Write a story which includes the sentence: ‘I realised only at the last minute that I had forgotten something important.'

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2016). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. General Assessment Objectives for WRITING: W1. Communicate appropriately, with a clear awareness of purpose, audience and register.
2. General Assessment Objectives for WRITING: W2. Communicate clearly and develop ideas coherently, at word level, at sentence level and at whole text level.
3. General Assessment Objectives for WRITING: W3. Use accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar.
4. General Assessment Objectives for WRITING: W4. Communicate creatively, using a varied range of vocabulary, sentence structures and linguistic devices.
5. Detailed Marking instructions for Section 2: 30 marks are allocated. The 'best fit' principle is applied, as in the following table. N.B. Primary emphasis is on quality of Language; comments on Content used to adjust mark within Band.
6. Section 2 Mark Band 1 (30-27 marks): Highly accurate, apart from very occasional slips.
7. Section 2 Mark Band 1 (30-27 marks): Sentence structure varied for particular effects.
8. Section 2 Mark Band 1 (30-27 marks): Verb forms largely correct and appropriate tenses consistently used.
9. Section 2 Mark Band 1 (30-27 marks): Vocabulary wide and precise.
10. Section 2 Mark Band 1 (30-27 marks): Punctuation accurate and helpful.
11. Section 2 Mark Band 1 (30-27 marks): Spelling accurate apart from very occasional slips.
12. Section 2 Mark Band 1 (30-27 marks): Paragraphs have unity, are linked, and show evidence of planning.
13. Section 2 Mark Band 1 (30-27 marks): Consistently relevant. Interest aroused and sustained.
14. Section 2 Mark Band 1 (30-27 marks): Tone and register entirely appropriate.
15. Section 2 Mark Band 1 (30-27 marks): Discursive essays are well developed, logical, even complex, in argument.
16. Section 2 Mark Band 1 (30-27 marks): Descriptive essays have well-developed images helping to create complex atmospheres.
17. Section 2 Mark Band 1 (30-27 marks): Narratives are complex, sophisticated, possibly tense, and may contain devices such as flashbacks.