Re-read paragraphs 1 and 3, which contain phrases about (a) the babysitter and (b) the writer. Explain: • the meaning of each phrase as it is used in the passage • the effect of each phrase as it is used in the passage.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2022). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [1] Meaning: Award the mark only if an answer provides a meaning for BOTH ‘blushing' and 'stammered' the babysitter / she went red / pink / flushed // her face / cheeks was/were burning AND (she) spoke / admitted / announced with difficulty / hesitation / with pauses / with breaks // (she) stuttered / did not speak fluently / stumbled on her words / kept stopping when she spoke / spoke haltingly
2. [1] Effect: the babysitter / she felt embarrassed / nervous / guilty / abashed / ashamed / awkward / uncomfortable / flustered / agitated / uneasy she knew she had done something wrong // she was / felt anxious / worried / apprehensive / concerned / afraid / scared / frightened (about the writer's reaction)
3. [1] Meaning: Award the mark only if an answer provides a meaning for BOTH 'mess' and 'gigantic' a large untidy amount (of bills for sorting) Note: look for appropriate synonyms such as 'mess' - chaotic / disorganised / disordered / confusing / untidy / a muddle / in disarray / jumbled / cluttered / in shambles / all over / scattered (around) AND 'gigantic' - large / massive / big / huge / lots / many // a stack / a load / a pile / a mountain / a mass Accept: a large chaotic mess = 1 a heap (= a large untidy pile) = 1
4. [1] Effect: the writer / she felt overwhelmed / (over)burdened / swamped / stressed / pressured // it was (an) overwhelming / daunting / stressful / intimidating (task / job) // the writer / she felt things were out of control / things were weighing on her mind // it was too much for the writer / her to cope with // the writer / she had too much (work) to do / too many bills to sort out