

Highlight the key words in the question and the three bullet points

Read the extract
50
minutes
5 minutes

Annotate key words and phrases directly relevant to the focus of the question that you will
explore in your answer

Make a brief plan of the structure of your answer

Follow your plan or annotations

Start your response using the wording of the question

Write your response

Re-read and check your response
It is important to read and check your work, rather than to try to write as much as you can in the time
allowed. Answers that are shorter, but more focused and concise, are often more successful.
Breaking down the question
For this question, you will always be asked to write a response that explores how a writer conveys their
meanings and message in their writing, focusing on a specific aspect or theme. The most common mistake
students make in exams is not thoroughly understanding the question. By paying close attention to the
question you can enhance your exam performance significantly.
Below are a range of examples of the prose question taken from past CIE IGCSE papers. Notice that you
are given some contextual information in the questions, including the gender of the author, that will help
you.
Read carefully the following extract from the opening of a novel. It describes breakfast-time with a
housewife, Erica, and her children, Jeffrey and Matilda or “Muffy”.
How does the writer memorably portray Erica’s thoughts and feelings?
To help you answer this question, you might consider:

How the writer portrays Erica’s feelings about her children

How she portrays Erica’s response to the bulldozer

How she conveys Erica’s changes of mood during the passage
Read carefully the following extract from a short story. Before this extract, Walter Henderson, an office
worker in New York, has been worried that he might lose his job. His boss, George Crowell, calls him
into his office.
How does the writer make this moment so memorable for you?
To help you answer this question, you might consider:

How the writer builds tension between Walter and Crowell

How he describes Walter’s return to his desk

How he strikingly reveals Walter’s feelings
Read carefully the extract opposite, from a non-fictional memoir. The writer is buying a bird of prey,
which she intends to train. Here she sees the hawk for the first time.
In what ways does the writer powerfully convey the impact the hawk has on her?
To help you answer this question, you might consider:

How the writer portrays waiting to see the hawk

How she describes the hawk and what she imagines it sees

How the writer conveys the strength of her feelings about the hawk
Top tips


Highlight the key words in the question:
o
The most successful answers maintain a clear focus on the key words in the question
o
There are also some clues given to you in the question, such as the gender of the author
and some contextual information
o
Then, as you read through the extract, highlight and annotate key words and phrases
directly relevant to the focus of the question
Quotations are intended to support your points, but should not be a point in themselves:
o
The strongest answers show a detailed knowledge of the text by integrating precise and
concise quotations and indirect textual references to support points
o




You should structure your response and your use of quotations in chronological order, and ensure
that you respond to every section of the extract:
o
You should aim to select a wide range of carefully selected and relevant quotations,
including analysis of the writer’s choice of individual words or phrases that particularly
stand out as supporting your argument
o
A high-level response will incorporate these quotations into the explanations of meaning
Do not just state your ideas:
o
The most convincing responses sustain a critical engagement with the ways in which
writers achieve their effects
o
Therefore, it is important that your explanation and analysis is supported with reasons
o
Use words such as “because”, “as” or “since” to offer reasons as to how the writer’s
choices of language and structure achieve the particular effects that you mention
o
Make sure you link all of your ideas and reasons to the question
Embed your quotations into your sentences:
o
Avoid unnecessary phrases such as “This is shown by the quote…” as this is just a waste
of words
o
Instead, try: “The writer creates sympathy for the character by describing her as ‘small
and weak’”
Ensure your introduction demonstrates that you have understood the task and the extract printed
on the paper:
o

You need to be able to analyse and explain the relevance of the quotations you have
chosen to your argument and to the question you are answering
You can do this by defining the focus of the question and summarising the main themes
in the extract
Do not waste words on general topic sentences that do not make a specific point:
o
For example: “The writer uses adjectives to create sympathy for the character”:


Avoid being narrative:
o

This does not make any specific point that the examiner could reward with a
mark
You do not get any marks for just re-telling the story
Make sure every paragraph answers the question:
o
Make every sentence count!
o
Make sure that you can draw a metaphorical line through every paragraph back to the
focus of the question

Ensure you include analysis of the use of structure and the form of the text:
This is especially important when considering, for example, a writer’s use of dialogue
o

