Laughter.

Mark scheme

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

1. 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.
2. Band 1 (30–27 marks) • Highly accurate, apart from very occasional slips. • Sentence structure varied for particular effects. • Verb forms largely correct and appropriate tenses consistently used. • Vocabulary wide and precise. • Punctuation accurate and helpful. • Spelling accurate apart from very occasional slips. • Paragraphs have unity, are linked, and show evidence of planning. ➢ Consistently relevant. Interest aroused and sustained. ➢ Tone and register entirely appropriate. ➢ Discursive essays are well developed, logical, even complex, in argument. ➢ Descriptive essays have well-developed images helping to create complex atmospheres. ➢ Narratives are complex, sophisticated, possibly tense, and may contain devices such as flashbacks.