English 2010
Sample assessment instrument and student responses
Extended response: Analytical exposition
in response to a literary text
(post-verification)
This sample is intended to inform the design of assessment instruments in the senior phase of
learning. It highlights the qualities of student work and the match to the syllabus standards.
Dimensions assessed
• Understanding and responding to contexts
• Understanding and controlling textual features
• Creating and evaluating meaning
Assessment instrument
The student work presented in this sample is in response to an assessment task
Task
Analyse the ways Shakespeare positions his audiences to view a male or female character in the
play you have studied. You should consider the cultural and social assumptions about men and
women that existed and operated during Shakespeare’s time and evaluate how a contemporary
reader might respond to the play.
Genre: Analytical exposition in response to a literary text
Audience: Teenage audience
Purpose: To analyse and evaluate
Length: 800–1200 words
14840
The English 2010 syllabus requires an analytical exposition in response to an unseen question based on
an in-depth study of a complete literary text. This assessment instrument must be completed under
supervised conditions and in one uninterrupted session. This sample is an appropriate post-verification
assessment instrument where schools have more flexibility in choice of text category and conditions.
Instrument-specific standards matrix
Understanding and
responding to contexts
Student responses have been matched to instrument-specific criteria and standards; those which
best describe the student work in this sample are shown below. For more information about the
syllabus dimensions and standards descriptors, see www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/11703assessment.html.
Standard A
Standard C
The student work has the following
characteristics:
The student work has the following
characteristics:
• exploitation of a range of genre patterns and
• use of genre patterns and conventions to
conventions to achieve specific purposes
• discerning selection, organisation and
achieve purposes
• selection, sequencing and organisation of
relevant subject matter to support opinions
synthesis of relevant and substantive subject
matter to support opinions
• manipulation and control of roles of the
• establishment and maintenance of roles of the
Creating and evaluating meaning
Understanding and controlling textual
features
essay writer, and relationship with readers.
essay writer, and relationship with readers.
The student work has the following
characteristics:
The student work has the following
characteristics:
• a discerning combination of a range of
• use of a range of mostly grammatically
grammatically accurate language structures
for specific effects, including clauses and
sentences
accurate language structures to achieve
purposes, including clauses and sentences
• discerning use of mode-appropriate cohesive
• use of mode-appropriate cohesive devices to
devices to develop and emphasise ideas and
connect parts of analytical exposition,
including paragraphing
• discerning use of a wide range of apt
link ideas and connect parts of analytical
exposition, including paragraphing
• use of suitable vocabulary for purposes
vocabulary for specific purposes
• discerning use of mode-appropriate features
• suitable use of mode-appropriate features to
to achieve specific effects:
− conventional spelling and punctuation.
achieve purposes:
− conventional spelling and punctuation.
The student work has the following
characteristics:
The student work has the following
characteristics:
• discerning analysis of the ways ideas,
• analysis of the ways ideas, attitudes and
attitudes and values underpin
Shakespearean texts and influence
audiences
values underpin Shakespearean texts and
influence audiences
• subtle and complex evaluation of
• evaluation of perspectives and
perspectives and representations of
concepts, identities, times and places in
Shakespearean texts
representations of concepts, identities, times
and places in Shakespearean texts
• discerning evaluation of aesthetic features
• identification and explanation of aesthetic
and their effects in Shakespearean texts.
English 2010
Sample assessment instrument and student responses
features and their effects in Shakespearean
texts.
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
October 2014
Page 2 of 8
Student response — Standard A
The annotations show the match to the instrument-specific standards.
Comments
genre patterns
and
conventions of
an analytical
exposition to
achieve specific
purposes
discerning
selection,
organisation
and synthesis of
relevant and
substantive
subject matter
to support
opinions
discerning
evaluation of
aesthetic
features and
their effects in
Shakespearean
texts
exploitation of
genre patterns
and
conventions of
an analytical
exposition to
achieve specific
purposes
a discerning
combination of
a range of
grammatically
accurate
language
structures for
specific effects
English 2010
Sample assessment instrument and student responses
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
October 2014
Page 3 of 8
Comments
discerning use
of a wide range
of apt
vocabulary for
specific
purposes
a discerning
combination of a
range of
grammatically
accurate
language
structures for
specific effects,
including
clauses and
sentences
discerning
analysis of the
ways ideas,
attitudes and
values underpin
Shakespearean
texts and
influence
audiences
subtle and
complex
evaluation of
perspectives
and
representations
of concepts,
identities, times
and places in
Shakespearean
texts
discerning use
of a wide range
of apt
vocabulary for
specific
purposes
English 2010
Sample assessment instrument and student responses
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
October 2014
Page 4 of 8
Comments
discerning
analysis of the
ways ideas,
attitudes and
values underpin
Shakespearean
texts and
influence
audiences
discerning
selection,
organisation
and synthesis
of relevant and
substantive
subject matter
to support
opinions
manipulation
and control of
roles of the
essay writer,
and relationship
with readers
English 2010
Sample assessment instrument and student responses
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
October 2014
Page 5 of 8
Student response — Standard C
The annotations show the match to the instrument-specific standards.
Comments
use of genre
patterns and
conventions of
an analytical
exposition to
achieve
purposes
evaluation of
perspectives
and
representations
of concepts,
identities, times
and places in
Shakespearean
texts
identification
and
explanation of
aesthetic
features and
their effects in
Shakespearean
texts
analysis of the
ways ideas,
attitudes and
values
underpin
Shakespearean
texts and
influence
audiences
selection,
sequencing
and
organisation of
relevant subject
matter to
support
opinions
suitable use of
modeappropriate
features to
achieve
purposes
English 2010
Sample assessment instrument and student responses
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
October 2014
Page 6 of 8
Comments
selection,
sequencing
and
organisation
of relevant
subject
matter to
support
opinions
use of a
range of
mostly
grammatically
accurate
language
structures to
achieve
purposes
use of modeappropriate
cohesive
devices to
link ideas and
connect parts
of the
analytical
exposition,
including
paragraphing
use of genre
patterns and
conventions
of an
analytical
exposition to
achieve
purposes
establishment
and
maintenance
of roles of the
essay writer,
and
relationship
with readers
English 2010
Sample assessment instrument and student responses
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
October 2014
Page 7 of 8
Acknowledgments
The QCAA acknowledges the contribution of Smithfield State High School in the preparation of
this document.
English 2010
Sample assessment instrument and student responses
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
October 2014
Page 8 of 8