GCE EXAMINERS' REPORTS
ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
(Including AS Legacy Units)
SUMMER 2016
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Grade boundary information for this subject is available on the WJEC public website at:
https://www.wjecservices.co.uk/MarkToUMS/default.aspx?l=en
Online Results Analysis
WJEC provides information to examination centres via the WJEC secure website. This is
restricted to centre staff only. Access is granted to centre staff by the Examinations Officer
at the centre.
Annual Statistical Report
The annual Statistical Report (issued in the second half of the Autumn Term) gives overall
outcomes of all examinations administered by WJEC.
Unit
Page
LL1
1
LL2
4
LL3
7
LL4
11
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ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
General Certificate of Education
Summer 2016
Advanced Subsidiary/Advanced
LL1: CRITICAL READING OF LITERARY AND NON-LITERARY TEXTS
Due to the introduction of a new specification for GCE English Language and Literature,
there were few candidates sitting LL1 for the first time, and the majority were those sitting
the paper for resit purposes. This meant that there were fewer candidates sitting this paper
than would typically be expected to. There was therefore a more limited range of scripts to
draw from when reporting on the findings of the marking team and this is reflected in the
comments below, particularly for Section B.
Overall, the quality of responses seen this year was excellent, and the majority of candidates
handled the comparative aspect of the paper well, made good use of time and used some
successful approaches to consider literary and linguistic features. This reflects the nature of
this examination session and the fact that LL1 is a unit that centres and candidates prepare
well for.
To repeat advice given in previous reports, and advice which, by and large, has been taken
on board by candidates and centres, it is vital that candidates are equipped with a wide
ranging set of technical terms before attempting this exam. The best responses this summer
used a wide range of technical terms confidently (AO1), explored approaches meaningfully
(AO2) and made thorough comparisons and contrasts between the texts (AO3). Contextual
material (AO3) was most effectively used when relevant to meaning. Weaker responses
often struggled to use technical terms, with many using just one or two basic terms; had
difficulty linking the approaches identified to the meanings in the text; and failed to compare
and contrast effectively. There are online CPD resources available on the WJEC website to
assist with the teaching of terminology as well as frameworks for supporting comparative
responses. It is vital that centres make full use of the resources on offer to best serve the
interests of their candidates.
Section A: Poetry pre-1900 and unseen text
The majority of candidates opted for question 1, on Byron’s ‘She Walks in Beauty’, paired
with an extract from an online newspaper describing Brigit Bardot. Those who chose
question 2, Gerald Manley Hopkins’s ‘God’s Grandeur’, paired with an extract from a book of
religious essays on landscape, did so with some success and clearly engaged with the poem
and its meaning. On the whole candidates handled comparisons well, identifying key
connections between the texts. In question 1, most responses correctly identified the poetic
form of both though this often meant little more than an outline of features, with limited
attempt at analysis. Better responses commented securely on Bryon’s personal life and
speculated as to who the ‘she’ referred to. Productive links were made to the unseen extract
about Bardot with many candidates identifying key points of comparison between the two
texts, with most commenting on the extract’s description of different attitudes to the sex
symbol often in hyperbolic terms using natural imagery as a point of contrast to Byron’s
poem which romanticises and objectifies the object of his affection in the same way.
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Perceptive comments discussed the way that Bardot represented a sexualised, youthful
femininity, which was the opposite of the pure and innocent ‘She’ in Byron’s text. The modes
of address used in both texts and the rich imagery used proved to be productive areas for
comparison.
On question 2 candidates struggled to include relevant biographical contextual information,
and missed opportunities to explore Hopkins’s religious background, and life. The more
perceptive responses offered this as a reading of the poem itself, inferring that his ministries
in urban cities was reflected in his description of an industrial landscape. On the whole,
candidates engaged well with meaning in Hopkins’s poem, with better responses able to
explore Hopkins’s sense of awe and wonder at the limitless qualities of nature and God and
linking that to the description of the power of the landscape to evoke prayer in the extract.
