AQA English Language Paper 1

[winterrabbit]

Did anyone else's child sit this today? DS is worried he messed up on the writing question (40 marks). He chose to write about the photo of the desert but ended up writing a story set in a desert rather than just a description. Will he lose a tonne of marks? Wish whoever set the papers made it bit clearer.

It will be fine

Really? Based on what?

My DS also wrote a story set in the desert, and it was about a disagreement for good measure! DS said everyone in his class wrote a story based on the picture rather than just describe what was in the picture.

I believe Mrs Hamlet teaches English GCSE and marks papers, if you have been around here a while you would recognise their name. They are incredibly helpful with English Lit/Lang advice. Lots of children come out of exams thinking they have made mistakes. Some even come out thinking they nailed it then 2 months later start worrying about what they wrote.

I think it's the same mark scheme, whether you chose the picture prompt or the sentence prompt. I think the word prompt was write about a disagreement or something? Either way, they're getting marks for the same things - use of language etc.

AQA have explicitly said that they will mark for quality of writing and that the crossover between description and narrative is blurred so tell him not to worry about it. It will be fine.

'Whoever" sets the papers IS clear.

The exam board give the option of narrative or descriptive creative prose. The stimulus image and prompt are to encourage ideas.

The (same) mark scheme is applied to all responses and the quality of writing is judged.

I do, and thank you.

The mark scheme is not only the same across both writing questions, but across both papers.