NEW GCSE GRADES
English Language
F1
F2
F3
AO1: 10%
- Identify and interpret explicit and
implicit information and ideas.
-Select and synthesise evidence from
different texts.
AO2: 17.5%
Explain, comment on and analyse how
writers use language and structure to
achieve effects and influence readers,
using relevant subject terminology to
support their views.
AO3: 10%
Compare writers’ ideas and perspectives,
as well as how these are conveyed,
across two or more texts.
AO4: 12.5%
Evaluate texts critically and support this
with appropriate textual references.
AO5: 30%
-Communicate clearly, effectively and
imaginatively, selecting and adapting
tone, style and register for different
forms, purposes and audiences.
- Organise information and ideas, using
structural and grammatical features to
support coherence and cohesion of texts.
 With support, shows little awareness of
register/ audience/ purpose. One or two
ideas.
 With support, can make few vocabulary
choices. One or two words.
 With support, struggles to organise
ideas into a coherent order.
AO6: 20%
Candidates must use a range of
vocabulary and sentence structures for
clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate
spelling and punctuation.
 With support can paraphrase once or
twice.
 With support refers to simple textual
detail, once or twice.
 With support, shows limited awareness
of the effects of language and structure,
once or twice.
 No use of subject terminology
 With support, shows limited (one)
reference to ideas/ perspectives
 With support, shows limited or no
awareness of how writers’ methods are
used
 With support, shows limited or no use
of/ reference to textual detail
 With support, shows very limited or no
evaluation of the effect of the text on
the reader.
 With support, shows very limited
understanding of writers’ methods
 With support, paraphrases rather than
makes inference
 With support, refers to textual
detail/makes simple references
 With support, shows limited awareness
of the effects of language and structure
 No use of subject terminology
 With support, shows limited references
of ideas/ perspectives
 With support, shows limited awareness
of how writers’ methods are used
 With support, shows limited use of/
reference to textual detail
 With support, shows limited evaluation
of the effect of the text on the reader
 With support, shows limited
understanding of writers’ methods
 With support, shows limited awareness
of register/ audience/ purpose
 With support, can use limited
vocabulary choices
 With support, is beginning to organise
ideas.
 With support, shows simple crossreferences of ideas/ perspectives
 With support, shows simple awareness
of how writers’ methods are used
 With support, shows simple reference
to/ use of textual detail
 Limited or no cross-references of ideas/
perspectives
 Limited awareness of how writers’
methods are used
 Limited use of/ reference to textual
detail
 With support, can produce a simple
evaluation of the effect of the text on
the reader
 With support, shows simple
understanding of writers’ methods
 With support, shows simple awareness
of register/ audience/ purpose
 With support, can use simple vocabulary
choices
 With support, can organise ideas.
 Limited/ no evaluation of the effect of
the text on the reader
 Limited understanding of writers’
methods
 Limited or no awareness of register/
audience / purpose
 Limited vocabulary choices
 Limited organisation and use of
structural features
 Simple awareness of the effects of
language and structure
 Simple use of subject terminology, not
always accurately
 Simple cross-references of ideas/
perspectives
 Simple awareness of how writers’
methods are used
 Simple reference to/ use of textual
detail
 Simple evaluation of the effect of the
text on the reader
 Simple understanding of writers’
methods
 Simple awareness of register/ audience/
purpose
 Simple vocabulary choices/ use of
linguistic devices
 Simple organisation and use of
structural features
 Some explicit inference
 Some use of appropriate textual detail
 Some comments on the effects of
language and structure
 Some accurate use of subject
terminology
 Some comparison of writers’ ideas and
perspectives
 Some comments on how writers’
methods are used
 Some use of appropriate textual detail
 Some evaluation of the effect of the text
on the reader
 Some understanding of writers’
methods
 Attempts to match register/ audience/
purpose
 Some variety of vocabulary choices/ use
of linguistic devices
 Some variety of organisation and use of
structural features
 Clear explicit inference
 Clear and appropriate use of textual
detail
 Clear comments on the effects of
language and structure
 Clear and accurate use of subject
terminology
 Clear comparison of writers’ ideas and
perspectives
 of how writers’ methods are used
 Clear and appropriate use of textual
detail
 Clear evaluation of the effect of the text
on the reader
 Clear understanding of writers’ methods
 Some sustained register/ audience/
purpose
 Conscious use of vocabulary / linguistic
devices
 Conscious use of organisation and use of
structural features
 With support, shows limited use of
vocabulary across about half a page.
 With support, can write simple
sentences across about half a page.
 With support can spell a limited number
of simple words across about half a
page.
 With support, shows simple use of
vocabulary across about half a page.
 With support, can write simple
sentences across about a page.
 With support can spell simple words
across about a page.