Candidates wrote well about the connecting theme of God in nature revealing a sensitive
appreciation of the literary and linguistic techniques used by both writers in the presentation
of the different settings. Errors in the identification of word classes was sometimes an issue
here as in question 1. Listing often proved challenging, with misidentification of both syndetic
and asyndetic lists.
Section B: Prose
The key to doing well on this section relies on knowing the texts extremely well in order that
pertinent selections relevant to the question can be made at speed. There are many
approaches to structuring a response that can be successful but the simplest and clearest is
to track the passage through line by line providing detailed integrated discussion and then to
move on quickly to the second part of the question. In the second part candidates should
select at least one other episode from the core and partner texts to develop their answer. It is
possible to look at more than one other example from each text, but candidates should
guard against simply identifying lots of episodes (at times almost as a bullet pointed list) and
then failing to say anything meaningful about the examples selected.
As this was a resit opportunity for the majority of candidates, we did not see responses on
the full range of questions or even in each pairing of texts. Generally, the most popular text
pairings were for questions 3 and 4, Masters and Ashworth, and for questions 7 and 8,
Capote and Carey. Fewer responses were seen on the other pairings of texts.
There was a relatively even distribution of students opting for questions 3 and 4 in the
pairing of Masters and Ashworth, and the extracts and themes for both were handled well.
Many candidates engaged with Stuart’s chaotic and disorderly behaviour and that of the
homeless community as evidenced in the extract about the incident by the bus stop.
Candidates wrote well about the extract featuring Stuart as a runaway, and observed
Judith’s resigned fatigue about the situation. Responses selected relevant terminology to
describe some of the women in both texts, and many responses saw patterns of behaviour
in Lorraine’s poor choices in partner and in Judith’s naivety in her response to Gavvy’s
abuse of Stuart. The wider question on disorder and chaos saw candidates select well from
a variety of evidence in both texts, including incidents of violence in both. Question 7, on
Capote and Carey, asked candidates to focus on the presentation of fathers and this was by
far the more popular of the choices offered on this pairing but those who attempted question
8 effectively handled the extract describing Herb Clutter’s last meeting, and attitudes to
money. Those candidates who did attempt question 7 did make some sensitive and
productive connections between the characters of Tex, Herb and Dewey in the wider core
text and Ned, Red Kelly and Harry Power in the partner text, with many considering how
each conformed to expectations of a father’s role.
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The extract in question 7 from the Trapper’s Den lodge was clearly an extract which many
candidates knew well, and many analysed the fraught and volatile relationship between the
father and son. There was an even distribution of responses to questions 11, Niffeneger and
Wells, on the car crash and the presentation of dramatic events and 12, taken from the
prologue about Henry’s feelings about time travel, and attitudes to travel in general.
There are several key points to note for future examinations:
 Section A responses which are often rich with terminology sometimes struggle to explore
meaning or impact.
 Other Section A responses included barely any terminology and were difficult to reward
given that one text has been studied and prepared before the examination.
 Section B responses explore meaning thoughtfully but must also include a wide range of
linguistic and literary terms.
 Comparisons are key to Section B, and responses needed to do more than just select a
series of separate 'incidents' from core and partner texts.
 Errors noted this summer include the misidentification of syndetic and asyndetic lists,
noun phrase modification, as well as confusion over basic word class terms.
 Candidates should be accurate in their assessment of context
 Responses should be clear, coherent and accurate, common misspellings included:
peice, repitition, similie, metaphore, sentance, eachother, alot, trippling, pre-modifyer,
would of/could of.
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ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
General Certificate of Education
Summer 2016
Advanced Subsidiary/Advanced
LL2: CREATIVE WRITING
The assessment for this unit is based on a folder of work of approximately 3,000 words,
comprising three pieces in total, each of approximately 1,000 words. Candidates are
required to produce:
(a) one literary piece of original writing
(b) one non-literary piece of original writing
(c) one commentary on both pieces of original writing.