In addition, avoid “feature-spotting”:
o

Listing techniques a writer has used without analysis will not get you marks
Your conclusion should be relevant and should summarise your personal response to the text and
the task:
o
The strongest answers provide evidence of an informed and sensitive personal response
to the text, which focuses directly on the key words of the question
o
It should not just repeat points you have already made
Question 1 Poetry: Mark Scheme & Model Answer
The best way to improve any essay is to know how you are assessed, and what skills you are being
assessed on. This page has been created to give you a sense of what examiners are looking for in a fullmark response. It contains:

Overview

Mark scheme

Example task

Model answer

Unannotated model answer
Overview
Question 1 (Poetry) will require you to answer a question based on a poem printed on the exam paper.
You will be asked to explore, or analyse, how a poet has achieved particular meanings or ideas. Your
response must also be supported with direct quotations or close references to the poem, which should be
integrated into your respon
Mark scheme
The mark scheme for any question in Literature in English is quite broad and can seem difficult to
understand. This is because there is no “correct answer” for any essay: the exam board does not provide
points that need to be included in any essay; instead, examiners use the mark scheme to place an answer
into a level.
The questions in Paper 4 are equally weighted, and each question tests all four assessment objectives.
In simple terms, to achieve the highest marks (Band 8 = 23–25 marks), this means:
AO1

Demonstrate your knowledge by incorporating well-selected references to the text skillfully and
with flair in your answers
AO2
AO3
AO4

This means using quotations and indirect references to the poem to support your views or
arguments

Sustain a critical understanding of the text by showing individuality and insight

This means showing that you understand the main ideas, settings, events and characters, and that
you appreciate the deeper meanings of the poem

Respond sensitively and in considerable detail to the way the writer achieves her/his effects

This means that you are able to explore how writers use language, structure and form to convey
impressions and ideas

Sustain a personal and evaluative engagement with the task and text

This means that you are able to give a personal response to the question and text, and support
your response with references to the text
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Although there are four specific assessment objectives assessed in this task, it is not the case that a certain
number of marks are awarded for any one objective. Instead, the examiners are looking for a wellconstructed and coherent essay that seamlessly combines all of the skills covered by the assessment
objectives.
Example task
The following task is written in the style of a question you might get on your exam paper. It is based on
the poem “An Abandoned Factory, Detroit” by Philip Levine. The annotations indicate the kind of things
you should be looking for when reading the unseen poem in the exam for the first time.
How does the poet’s writing strikingly portray the abandoned factory?
To help you answer this question, you might consider:

