English Language GCSE

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I am looking at some sample papers. I consider myself to be more than adequate at both comprehension and grammar. Can you tell me what you understand from the question relating to this text. What would you put as the answer. It should only take a minute to read the text and answer. My AIBU is that I think this is a really badly worded question and I probably would have answered incorrectly.

"Inside the ship, there were noises. Deep structural groans. I stumbled and fell. No harm done. I got 2 up. With the help of the handrails I went down the stairwell four steps at a time. I had gone down 3 just one level when I saw water. Lots of water. It was blocking my way. It was surging from below 4 like a riotous crowd, raging, frothing and boiling. Stairs vanished into watery darkness. I couldn't 5 believe my eyes. What was this water doing here? Where had it come from? I stood nailed to the 6 spot, frightened and incredulous and ignorant of what I should do next. Down there was where 7 my family was. 8 I ran up the stairs. I got to the main deck. The weather wasn't entertaining any more. I was very 9 afraid. Now it was plain and obvious: the ship was listing badly. And it wasn't level the other way 10 either. There was a noticeable incline going from bow to stern. I looked overboard. The water 11 didn't look to be eighty feet away. The ship was sinking. My mind could hardly conceive it. It was 12 as unbelievable as the moon catching fire. "

Question :
Q1. Read the above paragraphs. List four things from this part of the text about the ship.

hold on - I will have to put the picture in for the text as it keeps putting in line numbers which makes it almost incomprehensible!

Well, there are a few things to choose from;

There were at least three levels
There were stairs (more than 4 steps) with handrails
The Main Deck was normally 80ft above water level
It was filling with water
It was making noises
It was listing badly from bow to stern
It was listing towards the side where the narrator was standing
It was sinking

there were stairs
There were handrails
It was taking in water
There were more than 1 levels/decks.

Would be my attempt.
You can't 'do' English language GCSE without teaching. The questions are always the same/similar and you are taught how to answer each question, ie what they are looking for.

It's nearly 50 years since I took English O level, but I'll have a go. Four things about the ship?

1. It's sinking. There must be a hole somewhere below the waterline and water is filling up the lower levels.
2. It's a big ship. There are several levels and it should have been 80 feet from the level of the deck to the sea.
3. Umm ... Another indicator it's sinking is that the deck is not level.
4. That's all, folks!

What's the approved answer?

The clue is in the question. Finding four things written about the ship, not the narrator, the weather, or what the narrator was doing or thinking.

Inference is not required for Question 1.

The ship was making noises - deep structural groans.

The ship has stairwells with handrails.

The ship has a number of levels.

The ship has a main deck.

The ship is not level in the water.

The ship is sinking.

Also I would say more than a minute to do this. On AQA it is 80 marks for the whole paper, and the 4 mark question would be up to 5 minutes if needed.

Basically people fail to get 4 marks on this question because they try to be too clever. It's just explicit info that you need to find. Essentially, if the writer hasn't written it, it doesn't count.

So, I'm prob missing a few, but I got:

There are noises inside the ship
There are handrails
There are stairs
It has levels
There is water in the ship
It has a main deck
It is listing
It is sinking
It is on an incline from bow to stern

Any good teacher should have repeatedly explained the wording of the question to stop students trying to read between the lines. If you're coming to it without any exam prep, you'll probably fall into the trap of trying yo infer.

This is what I always struggle with. I over think it, look for some clever insight and in reality they want the obvious simplistic answer

Eng Lang GCSE is meant to be accessible to most abilities.
Q1 should be the simplest. You definitely don't want to overthink it.

This question is designed to be very straightforward, you don’t need to explain but merely select info. So it’s making noises, it’s filling with water, it’s listing, it’s sinking. The stairs/handrails answer wouldn’t get you marks. I’m an English teacher and all English Teachers hate Language as it’s so formulaic and tedious.

This is exactly it.

If it makes anyone feel any better, it's often the more able students who fail to get 4/4 on Q1. The more gifted you are with language, the harder it is to resist and keep it simple.

Also an English teacher and examiner. You're spot on.

However, I disagree with the stairs/handrails not getting marks. I'd award marks for those. From memory (and I'd have to check) the markscheme says something about awarding any other correct answer that can be verified by reading the text

And therein lies the issue. You spot things, then second guess as to whether or not the things you found 'count'.
If they wanted 'unusual things happening with the ship' then that's what they should ask for...

That's totally it. I always just teach it as 'if you have to work it out, it's not the right answer.'

Give me maths any day.

This is why I have requested DD do Functional Skills level 2 next year rather than yet another attempt at English language.

I would answer:
The ship has more than one level.
The ship has hand rails.
The ship is sinking.
The ship is listing.

Q1. Read the above paragraphs. List four things from this part of the text about the ship.
'Things' is a dreadful word. I picked out 'physical things' rather than 'descriptive things' so I included handrails and stairwells, they are the first two physical things listed!

As far as I'm aware, physical things are fine to include.

It should have read "From this part of the text, list four things about the ship".

I'm an English teacher and I love the Language side of things! I don't find it tedious but I agree the qs are a little formulaic.

I absolutely hate the English language GCSE. You spend the whole time teaching pupils how to pass the exam, without improving their ability to understand or use the language.

This is aimed at those at the lower end of the grade, it's very literal and just regurgitation of what is written.

The ship is groaning. The ship has handrails, The ship has stairs. There is water in the ship. The ship is listing. etc

It's very basic I think - when you know what they're looking for.

KISS - keep it simple!