Creative Writing
‘Candidates will be required to produce two separate pieces of original creative writing, each
of approximately 1000 words (less for verse). Each piece of writing is equally weighted.
Tasks:
(a) One piece of writing must be literary, inspired by study of the candidate’s wider
independent reading.
(b) The second piece must be non-literary: journalism, reviews, information texts,
etc.’
WJEC English Language and Literature Specification p. 13
The relevant assessment objective for both pieces of original writing expects candidates to:
 demonstrate expertise and creativity in using language appropriately for a variety of
purposes and audiences, drawing on insights from linguistic and literary studies
(AO4).
Task Setting
All candidates submitted work in both literary and non-literary genres.
Once again best practice was observed where centres had taught a range of tasks as this
provided candidates with the opportunity to write in a range of different forms and styles.
Candidates who created a thematic link between the literary and non-literary pieces tended
to perform better on the commentary as it allowed them to tackle meaning (AO2) and make
more productive connections (AO3).
There was some interesting and engaging literary work. At the top of Band 4 genre-specific
prose was well-crafted. Successful non-literary tasks included speeches, issue-based
magazine articles or blogs, editorials, reviews (film, book and restaurant!) and travelogues.
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Even at this late stage in the specification the issue of wider reading remains a problem.
Again, a number of candidates referred to films and television programmes as the stimulus
for their literary writing: this is NOT acceptable. Texts commonly taught at Key Stage 3 are
still being cited (e.g. The Fault In Our Stars, Divergent, The Hunger Games).
Some centres still struggled to grasp the purpose of the wider reading text in preparing
candidates for their creative writing. Stimulus material is to inform candidates’
understanding of theme, form and generic conventions. There were still examples of
candidates reproducing their wider reading texts in a different format (e.g. a play script of
Sons and Lovers) and these pieces lacked the originality that is required for this element of
the course. This approach was often self-penalising as candidates failed to create an
authentic text and maintain the voice of the original author.
Technical inaccuracy was a cause for concern this year.
Commentaries
The intention of the commentary is to formally assess candidates’ understanding of their
choices of content, form, and style in both pieces of the original written work, making points
of comparison and contrast between them.
The relevant assessment objectives for this task expect candidates to:
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use integrated approaches to explore relationships between texts, analysing and
evaluating the significance of contextual factors in their production and reception
(AO3);
select and apply relevant concepts and approaches from integrated linguistic and
literary study, using appropriate terminology and accurate, coherent written
expression (AO1);
demonstrate detailed critical understanding in analysing the ways in which
structure, form and language shape meanings in a range of spoken and written
texts (AO2).
Even at this late stage of teaching the specification, some centres continue to ignore the
need to teach the linguistic element of the course. Please note, the glossary in the WJEC
Teacher Guide is very helpful for teaching all units of the course and is highly beneficial
when teaching the new specification. Within the best commentaries candidates adopted an
analytical approach, using a wide range of literary and linguistic terms and discussing the
impact of the features they had identified within their own writing:
In the commentary, candidates are required to make brief reference to their stimulus
material and its influence on their own writing. As pointed out in the task setting section,
many candidates did not include an appropriate wider reading text and some candidates
cited completely inappropriate material such as films and video games. There were also still
cases where candidates spent far too long comparing their wider reading text to their own
writing at the expense of comparing their literary and non-literary writing.
Word Limits
Once again, word limits were problematic. The recommendation is that candidates aim to
write 1000 words per piece. Too many candidates submitted work that was excessively long,
particularly for the commentary. All work past the maximum 1100 word limit (1000 words
plus 10% tolerance) was disregarded in the moderation process and candidates could not be
credited for it.
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Assessment
Many centres assessed with accuracy, consistently applying the Assessment Objectives.