How he portrays the gates and fence that surround the factory

How he describes the inside of the building

How he explores the relationship between the factory and the people who once worked there
Model Answer
Below you will find a full-mark model answer for this task. The commentary labelled in each section of
the essay illustrates how and why it would be awarded full marks. Despite the fact it is an answer to the
above question, the commentary is relevant to any unseen poem essay, because it is modelling how to
structure an answer incorporating the relevant assessment objectives.
The poet strikingly conveys the abandoned factory firstly by placing it in a
particular city, Detroit, which is an industrial city. The use of the comma in the
title, rather than saying “in Detroit”, implies that the factory is Detroit or that
Detroit symbolises an abandoned factory.
The speaker is standing in front of an empty factory with barbed-wire fencing and
chained gates running around it. The description of the “great presses” and “castiron wheels” imply that this was once a busy powerhouse of industry, but this
The introduction
demonstrates the candidate
has understood the focus of
the question set
contrasts with the description of the workers gradually losing their dignity and
their human power because working at the factory has drained them.
It critically analyses the
writer’s choice of structure in
the title and what this implies
This accurately summarises
the poem, demonstrating to
the examiner that the
candidate understands it and
has engaged with it
The poet goes on to describe the gates as being “chained” and the “barbed-wire
fencing” as an “iron authority” against the snow. The imagery makes the factory
resemble a prison, with the “iron authority” a prison guard, there to keep
everything in order. However, the “corrosion of their minds” suggests that this is
not a physical prison, but a mental one, as it locks up the workers’ intelligence
through the relentless repetition of menial tasks. The destruction of the workers’
minds fuelled the “charge” that kept the fence active, keeping them trapped and
unable to escape.
The response zooms in on
particular language used to
create an image of a prison
keeping people trapped
Quotes are well integrated
into each point – they are not
separate
The candidate is clearly
addressing the bullet points
by moving on to the inside of
the factory
The windows in the factory are broken so that the inner workings of the building
can be seen. The “cast-iron wheels” and “spokes” represent the dreams of the
workers that were squashed by the factory. They are now forever stuck, “in air
suspended” and “in the sure margin of eternity”, never to be realised. However,
Again, quotes are relevant,
even the vast machinery now stands silent, rusted by time, as represented by the use
integrated and analysed in
of caesura in the second stanza. This abrupt pause perhaps symbolises the
terms of why they have been
abruptness with which the factory’s operations stopped. A factory that has taken
used
the lives and dreams of so many people suddenly closing down would have a
devastating effect on its workers, who would have lost their jobs and source of
income.
Analysis of structure is
appropriate and develops into
a personal response
The third stanza uses emotive language to show how much the factory has taken
away from the people who worked there. Their “loss of human power”, “loss of
This part of the response
years” and “gradual decay of dignity” suggests that their dreams and ambitions deals with the relationship
have been slowly and gradually broken, and even in abandonment, the factory will
always be there to outlive them and become their “eulogy”. A eulogy is a speech between the factory and the
normally given at a funeral, so the use of this image implies that the workers’ lives workers
have been the factory and nothing more.
The candidate concentrates
on the imagery used to
represent the passing of time
and loss, zooming in on
particular words and phrases
The candidate now zooms
out to consider the poem as a
whole, including tone and
form
The tone the poet creates is reflective and melancholy, as the fence is “charged”
with memories, dreams and emotions, and inside all is stillness and decay. The
poem strikingly evokes the passing of time with a sense of regret that even this
monument to industry now lies abandoned and useless. The use of free verse adds
Each paragraph is
to the sense of sadness, not for the factory, but for the lives given to the pursuit of
concentrated, concise and
industry, which eventually seems to be futile.
focuses on the striking
portrayal of the abandoned
factory
Unannotated model answer
The poet strikingly conveys the abandoned factory firstly by placing it in a particular city, Detroit, which is an
industrial city. The use of the comma in the title, rather than saying “in Detroit”, implies that the factory is
Detroit or that Detroit symbolises an abandoned factory.
The speaker is standing in front of an empty factory with barbed-wire fencing and chained gates running around
it. The description of the “great presses” and “cast-iron wheels” imply that this was once a busy powerhouse of
industry, but this contrasts with the description of the workers gradually losing their dignity and their human
power because working at the factory has drained them.
The poet goes on to describe the gates as being “chained” and the “barbed-wire fencing” as an “iron authority”
against the snow. The imagery makes the factory resemble a prison, with the “iron authority” a prison guard,
there to keep everything in order. However, the “corrosion of their minds” suggests that this is not a physical
prison, but a mental one, as it locks up the workers’ intelligence through the relentless repetition of menial tasks.
The destruction of the workers’ minds fuelled the “charge” that kept the fence active, keeping them trapped and
unable to escape.
The windows in the factory are broken so that the inner workings of the building can be seen. The “cast-iron
wheels” and “spokes” represent the dreams of the workers that were squashed by the factory. They are now
forever stuck, “in air suspended” and “in the sure margin of eternity”, never to be realised. However, even the
vast machinery now stands silent, rusted by time, as represented by the use of caesura in the second stanza. This
abrupt pause perhaps symbolises the abruptness with which the factory’s operations stopped. A factory that has
taken the lives and dreams of so many people suddenly closing down would have a devastating effect on its
workers, who would have lost their jobs and source of income.
The third stanza uses emotive language to show how much the factory has taken away from the people who
worked there. Their “loss of human power”, “loss of years” and “gradual decay of dignity” suggests that their
dreams and ambitions have been slowly and gradually broken, and even in abandonment, the factory will always
be there to outlive them and become their “eulogy”. A eulogy is a speech normally given at a funeral, so the use
of this image implies that the workers’ lives have been the factory and nothing more.
The tone the poet creates is reflective and melancholy, as the fence is “charged” with memories, dreams and
emotions, and inside all is stillness and decay. The poem strikingly evokes the passing of time with a sense of
regret that even this monument to industry now lies abandoned and useless. The use of free verse adds to the
sense of sadness, not for the factory, but for the lives given to the pursuit of industry, which eventually seems to
be futile.