Limited use of
 sentence demarcation
 wide range of punctuation
 wide range of sentence forms
 Standard English
 spelling
 vocabulary
Occasional use of
 sentence demarcation
 wide range of punctuation
 wide range of sentence forms
 Standard English
 spelling
 vocabulary
Attempt to use
 sentence demarcation
 wide range of punctuation
 wide range of sentence forms
 Standard English
 spelling
 vocabulary
Some use of accurate
 sentence demarcation
 wide range of punctuation
 wide range of sentence forms
 Standard English
 spelling
 vocabulary
 With support, can make simple explicit
inferences
 With support, makes simple reference
to/use of textual detail
 With support, can show simple
awareness of the effects of language
and structure
 With support, can show simple use of
subject terminology, not always
accurately
 Limited awareness of the effects of
language and structure
 Limited/ no use of subject terminology
 Simple explicit inference
 Simple reference to/ use of textual
detail
 Paraphrasing rather than inference
 Limited use of/ reference to textual
detail
1
2
3
4
 With support, shows limited use of
vocabulary (about a paragraph)
 With support, can write (one or two)
simple sentences.
 With support can spell a limited number
of simple words (about a paragraph)
 Relevant explicit and implicit inference
 Relevant use of textual detail relevant to
the question
 Relevant explanations of the effects of
writers’ choices of language and
structure
 Relevant and accurate use of subject
terminology
 Relevant comparison of writers’ ideas
and perspectives
 Relevant explanations of how writers’
methods are used
 Relevant use of textual detail relevant to
the question
 Relevant evaluation of the effect of the
text on the reader
 Relevant understanding of writers’
methods
 Detailed explicit and implicit inference
 Detailed use of textual detail relevant to
the question
 Detailed explanation of the effects of
writers’ choices of language and
structure
 Detailed and accurate use of subject
terminology
 Detailed comparison of writers’ ideas
and perspectives
 Detailed explanation of how writers’
methods are used
 Detailed use of textual detail relevant to
the question
 Detailed evaluation of the effect of the
text on the reader
 Detailed understanding of writers’
methods
7
 Exploratory explicit and implicit
inference
 Exploratory use of judiciously-selected
textual detail relevant to the question
 Exploratory analysis of the effects of
writers’ choices of language and
structure
 Sophisticated and accurate use of
subject terminology
 Exploratory comparison of writers’ ideas
and perspectives
 Exploratory analysis of how writers’
methods are used
 Exploratory use of judiciously-selected
textual detail relevant to the question
 Exploratory evaluation of the effect of
the text on the reader
 Exploratory understanding of writers’
methods
8
 Perceptive explicit and implicit
inference
 Perceptive use of judiciously-selected
textual detail relevant to the question
 Perceptive analysis of the effects of
writers’ choices of language and
structure
 Sophisticated and accurate use of a
range of subject terminology
 Perceptive comparison of writers’ ideas
and perspectives
 Perceptive analysis of how writers’
methods are used
 Perceptive use of judiciously-selected
textual detail relevant to the question
 Perceptive evaluation of the effect of
the text on the reader
 Perceptive understanding of writers’
methods
 Convincing and compelling register/
audience/ purpose
 Sophisticated and ambitious vocabulary
choices/ use of linguistic devices
 Sophisticated and ambitious
organisation and use of structural
features
 Critical and evaluative analysis of the
effects of writers’ choices of language
and structure
 Sophisticated, impressive and accurate
use of a range of subject terminology
 Critical/ evaluative comparison of
writers’ ideas and perspectives
 Critical and evaluative analysis of how
writers’ methods are used
 Critical and evaluative use of judiciouslyselected textual detail relevant to the
question
 Critical evaluation of the effect of the
text on the reader
 Critical/ evaluative understanding of
writers’ methods
9
 Critical and evaluative explicit and
implicit inference
 Critical and evaluative use of judiciouslyselected textual detail relevant to the
question
 Convincing, compelling and
sophisticated matching of register/
audience / purpose
 Sophisticated, ambitious and impressive
vocabulary choices/ use of linguistic
devices
 Sophisticated, ambitious and impressive
organisation and use of structural
features
5
6
 Generally-matched register/ audience /
purpose
 Vocabulary choices/ use of linguistic
devices are clearly chosen for effect
 Organisation and use of structural
features are clearly chosen for effect

 Consistently-matched register/
audience / purpose
 Increasingly sophisticated vocabulary
choices/ use of linguistic devices
 Increasingly sophisticated organisation
and use of structural features
 Convincing register/ audience/ purpose
 Ambitious vocabulary choices/ use of
linguistic devices
 Ambitious organisation and use of
structural features
Generally accurate use of
 sentence demarcation
 wide range of punctuation
 wide range of sentence forms
 Standard English
 spelling
 vocabulary
Consistent and accurate use of
 sentence demarcation
 wide range of punctuation
 wide range of sentence forms
 Standard English
 spelling
 vocabulary
Sophisticated and accurate use of
 sentence demarcation
 wide range of punctuation
 wide range of sentence forms
 Standard English
 spelling
 vocabulary
Sophisticated and accurate use of a range
 sentence demarcation
 wide range of punctuation
 wide range of sentence forms
 Standard English
 spelling
 vocabulary
Sophisticated, impressive and accurate
use of
 sentence demarcation
 wide range of punctuation
 wide range of sentence forms
 Standard English
 spelling
 vocabulary