However, there remain those centres with a recurrent trend for generosity. Centres tended to
over-reward candidates on one of two areas – over-inflating the marks on the commentaries
and over-rewarding technically inaccurate work.
As always there were many centres with exemplary assessment procedures. The very best
practice occurred where centres had formatively and summatively assessed candidates’
work making reference was made to the relevant AOs.
The completion of student cover sheets is not optional and it is a specification requirement
that centres provide comments to support the whole folder. Some centres chose to ignore
this requirement entirely.
Administration and Organisation
Many centres carried out administrative procedures in a professional and efficient manner
and are to be wholly commended.
There were a few examples of marks on folders not correlating with the marks that had been
entered online. As always, there were some cover sheets that had not been signed by
candidates and teachers.
Nearly all centres met the deadline for submitting work.
Some suggested areas for consideration when preparing for Unit 5 Non-Examination
Assessment on the new specification:
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Check the WJEC website to ensure that the correct documentation is being used.
Check all administrative procedures are completed correctly and adhere to deadlines.
Ensure teacher and candidate signatures are in place.
Ensure the cover sheets have been completed by the teacher.
Use both formative and summative comments in assessing candidates’ work.
Ensure that thorough moderation has taken place before final marks are submitted
online to the WJEC.
Replace any incomplete folder with the folder on the nearest mark to it.
Candidates need to be reminded of the need for technical accuracy – as well as flair
and originality - in their creative writing.
Across the folder written work should be clear, accurate, coherent and well-organised.
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ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
General Certificate of Education
Summer 2016
Advanced Subsidiary/Advanced
LL3: ANALYSING AND PRODUCING PERFORMANCE TEXTS
The assessment of this unit is based on a folder of work of approximately 3000 words,
comprising of four pieces in total. Its focus is on texts produced for performance. It
encourages the development of extended formal essay writing skills, independent research
and creative writing linked to performance.
Section A: Dramatic texts in context
Candidates are required to produce a piece of work of approximately 1,500 words,
based on their study of two drama texts:
 one play by Shakespeare selected for detailed study;
 one play/performance text by another dramatist/writer.
The relevant assessment objectives for this section expect candidates to:
 use integrated approaches to explore relationships between texts, analysing and
evaluating the significance of contextual factors in their production and reception (AO3);
 demonstrate detailed critical understanding in analysing the ways in which structure,
form and language shape meanings in a range of spoken and written texts (AO2);
 select and apply relevant concepts and approaches from integrated linguistic and literary
study, using appropriate terminology and accurate, coherent written expression (AO1).
Task Setting
Moderators saw a range of text pairings and tasks in the work submitted. King Lear and
Othello proved to be very popular this year with the tragedies providing a rich vein of study
for candidates. However, the majority of Shakespeare’s work was present with some
centres offering candidates the opportunity to study texts such as Measure for Measure and
Titus Andronicus. Many centres had also allowed candidates to select from a range of
appropriate partner texts. Traditional drama texts remain the most popular. Texts such as A
Streetcar Named Desire, Oleanna and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof provided suitable challenge
and covered a range of interesting themes. Some centres had chosen to offer media scripts
as a possible partner text. These scripts can work well if suitable challenge is woven in and
some excellent work was seen on Shakespeare in Love, The Godfather and Pulp Fiction. A
minority of centres submitted work on partner texts which had not be authorised. All centres
must submit the titles of their proposed texts for approval.
Thematic tasks were, again, the most popular and tended to work extremely well. Tasks on
power and relationships proved popular this year and were often very successful. They
allowed candidates to explore some very interesting contextual issues within their text
pairings. As always, tasks on gender in general or on the presentation of men or women
specifically, featured heavily and also worked well in terms of addressing the demands of
AO3. Where the phrasing of the questions offered signposts for the requirements of the unit,
candidates were much more focused in their writing.
