Differences between a C and
a D grade
AQA Literature exam
Differences between a C and a D
17-20
 some focus on the task
 Explained responses
 Range of comments
supporting details
 Awareness of meaning/
feelings/ attitudes/ idea
notification of effects of
devices / language
 Selection of relevant
material for comparison
 Structured comments on
similarities/ differences

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


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21- 24 marks
Sustained response to the
task
Effective use of detail to
support answers
Effective comment on
meanings
Explanations of how
effects devices / language
are achieved
Selection of appropriate
material
Sustained focus on
similarities and
differences
Sample essays
Read these sample essays and think about the
writing shown.
What grade are the pieces? C or a D?
What do you think are the strengths of each
pieces?
Think about what the examiner is looking for.
Essay questions
How do Seamus Heaney and Gillian Clarke
explore family and relationships within in their
poetry?
Sample essays
 ‘Digging’ by Seamus Heaney is about his memory
of his father and grandfather. The poem shows that
Heaney has great respect for his father and
grandfather. He has not followed the family
tradition of farming and he therefore admires his
father and grandfather because they could do
something he couldn’t. His admiration is shown
where he writes ‘but I’ve no spade to follow men
like them.’ The way that he has written ‘men like
them’, clearly shows his great respect for them.
Sample essays
Seamus Heaney wrote the story ‘Digging’
Heaney describes his respect and regret for
his father and grandfather. Digging uses
similes to emphasises words for example
‘snug as a gun’. Digging does not have a
regular rhyme schemes.
The stanzas are of regular length and
enjambment is used. Digging has an
effective ending and it links with the first
stanzas. I’ll dig with it is symbolic and
creates a good ending.
Compare how attitudes towards other people
are shown in four poems you have studied.
Direct
opening

Personal
ideas 
Effective
use of
detail to
support
answers
‘Digging’ by Seamus Heaney is about his memory of
his father and grandfather. The poem shows that
Heaney has great respect for his father and
grandfather. He has not followed the family
tradition of farming and he therefore respects his
father and grandfather because they could do
something he couldn’t. His admiration is shown
where he writes ‘but I’ve no spade to follow men
like them.’ The way that he has written ‘men like
them’, clearly shows his great respect for them.
Clear,
quick
and
focused
analysis
P
E
E
=C
grade
skill
Sample essays
Wrong – 
this will cost
marks
Seamus Heaney wrote the story ‘Digging’. Heaney
describes his respect and regret for his father and
grandfather. Digging uses similes to emphasises
words for example ‘snug as a gun’. Digging does
not have a regular rhyme schemes.
The stanzas are of regular length and enjambment is
used. Digging has an effective ending and it links
with the first stanzas. ‘I’ll dig with it’ is symbolic
and creates a good ending.
Clear
ideas 
Not
helpful
and dull
– make
a point.
Why? What does this
show or represent?
EXPLAIN your point
to get the marks.
Sample essay - Gillian Clarke
In ‘Catrin’, Clarke uses metaphorical language to
emphasise her passion for the subject. ‘Red rope
of love’ creates powerful image of an umbilical
cord. Catrin does not have a rhyming scheme
and consist of two stanzas.
Clarke also uses harsh words for example ‘fierce
confrontation’ emphasis her feelings with harsh
sounding letters and a symbolic meaning. She
uses alliteration to emphasise her angry feelings
‘coloured them clean’
Sample essay - Gillian Clarke
‘Catrin’,
Clarke uses metaphorical language. ‘Red
rope of love’ is powerful. There is not a
rhyming scheme but there are two stanzas.
Clarke uses harsh words. She has symbolic
meanings. She uses alliteration to
emphasise her angry feelings ‘coloured
them clean’.
Sample essay - Gillian Clarke Babysitting
Clarke reveals in ‘Babysitting’ that she has a negative attitude
towards the child. This is shown when she writes: ‘she will
shout her hot midnight rage, her nose with stream
disgustingly’. The negative language impacts on the reader and
helps to justify Clarke’s distaste.
The baby in Babysitting is not Clarke’s baby so she does not
therefore bond with it. At the beginning of the poem Clarke
explains that ‘the baby is perfectly acceptable’ but her
language is ambivalent and shows how distant she is from the
baby because it is not hers.
At the end of the poem, Clarke says ‘it will not come, it will not
come’, this is referring to milk as it is not her child but also it
is referring to love – she cannot love this child. The repetition
emphasises the finality and sadness of it all.
Sample essay - Gillian Clarke
Clear,
quick
and
focused
analysis
Make a
point
here –
don’t
just list
features
In ‘Catrin’, Clarke uses metaphorical
language to emphasise her passion for the
subject. ‘Red rope of love’ creates
powerful image of an umbilical cord.
Catrin does not have a rhyming scheme
and consist of two stanzas.
Clarke also uses words that sound violent,
for example ‘fierce confrontation’
emphasis her feelings with harsh
sounding letters and a symbolic meaning.
She uses alliteration to emphasise her
angry feelings ‘coloured them clean’
P
E
Need to
expand
key
point
P
E
E
=C
grade
skill
Sample essay - Gillian Clarke
Why? What does
this show or
represent?
EXPLAIN your
point to get the
marks.
Why?
Add in your
ideas.
‘Catrin’,
Not helpful
and dull –
make a
point
explaining
the effect
on readers
Clarke uses metaphorical language.
‘Red rope of love’ is powerful.
There is not a rhyming scheme
but there are two stanzas.
Clarke uses harsh words. She has
symbolic meanings. She uses
Overall, this
alliteration to emphasise her
reads like a list
angry feelings ‘coloured them
of features not
clean’.
an analysis of
This is better as it is trying
to analyse an effect and the
impact on the reader.
the poem and
will not achieve
aC
Sample essay - Gillian Clarke Babysitting
Clarke reveals in ‘Babysitting’ that she has a
Direct
negative attitude towards the child. This is
and
shown when she writes: ‘she will shout her hot
focused
midnight rage, her nose with stream
analysis
disgustingly’. The negative language impacts
on the reader and helps to justify Clarke’s
distaste.
The baby in Babysitting is not Clarke’s baby so
she does not therefore bond with it. At the
Effective
beginning of the poem Clarke explains that
use of
‘the baby is perfectly acceptable’ but her
detail to
language is ambivalent and shows how distant
support
answers
she is from the baby because it is not hers.
At the end of the poem, Clarke says ‘it will not
come, it will not come’, this is referring to milk
Overall, a
as it is not her child but also it is referring to
sustained
love – she cannot love this child. The repetition
response to
emphasises the finality and sadness of it all.
the task
P
E
E
=C
grade
and
higher
skill
Explanations
of how effects
devices /
language are
achieved
Conclusions?
Don’t just retell
Think about the effect and WHY the poet has
done this or achieved the effect.
Consider choice of language – and what the
effect is on the reader
Add in thoughtful detail – your ideas not just a
list of points
Impress the examiner with YOUR ideas – not
the teacher’s notes.
Revision
 Practice timed essay – 40 min quick plan and have a
go
 Read over your work – are you just mindlessly listing
all the features? = this will only achieve a D or lower
 Read over your work – are you drawing together
ideas and making thoughtful comments? = this will
help you gain a C or higher
 Use technical terms and the right words – but think
about the effect – why did the poet choose to use
those terms?