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General headings such as ‘The theme of family in....’ did not provide candidates with enough
guidance on the comparative and analytical demands of this unit. The most successful
essays adopted a comparative approach throughout and were able to offer useful points of
similarity or difference. The best essays were able to embed comparisons to form a coherent
and developed argument. A minority of centres treated the partner text equally and it is worth
noting that it should be used to illuminate the candidates’ study of the core text. Essay
structure proved problematic in a minority of the work seen this year. The best responses
had crafted extended and tightly focused arguments and not a series of short paragraphs
covering a wide range of points briefly. Introductions also needed further development in
some centres where, occasionally, they did not address the question or were entirely absent.
The use of terminology was much improved this year with the majority of centres
encouraging candidates to analyse both literary and linguistic features. The range of
terminology was often good but could have been widened further, particularly in responses
being placed in Band 4. The best responses identified and explored a wide range of
terminology effectively. These responses also tended to include reference to spoken
language features such as dominant speaker, turn taking etc. where relevant. In a minority of
centres, the range of terminology was much too narrow. Many candidates focused on how
these terms created meaning and avoided the sometimes common ‘feature spotting’
approach. Stronger responses adhered closely to the Statement/Evidence/Analysis structure
and applied terminology to all quotations. Better responses showed awareness of the texts
as performance pieces through reference to staging, specific RSC productions etc.
Some areas for development:
 a minority of candidates are still producing ‘literature’ essays for Section A with limited
evidence of integrated study - literary and linguistic analysis must be included
 a wider range of terminology would be beneficial as some work was much too descriptive
and lacking in analytical focus
 further analysis of sentence types would be beneficial as this area is rarely explored in
any real detail
 candidates must avoid vague terminology such as ‘the word’ or ‘the phrase’
 candidates must avoid simply providing large sections of biographical or historical
information which does not move their argument forward - this is particularly common in
the opening sections of essays
 candidates must show an awareness of performance and of audience reception of
both their core and partner text
 candidates must adhere to the specified word counts for this piece. Editing and drafting
are crucial skills in the internal assessment units
 clear and well-crafted introductions are needed in order to establish a coherent and
focused argument
 essays should be structured to offer extended, detail argument and not a series of brief
points related to the topic.
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Section B: Producing texts for performance
Candidates will be required to:
 write 2 original spoken texts (one of which should be transcribed) for performance for
different audiences and purposes (approximately 1000 words in total);
 evaluate the effectiveness of one of the texts they have produced (approximately 500
words).
The relevant assessment objectives for this section of the A2 internal assessment
expect candidates to:
 demonstrate expertise and creativity in using language appropriately for a variety of
purposes and audiences, drawing on insights from linguistic and literary studies (AO4);
 demonstrate detailed critical understanding in analysing the ways in which structure,
form and language shape meanings in a range of spoken and written texts (AO2).
Task Setting
A wide variety of work was seen in this section of the folder again this year. Common tasks
included a range of speeches, monologues and sports commentaries. Nature
documentaries proved very popular and some very impressive pieces were seen by
moderators. A number of YouTube tutorials or vlogs were also in evidence this year and this
is a genre which works well. Candidates are clearly very familiar with the genre and were
able to produce authentic pieces of work with a clear sense of performance. Spontaneous
texts such as sports commentaries and motivational team talks again worked well this year.
The stronger responses added to the authenticity of these pieces by including a wide range
of non-fluency features such as fillers, voiced pauses and repairs. Less successful tasks
tended to be ‘real’ texts such as conversations as the audience and purpose was only a little
unclear. A minority of candidates also continue to produce performance pieces featuring an
existing star or show. This is often self-limiting as it can lack originality. Providing a brief
contextualisation for each performance piece is undoubtedly best practice. This detail clearly
establishes the audience and purpose for the piece and demonstrates awareness of the
genre.
The majority of centres provided one transcribed piece as required. Many included a helpful
key to the prosodic features used but some centres did not and this proved problematic. On
the whole the range of prosodic features used was reasonable with nearly all centres
referring to dominant speaker, turntaking, stress, pauses and rising and falling intonation. In
the better responses, this was taken further with reference to other useful features of spoken
language such as pitch and pace and non-fluency features such as fillers and voiced
pauses. Most transcriptions were well done but there were some common errors which
moderators found across a number of centres. It is worth noting that punctuation should be
removed from transcribed pieces apart from apostrophes of possession and omission.
Capital letters should only be used for proper nouns and the first person singular ‘I’ and
stress should be used on phonemes and not on whole words. These conventions must be
applied rigorously and errors should be considered in the assessment of the pieces.
On the whole, the evaluations showed good understanding and analytical skills were sound.
The majority of candidates wrote the evaluation on their transcribed piece and the evidence
suggests that this was perhaps the best approach as there were often more features upon
which to comment. The best responses identified key literary, linguistic, prosodic and
paralinguistic features and explored how they created specific meanings within the texts. A
minority of candidates referred to both performance pieces in their evaluations - this is not a
requirement for this unit.
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Some areas for development:
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tasks where candidates write from an existing star’s perspective were problematic as it is
incredibly difficult to accurately emulate the speech patterns and mannerisms of known
figures. It is advisable, therefore, to avoid such tasks and instead to write a piece ‘in the
style of’ such a star
candidates need to provide clear guidance as to the audience and intended purpose of
the texts created. This can be done on the cover sheet or through a brief piece of
contextualisation
candidates should provide two distinctly different original pieces i.e. it is inadvisable to
include two speeches unless they are markedly different in audience and purpose
pieces do not need to be thematically linked. In fact, this can often narrow the focus of
study
‘spontaneous’ texts need to include some non-fluency features e.g. fillers, repairs, voiced
pauses etc...
provide a key for the markers used in the transcribed piece
marking texts with prosodic features proved to be problematic this year. The following
were the most common errors:
‒ misuse of capital letters
‒ misuse of punctuation
‒ stressing of whole words instead of phonemes
‒ erratic placement of prosodic markers, indicating little understanding of phonological
impact.
Assessment
A majority of centres clearly have rigorous assessment and moderation processes in
place. Detailed annotation referencing the relevant AOs was extremely useful to
moderators in demonstrating how bands had been decided upon. This annotation should be
present on both the cover sheet which accompanies the folder and in the work itself. On the
whole, assessment was sound but there was a tendency toward generosity in some centres.
This was particularly clear in assessment at Band 4 across both sections of the unit. This
generosity was notable in both the essays and the evaluations where a much wider range of
terminology needed to feature as well as a detailed consideration of the impact of these
literary and linguistic approaches. Assessment of the performance pieces was generally
secure although there was a tendency to over-reward transcriptions which had inaccuracies
such as the misuse of capital letters and the misplacement of prosodic markers.
© WJEC CBAC Ltd.
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ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
General Certificate of Education
Summer 2016
Advanced Subsidiary/Advanced
LL4: COMPARATIVE TEXTUAL ANALYSIS AND REVIEW
If you are reading this report, it is likely that candidates in your centre have already followed
advice given in similar reports since 2010. In many centres candidates had been well
prepared for both sections, with purposeful application of linguistic and literary approaches
and sound planning.
Obvious shortcomings this year included over-generalised or repetitive comment in
Section A and uncertain selection for relevance to questions in Section B.
AO1 Presentation and Planning (both sections)
Clearly, many centres have acted on advice in previous reports about the value of using up
to 15 minutes in each section for planning, as well as for reading and annotation in Section
A. In a few centres, again, responses were long, disorganised and often without focussed
introductions, suggesting that this advice had not been given often enough. Candidates are
expected to paragraph their writing and to pay attention to technical accuracy. Inaccurate
spelling of characters’ and writers’ names and of key terminology is surprisingly common.
The denotation of titles such as ‘Wuthering Heights’, which would distinguish the novel from
the house, was often missing.
Section A
AO1
Expression, Terminology and Organisation
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The most successful responses start with a comparative overview. This can gain
credit for all three AOs from the outset. Introductions might focus on attitudes,
purposes, genres and/or the most likely audiences for all three texts. There is no
need to show any general knowledge of the topic e.g. aviation.
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Some candidates still copy out the text descriptors which cannot gain marks. We still
see unnecessary general introductions, such as ‘The three texts all present
aeroplanes and flying differently according to their different purposes and audiences.
I will now analyse and explore how each text presents....’.
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Another wasteful feature is the empty conclusion which merely repeats points already
made. The more confident and perceptive conclusions this year were, as usual, built
around a unifying idea which had emerged from analysing the texts. For example,
some observed that the flying experience was more rewarding for pilots that for
passengers. Others discussed different reasons for flying presented in the poem,
novel and article.
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Terminology: common errors this year
Here are some problem areas. These terms are very often confused or misused and require
extra revision:
 syndetic and asyndetic listing
 first, second and third person
 juxtaposition, oxymoron, antithesis
 ‘love’: stative verb or abstract noun?
 pronouns and determiners.
Sentence moods
In some centres, phrases or subordinate clauses were routinely referred to as 'declaratives'.
For example: in the declarative 'untrespassed sanctity of space'. Any sentence mood needs
a full main clause in order to be established. It is not possible to tell whether a group of
words is imperative, declarative or interrogative unless the example includes the main verb.
Also, as the declarative is the most common sentence mood, candidates also need to
consider whether the application of the term is productive. This also applies to:
Word classes
These are difficult to master and easy to get wrong. Effective close analysis requires some
accurate word classing but word class labels also take up time and space, which would often
be better occupied by widening the range of linguistic and literary approaches. Because it
would be technically possible to attach word class labels to every single word on the page,
selection is a useful skill to practise. It is rarely useful to specify the class of each word in a
quotation but a few centres do seem to have encouraged this.
AO2 Understanding and analysis
Collected advice on unprepared texts
 refer to all of the text, not just to the beginning. Look for techniques which are used
more than once, as these are likely to be important
 remember to show understanding of genre e.g. the difference between fiction and
non-fiction. In some centres, poetic form had clearly not been revised
 avoid generalised comment on the impact of features. The expressions ‘to make
the poem flow’ and ‘to create imagery for the reader’ remain banned. The phrase
‘negative connotations’ should now join this group
 use Statement Evidence Analysis method to discuss techniques
 avoid repetition of ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ for attitudes. This was a very
noticeable problem this year. While useful as starting point, repetitive vocabulary
impairs the quality of written expression and leads to simplification
 aim for fairly even coverage of the three texts.
AO3 Contexts and comparison
Candidates need to be encouraged to practise linking texts rather than merely
alternating.
Work on contextual factors still varies widely between centres. Sometimes competent
candidates failed to consider audiences at all, even the obvious niche audience of Text C.
Contextual factors can be used to link the texts, perhaps in the introductory overview.
Sweeping generalisations about the presentation of flying were common this year.
Candidates who concentrated on differences between the texts often found productive
starting points.
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Discussion of change over time is likely to be informed by common sense and general
knowledge. Observant candidates noted, for example, that ‘High Flight’ was written before
space travel became a reality and when it was rare for non-professionals to fly at all.
Although it is encouraging to see genuine grasp of the concerns of writers in different time
periods, some struggled to apply labels such as post-modernist and match the texts to
learned generalisations.
Section B
The quality of work on the core text and relevant use of other texts again varied markedly
between centres. There was some very impressive work in this section but in some centres
candidates were inadequately prepared on their core text, failing to select material effectively
or analyse closely. In a few responses there was no analysed quotation at all and in others
only a small part of the text, such as the opening chapter of the novels was used. On the
other hand, there were some examples of rather rigid preparation, where candidates used
the same quotations in the same order, irrespective of the question chosen. The use of
partner texts has steadily improved but they often lack contextualisation or firm, relevant
linking.
AO1
Question choice and relevance
Most chose to write on the theme of suffering although relationships between men and
women also proved popular. Some of the strongest responses were on settings, although
there was a tendency for these essays to drift off into discussion of themes and not drift
back. Irrelevance was more of a problem with the topic of suffering however. Often the
causes of suffering, such as prejudice, were being discussed, when more direct evidence
needed to be selected.
Effective planning is crucial with so much material to choose from. Practice for this section
needed to include choosing questions with the partner text(s) in mind as well as the core
text. It was good to see that in many centres, most candidates had planning notes or
diagrams at the start of Section B.
Evidence of integrated study was limited in a significant minority of responses and in many
others evidence was very sketchy. Those showing sound knowledge of terminology in
Section A sometimes omitted to use it in Section B or used only very general terms. Close
analysis as sustained as in Section A is not expected, candidates need to choose quotations
in support of a relevant argument so that they can cover a range of literary devices and
linguistic choices in their analysis. My earlier remarks on word class are relevant here: with
such a range of studied material to hand, it is disappointing to see candidates who only label
individual words. This was a particular problem with ‘The Birthday Letters’ where the
overview and significant imagery in poems was too often lost in a wilderness of word class
labels.
AO2
Use of the core text
This is an open book examination. Inventing or guessing quotations is never a good idea
and is unlikely to impress examiners who are very familiar with the most popular material.
Also it is unnecessary to point out that a quotation is being offered: quotation marks serve
this purpose and effective analysis rarely begins with ‘This quote shows. . .’
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In some centres, candidates lacked detailed knowledge of the text, and had not practised
selecting relevantly. Many dealt only with material from the opening pages and seemed
unacquainted with the text as a whole. For example, numerous essays on suffering began
with Heathcliff’s arrival as a child in Chapter 4, whereas those who chose his reactions to
Lockwood’s dream or to Catherine’s death were able to present much more convincing
textual support. Quotations need to be chosen to support an argument and to provide
opportunities to analyse the writer’s techniques. The internal context of the quotation also
needs to be included i.e. during which conversation or event. When quoting dialogue, the
speaker should be identified. Candidates should be encouraged to show awareness of the
whole text for the novels.
AO3
Contextual factors influencing the core text were widely used and often well selected but
biographical detail needed to be relevant to the question. In some centres few
acknowledged any contextual factors weakening otherwise effective responses.
Candidates often seemed to lack practice in linking the texts. Sometimes the work on partner
texts was relevant and clear but without specific contrast or comparison.
Choice of partner text(s)
Successful choices have included:
 classic novels – e.g. Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Dickens, Hardy, Orwell
 novels chosen or recommended by centres, including ‘The Woman in Black’ and ‘The
Great Gatsby’
 Shakespeare plays, especially the tragedies
 memorable poems on themes such as marriage, family or childhood
 candidates’ own favourites, less common but usually impressive
 LL1 texts when suitable for the question chosen
Contextual factors influencing the partner texts
There has been steady improvement in the contextualisation of partner texts. It is clear that
well-prepared candidates have studied a choice of partner texts, learning useful material and
contextual factors. Different contexts, especially time periods can be pointed out as part of
the comparative element of the question.
Candidates needed to identify the writer, the genre and the time period. The most
successful candidates also discuss, where relevant, contextual factors such as biographical
material, social or historical factors and audience expectations.
Successful work in Section B featured:
 sensible question choice and a clear argument
 careful planning and clear focus on the question(A01/AO3)
 clear and relevant evidence of integrated study (A01/A02)
 purposeful, selective and analytical use of the core text (A02)
 relevant reference to other texts with specific links made (A03)
 discussion of contextual factors for core and partner texts (A03).
GCE English Language and Literature (Legacy) Report Summer 2016
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